But hold on, we've already had five mass extinctions and we seem to be doing okay. Why is this one so problematic?

The most recent mass extinction dates back 65 million years ago, where a giant asteroid wiped out dinosaurs and ammonites. This current extinction is not caused by an asteroid, but surprise surprise, it's caused by humans — habitat destruction, overhunting, toxic pollution and climate change, all our work.

According to Professor Gerardo Ceballos and his team of scientists, the ultimate cause of these factors is: “human overpopulation, continued population growth, and overconsumption, especially by the rich.”

Every year as the world population increases, we witness a gradual increase in global temperatures, rising sea levels and mass deforestation, all of which are contributing to the current mass extinction.

Not really a positive note to end on; however, this is the exact wake-up call we as a society need. There is a narrow window in which we have to act and do what we can to avert this next disaster. Here's a list of charities, vetted by Kinder, who are working hard to protect wildlife: