The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has warned that human activity is taking an "unprecedented toll" on Earth's wildlife, wild places and natural resources.

The conservation charity's latest Living Planet Report - which is updated and published every two years - has found that there's been a 60% decline in the size of animal populations (mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians) over the last 40 years.

The report indicates that South and Central America have suffered the most dramatic decline in species populations - an 89% loss compared to 1970.

According to the charity, the top threats to different species include habitat loss, overfishing and overhunting - all linked to human activity.

It highlights that the planet is estimated to have lost about half of its shallow water corals in the past 30 years, while 20% of the Amazon has disappeared in the last half century.

The charity argues that a 'global deal for nature' - an international deal in the vein of the Paris climate agreement - is 'essential' to address the issues facing both nature and humans.

Atlantic puffins are among 'vulnerable' species. Picture by: NurPhoto/SIPA USA/PA Images

While the organisation says the details in the report are a 'grim reminder' of the pressure humans put on the planet, it also suggests that the opportunity is there to confront the problems facing Earth at the moment.

Marco Lambertini, director-general of WWF International, says the planet is now 'at a crossroads'.

He observed: "Today, we still have a choice. We can be the founders of a global movement that changed our relationship with the planet, that saw us secure a future for all life on Earth, including our own.

"Or we can be the generation that had its chance and failed to act; that let Earth slip away. The choice is ours."