The bad news is that the world is gearing up for a sixth mass extinction event.

A widescale loss of plants and animals on Earth, is on the cards according to a conservation expert, but there is hope.

There have been five ‘mass extinction events’ in the world’s history. Now human activity has put us on course for a sixth, which would see us lose 75% of all life on Earth. So far, we have lost, or almost lost, 25% of all mammals.

But there’s still time to stop the sixth mass extinction, says Biology professor Amy B. McEuen, has said Monkeys and apes may well hold the key.

She explained the key will remain our ability to protect ‘umbrella’ species like monkeys, apes, and other well-known animals.

Umbrella species are large-bodied vertebrates, what some biologists call “charismatic megafauna”. One example relevant to China is primates, like gibbons, snub-nosed monkeys, langurs, macaques and lorises.

McEuen cited a 2025 study conducted in the Yunnan province of China which found strong evidence that protecting primates as umbrella species safeguarded other animals and plants too. The researchers used extensive datasets looking at 16 species of primates. The study found that if 30% of Yunnan’s land was designated for primate conservation, then 52% of its annual carbon sequestration, 52% of its water conservation and 54 % of its soil retention would also be protected. And that where there were lots of primates, there were also lots of seed plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and other mammals too. So, by protecting its primates, Yunnan can protect its overall biodiversity.

The same theory applies to other umbrella species like bears, big cats, marine mammals, and large birds. It works because sizeable animals like these need large areas to support their populations – which in turn, are habitat for other species too.

McEuen explained: “The good news is humans have not yet caused a sixth mass extinction. The bad news is the rate of biodiversity loss is at the pace of past mass extinction events. We are in a critical window of opportunity, where our work to stop extinctions may be able to prevent a mass extinction.

“With millions of species to protect, we do not have time to protect one species at a time. Luckily, there are more efficient ways of preserving biodiversity, including using an umbrella species approach.”

McEuen continued: “To prevent extinction, species need to have large populations. Specifically, we want to avoid what biologists call the ‘extinction vortex’. When population numbers dwindle, several factors interact to drive their population further down in size like a whirlpool sucking a species to eventual extinction.”

With new data that extreme heat is killing increasing numbers of humans across the UK and Europe there is an urgent call for action to save the planet. While hope remains it will be dependent on the ability of business and government to react at pace.