Endangered animals are animals that are in danger of disappearing forever. This happens when there are not many of them left alive, and if steps aren’t taken to protect them, they might vanish completely. Things like habitat loss, pollution, hunting, and climate change can put animals in danger. Conservation efforts, like protecting their habitats and stopping illegal hunting, are important to help these animals survive.
This is a list of some of the most endangered animals in the world
Javan rhinos
Once spread across Southeast Asia, Javan rhinos have faced a big drop in their numbers. This happened because people hunted them and destroyed where they lived. Now, there are only about 75 Javan rhinos left in the wild, and they all live on Java Island in Indonesia. They mainly stay in Ujung Kulon National Park, which is special because it’s a World Heritage Site. But there’s a problem there too, these rhinos don’t have enough food or space because of the Arenga palm trees taking over. Plus, since there are so few of them, they’re at risk of dying out. This can happen from things like diseases, getting hunted, or having babies with relatives.
Amur leopard
The Amur leopard is a very rare big cat, with only about 100 left in the wild. Even though their numbers seem to be staying the same or going up a bit, they’ve been in big trouble since 1996. These leopards are only found in a small part of Russia and China. But where they live is shrinking, and there aren’t enough animals for them to eat. Also, things like roads are making it hard for them to get around. But there’s some good news too. Most of the places they live are protected, and they’re starting to explore new areas that could be good for them. So, there’s still hope for these special cats.
Sunda Island tiger
The Sunda Island tiger, also known as the Sumatran tiger, is the smallest type of tiger, weighing about 140kg. They’re much smaller than the big tigers in the Amur region, which can weigh twice as much! These tigers are really rare, with only about 600 left in the wild, and they only live on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Since the 1980s, more and more people have been moving to south-east Asia, almost doubling the population. This means there’s less space for tigers to live, and their numbers are going down. As people spread out, the tigers might run into them more often, which could cause problems. Also, people hunting tigers and selling their body parts illegally is a big danger to these tigers.
Mountain gorillas
Mountain gorillas are a special kind of gorilla that live high up in the mountains of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. They also live in a park called Bwindi Impenetrable in Uganda. The places where they live are tricky to get to because they’re up in the mountains. It’s not always safe because of problems like wars and not having enough money. This makes it hard for the gorillas because people move closer to where they live, which can cause problems. Right now, there are over 1,000 mountain gorillas left, and they’re getting help from groups like WWF to keep them safe. Even though things are looking up for them, there are still things that could hurt their chances of getting better.
Tapanuli orangutan
The Tapanuli orangutan is a type of orangutan that scientists discovered as a new species in 2017. They only live in one place, in the forests of Batang Toru on Sumatra Island in Indonesia. Sadly, there are not many of them left, less than 800, which makes them the most endangered big ape in the world. The biggest problem they face is losing their homes. People are cutting down the forests to make farms, mines, and power plants. Between 1985 and 2007, almost half of the forests where these orangutans live disappeared.
Yangtze Finless Porpoise
The Yangtze Finless Porpoise is unique because it’s the only kind of porpoise that lives in freshwater. It calls the Yangtze River in China home, but it’s in big trouble, there aren’t many left, and they’re at risk of disappearing forever. The Yangtze River used to be a healthy place for animals, but pollution and too much fishing have hurt it. Other animals, like the Yangtze river dolphins, used to live here too, but they haven’t been seen for a long time. This is worrying because it could mean the finless porpoises might disappear too. To try and save them, China has given them the highest level of protection. In 2018, there were about 1,000 left, and their numbers seemed to be staying steady.
Black rhinos
From 1960 to 1995, black rhinos faced a big problem, lots of them were killed by poachers. Almost all of them, about 98%, were gone because of this. Thankfully, people started working hard to protect them, and their numbers have more than doubled since the 1990s all over Africa. But even though they’re doing better, black rhinos are still in big trouble. There are only about 5,630 of them left in the wild, and they’re in danger of disappearing forever. There used to be different types of black rhinos, but one kind, the western black rhino, is already gone, it was declared extinct in 2011. Most of the black rhinos left live in just four countries: Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The biggest danger they face is still poaching, in the last 10 years, almost 10,000 African rhinos were killed by poachers who sell their horns illegally.
African forest elephant
In the thick, wet forests of West and Central Africa, you can find a special kind of elephant called the forest elephant. They’re one of two types of African elephants. We’re not exactly sure how many forest elephants are left in the wild because they’re very shy, but we do know they’re in big trouble. Their numbers have dropped by about 86% in just over 30 years, which is really worrying. The main reason they’re disappearing is because of poaching, people are killing them for their tusks.
This is happening a lot, especially in Central Africa. But that’s not the only problem they face. People are also cutting down their homes to make farms and other things, which means the elephants don’t have enough space to live. This leads to conflicts between elephants and people, and both sides can get hurt. Right now, forest elephants only live in about 25% of the places they used to, and most of them are in countries like Gabon and the Republic of Congo.
Sumatran orangutan
Sumatran orangutans live only on Sumatra Island in Indonesia. Sadly, there aren’t many left, they’re in big trouble and are considered critically endangered by experts. There are fewer than 14,000 of them left in the wild. They face a lot of the same problems as other types of orangutans, like losing their homes because of things like cutting down trees for wood, making big farms, and building new roads. Some people also catch them and sell them as pets, which is very bad for the orangutans. These animals need a lot of forest to live in, but between 1985 and 2007, they lost 60% of their homes. Most Sumatran orangutans live in a special place in the north of Sumatra called the Leuser Ecosystem. It’s made up of big forests and swampy areas, which are important for these orangutans to survive.
Hawksbill turtles
Hawksbill turtles are one kind of sea turtle, and they live in warm waters near the shores of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. It’s hard to know exactly how many there are because they travel a lot in the ocean, but experts think there might be between 20,000 and 23,000 of them. Sadly, their numbers have gone down a lot in the last 30 years, by about 80%! This happened because they get caught accidentally in fishing nets, and their homes where they lay eggs are getting damaged. People also hunt them for their shells, which is illegal but still happens. There are other problems too, like too much plastic in the ocean, climate change, and the sea levels going up, which could make things even worse for them. Right now, hawksbill turtles are in really big trouble and are listed as critically endangered.
Read about animal myths you might think are real.