Critically Endangered Namibian Plant Faces Extinction Risk from Poaching and Climate Change
A rare succulent found exclusively in a 4-square-kilometre area of Namibia's Erongo Mountains has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List following a population decline of more than 80% since 1981. Lithops werneri, commonly known as a living stone plant, had fewer than 200 individuals remaining in the wild at the time of listing in February 2026, down from 659 recorded in a 2012 census. The species was once presumed extinct before being rediscovered at its original location that same year.
Illegal collection for the European horticulture market has historically driven the plant's decline, and poaching - which has increased significantly in recent years - remains an ongoing threat. Climate change compounds the risk, with severe droughts disrupting the shallow-rooted plant's ability to survive and extreme weather events destabilising its fragile gravel habitat. With 100% of the known population concentrated in a single location, any significant disturbance could eliminate the species entirely. Conservation efforts are under way through Namibia's National Botanical Research Institute in collaboration with regional partners, though the plant's survival remains precarious. For Namibia's nature-based tourism sector, the plight of L. werneri underscores the growing conservation pressures facing the country's unique biodiversity.
Source: News Mongabay
