### Efforts to avoid extinction of the albatross

### Efforts to avoid extinction of the albatross

Albatrosses were once in danger of extinction due to overhunting and environmental changes in their habitat. However, conservation efforts on Torishima Island in the Izu Islands have been successful, and it is estimated that between 750 and 800 albatrosses now inhabit the island. According to a survey conducted last year by Dr. Hasegawa, a lecturer at Toho University's Faculty of Science, the number of eggs found on Torishima was 176, which represents an 11% increase over the previous year.

If this increasing trend continues, the albatross population is expected to exceed 1,000 by the year 2000. In ornithology, the number of 1,000 birds is considered an important threshold for avoiding the threat of extinction. It is believed that once the number of albatrosses exceeds 1,000, the species will be out of danger of extinction and the likelihood of continued stable breeding will increase.

Furthermore, this recovery is a very rare case worldwide. There are few examples of wild animals on the brink of extinction that have recovered to this level, and the albatross case is attracting international attention. It is hoped that this success will be widely recognized as the result of conservation efforts and environmental improvements.