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World’s Most Endangered Animals
Endangered Species Day – a day to learn about animals that are at risk and to recognize national efforts to protect our endangered species and their habitats. Here’s what you need to know about some of the animals that are considered endangered species protected by the World Wildlife Fund.
For some species, time on planet Earth is running out. Human beings are the greatest threat to the survival of endangered species with poaching, habitat destruction and the effects of climate change causing a lot of the problems. Read on to learn about some of the beautiful creatures most in need of our help, protection and conservation.
Endemic to the far east of Russia, the Amur Leopard has a population of around 84 and is critically endangered. Here follows every species that the WWF lists as critically endangered.
The Sumatran elephant population now stands at only 2400-2800 Thousand
Endemic to China’s Yangtze River, the Yangtze finless porpoise has an estimated population of 1000-1800
When discovered in the 1950s, the South China tiger population was estimated to be 4000, by 1996 it was estimated to be only 30-80. Scientists consider the tiger to be “functionally extinct” as one has not been sighted for over 25 years
The Sumatran orangutan was once found across the island of Sumatra and even further south on Java. Today it is found only in the island’s north and its population stands at 14,613 (Photo by Getty)
Though it is the most populous of all gorilla subspecies, the western lowland gorilla is still critically endangered and its population has declined by 60% in the last quarter-century. (Photo by Getty)
The Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest of the surviving rhinoceros species. Only 80 are known to be living today. The last male Sumatran rhino in Malaysia died on 28 May 2019. (Photo: Willem V Strien)
There are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left today. They are severely threatened by deforestation and poaching. (Photo by Getty)
Half of the rainforest of the Democratic Republic of Congo in which these gorillas live has been destroyed the past 50 years. There were 17,000 Eastern Lowland gorillas in the 1990s but scientists estimate their population has declined by over 50% since then. (Photo by Getty)
The world’s rarest marine animal has a population of only 30. They were discovered in 1958 and are endemic to Mexico’s Gulf of California.
The most threatened of all rhino species, there are only an estimated 58-68 Javan rhinos left.
The saola was first sighted in 1992, being the first large mammal to be discovered in over 50 years. Scientists have only sighted saola in the wild four times and it is considered critically endangered
The Malayan Tiger population now stands at only 250-300. (Photo by Getty)
The population of the Hawksbill Turtle has declined by more than 80% in the last century. They are threatened by black market poachers who kill them for their shell
The population of the black rhino dropped by 98% in the years 1960-1995 due to poaching, it stands today at around 5000. (Photo by Getty)
The population of the Cross River gorilla has been damaged by deforestation and poaching, it now stands at 200-300. (Photo by Julie Langford)
The population of the Bornean orangutan has been reduced by over 50% in the past 60 years, now standing at around 104,700. Their habitat has been reduced by at least 50% in the 21st century. (Photo by Getty)
