The killing of large species is pushing them towards extinction, study finds

Intentional and unintentional trapping, poaching and slaughter of megafauna is the single biggest factor in their decline

The vast majority of the world's largest species are being pushed towards extinction, with the killing of the heftiest animals for meat and body parts the leading cause of decline, according to a new study.

While habitat loss, pollution and other threats pose a significant menace to large species, also known as megafauna, intentional and unintentional trapping, poaching and slaughter is the single biggest factor in their decline, researchers found.