One in four mammals could disappear due to habitat loss, indiscriminate hunting and climate change, a world conservation body warned recently.

"Within our lifetime, hundreds of species could be lost as a result of our own actions," said Julia Marton-Lefevre of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The group has placed 188 mammals in its most-threatened category — critically endangered. Among them are the Iberian lynx, estimated to number 84 adults, which is struggling because its main prey, the European rabbit, has faced disease and overhunting.

Meeting recently in Barcelona, Spain, at the World Conservation Congress, the group annually issues a Red List of Threatened Species.

Also named was the fishing cat of Southeast Asia, which was moved to the second most threatened category — endangered — because of losing wetlands habitat. The Caspian seal is also endangered, its numbers reduced by 90 percent because of habitat loss and overhunting.

Jan Schipper, director of mammal assessment for the global group, told the New York Times: "Although 5 percent of mammals are recovering, what we observe are rates of habitat loss and hunting in Southeast Asia, Central Africa and Central and South America that are so serious that the overall rate of decline has steadily increased during the past decade."

Not just mammals are threatened. Holdridge's toad of Costa Rica is extinct. The Cuban crocodile, illegally hunted for its meat and skin, is critically endangered. Indian tarantulas have been reduced by collectors and the pet trade.

But there are some success stories. The African elephant has been taken off the vulnerable list and moved to "near threatened."

Wildlife conservation is extremely important. North America is blessed with abundant wildlife and we want to do our best to make sure the populations are healthy.