Razor: Protecting life in a time of mass extinction

We are in an age of extinction; conservationists say we are now losing species faster than ever before. The United Nations warns that more than one million plant and animal species are now threatened with extinction. As habitats shrink and climate pressures intensify, scientists and conservationists are racing to find new ways to prevent irreversible loss.

Razor's Gabrielle Lawrence travels to the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England, where Cam Whitnall and his team care for some of the world's most endangered big cats. These iconic animals are admired globally, yet many are critically threatened in the wild. The sanctuary has recently partnered with Nature's Safe, an organization pioneering a novel approach to conservation by preserving the genetic material of endangered species to protect their future.

Nature's Safe works with zoos, wildlife parks and rescue centers around the world, offering its services free of charge to secure genetic diversity before it is lost forever. When an animal reaches the end of its life, specialist teams collect tissue and reproductive cells, which are cryogenically preserved at Nature's Safe's facility in Shropshire. Founder Tullis Matson takes Gabrielle to a tour of what is now the world's first living biobank, where genetic material from more than 300 species is stored, creating a growing archive of life and a vital safeguard against extinction.

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