▁for ests ▁and ▁sav ann as . ▁In ▁Brazil ian ▁Ama z onia , ▁ 2 3 ▁million ▁verte br ates ▁are ▁killed ▁every ▁year ; ▁large - b od ied ▁prim ates , ▁tap irs , ▁white - li pped ▁pe cc aries , ▁giant ▁arm ad ill os , ▁and ▁tort o ises ▁are ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁animals ▁most ▁sensitive ▁to ▁har vest . ▁Over h un ting ▁can ▁reduce ▁the ▁local ▁population ▁of ▁such ▁species ▁by ▁more ▁than ▁half , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁reducing ▁population ▁density . ▁Pop ulations ▁located ▁near er ▁to ▁villages ▁are ▁significantly ▁more ▁at ▁risk ▁of ▁de ple tion . ▁Ab und ance ▁of ▁local ▁game ▁species ▁decl ines ▁as ▁density ▁of ▁local ▁settlement s , ▁such ▁as ▁villages , ▁increases . ▁ ▁Hun ting ▁and ▁po aching ▁may ▁lead ▁to ▁local ▁population ▁decl ines ▁or ▁ext inction ▁in ▁some ▁species . ▁Most ▁affected ▁species ▁under go ▁pressure ▁from ▁multiple ▁sources ▁but ▁the ▁scientific ▁community ▁is ▁still ▁uns ure ▁of ▁the ▁complexity ▁of ▁these ▁interactions ▁and ▁their ▁feedback ▁loops . ▁ ▁One ▁case ▁study ▁in ▁Pan ama ▁found ▁an ▁inverse ▁relationship ▁between ▁po aching ▁intensity ▁and ▁abund ance ▁for ▁ 9 ▁of ▁ 1 1 ▁m amm al ▁species ▁studied . ▁In ▁addition , ▁preferred ▁game ▁species ▁experienced ▁greater ▁decl ines ▁and ▁had ▁higher ▁spatial ▁variation ▁in ▁abund ance . ▁ ▁Hab itat ▁destruction ▁and ▁fragment ation ▁▁ ▁Human ▁population ▁growth ▁results ▁in ▁changes ▁in ▁land - use , ▁which ▁can ▁cause ▁natural ▁habit ats ▁to