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Close to half of the world’s primates are in danger of becoming extinct. That’s according to the latest update of the Red List of Endangered Species published by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature or IUCN this week.

It was the first comprehensive review in five years of the world’s 634 kinds of primates. In Asia, more than 70 percent of primates are classified on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered -- meaning they could disappear forever in the near future.

Living Planet speaks to Jean-Christophe Vié, the Deputy Head of the IUCN Species Programme, about the main threats.

Interview: Irene Quaile

Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa. With over 90% of the population living on subsistence agriculture, natural resources are coming under increasing pressure.

The situation is particularly bad in the over-crowded foothills of the Virunga Volcanoes – which is home not only to the famous mountain gorillas but an estimated 800 people per square kilometre.

People illegally enter the park in search of meat, building materials and firewood – often damaging the forest as they go. But a study has shown that traditional healers, who also collect from the forest, are actually helping to preserve it by cultivating medicinal gardens.

Report: Anna Lacey

Habitat loss meant fewer breeding grounds for barn owls and kestrels in Germany. "Habitat church tower" is an initiative that helps the animals nest high up in church steeples.

Germany is not home to great apes of any kind, but more and more of OUR endemic species are also coming under threat. Germany has some 50,000 European kestrels – often known as the "elegant bird of prey". But this species’ future was in jeopardy. The same goes for Barn Owls. Both were unable to breed successfully, because they were being shut out from their own nests.

Two thirds of mating kestrel pairs in Germany choose to nest in church steeples – but that’s no easy task, as churches across the country have been closing off the entry points in their steeples, to keep out unwanted guests: pigeons. Then the environmental conservation organisation, NABU, decided to join forces with Churches across Germany to rectify the situation.

Report: Catherine Graue

Faster, higher, deeper -- the Olympics are starting on August 8th. But if animals were allowed to some of the competitions, there would hardly be any medals left for human athletes.

Did you know that falcons can fly at a speed of up to 400 kilometres? That’s been measured in the United States. Now, with the Olympics starting this week in Beijing, China, the news will be all about speed, weight, and height records once again.

We take this as an opportunity to bring you a medal count with a difference. Living Planet looks into what global conservation group WWF calls the Animal Olympics.

Report: Nina Haase