Your favourite animals will become extinct in your lifetime.

All of us have a deep love and appreciation for the world's animals.

Think of all the species of sea turtles in the Great Barrier Reef, the herds of elephants, giraffes and lions crossing the plains of Africa, the beautiful whales migrating through our oceans, or the shoals of salmon. Even the stunning Monarch butterflies and flocks and flocks of various birds.

The mass migration of these creatures is what makes the natural world such a marvel — and many of us have fallen in love with watching it happen thanks to documentaries by the likes of David Attenborough.

But in our lifetimes, there's an extremely high chance of all this beauty disappearing.

The first ever State of the World's Migratory Species report is out, courtesy of the UN's Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. 

Sadly, it paints a bleak picture for Earth's migratory wildlife.

Watch: the sweet moment albino turtles hatch on Queensland's Castaways Beach. Post continues below.

One in five migratory species are threatened with pending extinction, and then 44 per cent have a decreasing population trend. 

The threat of extinction is being caused by a variety of factors, including the destruction of habitats, overexploitation through catching, hunting and trade in these species, and pollution that affects these species' health and ability to reproduce. 

Climate change also doesn't help.

Take marine species for example — warming waters have profound impacts, resulting in a shift and loss of prey, meaning the oceanic food chain becomes seriously out of whack. 

Elephants too in Africa and Asia — they move to find water and food. Climate impacts the land traditionally used to find food, meaning elephants would be forced more often into human-dominated landscapes where conflict with humans will occur more frequently.

Matthew Collis is the Deputy Vice President for Policy at the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Speaking with Mamamia, he says that while these research findings are unfortunate, it's important for world leaders to be informed.

"Beloved species like whales, elephants, sharks and jaguars face a precarious future. These are species that carry incredible importance for many cultures around the world and provide critical ecosystem services for humanity, like pollinating plants, distributing ocean nutrients, shaping habitats and helping us combat climate change," he notes.

"In a world where nature is under almost constant siege, migratory species pose a particularly complex challenge, crossing borders, oceans and in some cases entire hemispheres, which demands governments work closely together to tackle the threats facing these species across their range."

When will our favourite animals become extinct?

"Based on the State of Migratory Species report released at the Convention on Migratory Species COP14, we know that globally monitored populations of migratory species have declined by an average of 15 per cent between 1970 and 2017," says Collis.

This is a very generalised average though, and it varies significantly between species.

For example, the average decline in CMS-listed fish populations — mostly sharks — since 1970 is 90 per cent. It means the risk of extinction for this group is sadly high within our lifetime.

During this same time period of 1970 to 2017, the extinction risk for migratory animals is increasing, with 70 species now moved to higher threat categories. 

Nearly half of all turtles noted by Convention on Migratory Species are in danger of disappearing soon too. When it comes to whales specifically, scientists fear they could be functionally extinct within 19 years if things don't change.

The data so far estimates that Earth will lose 10 per cent of its animals and plants by 2050 to extinction, and that number will rise to 27 per cent by 2100. With estimates that Earth has 8.7 million animal species, 10 per cent of this humongous number would mean the end of 870,000 species within 26 years.

It's not just migratory species at risk either.

A recent study identified 63 Australian birds, mammals, fish, frogs and reptiles that will most likely go extinct in the next 20 years, including certain types of turtles, possums and parrots. 

What now?

IFAW's Collis says the report highlights that the challenges these animals face have been created and caused by humans — but they can also be solved by humans.

"Wildlife knows no borders, and it is our shared responsibility to ensure they can follow the age-old migratory paths of their ancestors, to sustain their species and to sustain the crucial ecosystem services they provide for humanity."

The UN's environment chief Inger Andersen shared a similar perspective, saying in a statement that we have the opportunity now to translate this latest science into concrete conservation action.

Given the precarious situation of many of these animals, we cannot afford to delay.

Ultimately, with knowledge comes power — and hopefully this along with pressure will help us save our animals for future generations to marvel at too.

Feature Image: Canva.