Galapagos Islands ‘no longer endangered’

LONDON - UNESCO has removed the Galapagos Islands from its list of sites endangered by environmental threats or overuse.

The island chain, about 620 miles off Ecuador’s coast, is home to unique animal species that inspired Charles Darwin’s ideas on evolution.

In 2007, the United Nations body included the World Heritage site on its endangered list because of damage from tourism, immigration and invasive species.

Now, a UNESCO committee meeting in Brazil on Wednesday said Ecuador government’s strong action to fight these problems has made Galapagos Islands are now safer.

Being on the danger list “allows UNESCO to allocate immediate assistance from the World Heritage Fund to the endangered property,” the Daily Star quoted UNESCO’s website as saying. (ANI)