Dead as a dodo may be a popular phrase, but it seems not everyone knows the extinct bird no longer roams the earth.
A recent poll for WWF-UK’s Wear it Wild campaign showed 26% of 2,000 Britons questioned believed the dodo – which was last sighted more than 350 years ago – still existed.
A staggering 23% even thought the brachiosaurus had not died out with the other dinosaurs, while more people knew about Zayn Mailk’s exit from One Direction than knew the Amazon was the world’s largest rainforest.
Thankfully, Wimbledon residents seem to have more sense about them, with 90% knowing the dodo and brachiosaurus were indeed extinct.
Andy Hamilton, a 26-year-old foreign office intern visiting Wimbledon, said: “The dodo has been extinct for 400 years. I thought everybody knew that.”
SHOCKED: Andy Hamilton could not believe people thought the dodo still existed
Diamond marketeer Abigail Dawson, 23, reiterated the strong statement and said: “The dodo is definitely extinct.”
The largest rainforest in the world was named as the Amazon by 80% in Wimbledon, with only 20% knowing Malik’s recent change in job status.
Clapham waiter Marvin Waugh, 18, was the only person asked who answered all questions correctly. When told, he pumped the air enthusiastically.
Max Rabre, a Wimbledon based charity fundraiser said: “I don’t know what One Direction is, but I’m French so maybe it doesn’t count.”
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WWF-UK is encouraging people to Wear it Wild with extravagant animal-based clothing on Friday, June 5, to raise awareness and funds to tackle the growing pressures on the natural world and its wildlife.
The rate of species extinction is 100 times faster than it would be without human influence and a decline of 42% of all vertebrate species has occurred in the past 40 years.
WWF-UK’s Rachel Bloodworth said: “Our research showed six in ten were concerned about declining wildlife and believe we should do more to protect them.”
‘’We know most people don’t want our precious wildlife to disappear, but it’s often hard to know how to help.”
The full results of WWF-UK’s survey were:
Endangered species according to Brits:
Red Admiral butterfly 38%
Red kangaroo 36%
Swan 28%
Weever fish 28%
Crane fly 21%
Flamingo 20%
Brachiosaurus 19%
Fresian cow 19%
Grey squirrel 19%
Highland cattle 17%
Dodo 14%
Nor endangered species according to Brits:
Fin whale 48%
Green turtle 42%
Asian elephant 37%
Bonobo chimpanzee 35%
Mountain gorilla 26%
Bornean orangutan 25%
Hawksbill turtle 25%
Snow leopard 22%
Giant panda 17%
Bengal tiger 16%
Brachiosaurus 14%
Dodo 12%
Black rhino 12%
Sign up for Wear it Wild day at wwf.org.uk/wild
Feature image courtesy of WWF-UK, with thanks
