A leading Pulitzer-winning scientist has warned that there may soon be a "biological holocaust", and has called for an attempt to prevent the extinction of species.
According to the Dr E.O. Wilson, half the planet should be set aside for the protection of wildlife and to ward off the "mass extinction" of species, the Independent reported.
Calling for a radical conservation strategy, the 85-year old Harvard University scientist proposed his "Half Earth" theory, which urges humans to withdraw from half of the Earth to avoid facing a "biological holocaust", which could be as devastating as the extinction of the dinosaurs.
He added that humans need to share land with the planet's 10 million other species to keep them from becoming extinct.
Wilson has suggested that a series of "Long Landscape" wildlife chains need to be created to help species to respond to the effects of climate change by moving around.