In our modern world, we’re using up a lot of resources, and natural areas are getting smaller. This is causing a big problem for wildlife. According to our 2022 Living Planet Report, the number of wild animals around the world has gone down by an average of 69% since 1970. While we’ve had some great success stories in helping wildlife, many animals are still at risk, mostly because of human activities that aren’t sustainable. Right now, more than 41,000 species are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which means they’re in danger of going extinct. Here, we’ll tell you about 10 of the most endangered animals in the world.
Javan Rhinos
Javan rhinos were once spread across Southeast Asia, but their numbers have drastically dropped because of hunting and losing their homes. These rhinos are now incredibly rare, with only about 75 left in the wild. You can find them only on Java Island in Indonesia. Their last sanctuary is the Ujung Kulon National Park, which is a special place recognized by the World Heritage. Unfortunately, this park is also facing a problem with the Arenga palm invading, which means the rhinos have less food and less space to live. The small number of Javan rhinos is at high risk of dying out because of natural disasters, diseases, poaching, and the possibility of inbreeding.
Amur Leopard
The Amur leopard is an incredibly rare big cat, with only about 100 of them left in the wild. Even though their numbers are slowly increasing, they’ve been critically endangered since 1996. This is because Amur leopards can only be found in a small part of far eastern Russia and northeastern China. The few Amur leopards that are left are facing many dangers to their survival, like losing their homes because of things like roads being built, not having enough prey to eat, and having their habitats split up. But there’s some good news too. About 75% of the places where they live are protected in Russia and China, and they’re even starting to move into new areas that are good for them outside of these protected zones.
Sunda Island Tiger
The Sunda Island tiger, also called the Sumatran tiger, is the smallest tiger, weighing around 140kg. In contrast, Amur tigers in the Amur region are the largest big cats, with males sometimes weighing twice as much as Sunda Island tigers. Sunda Island tigers are incredibly rare, with only about 600 left in the wild, found solely on Indonesia’s Sumatra island. Since the 1980s, Southeast Asia’s human population has nearly doubled, reaching around 668 million in 2020. This rapid growth has significantly impacted tiger numbers as their habitats shrink. As communities expand, Sunda Island tigers increasingly encounter humans, leading to potential conflicts. Additionally, illegal activities like poaching and tiger parts trade pose a severe threat to these tigers.
Mountain Gorillas
Mountain gorillas, a type of eastern gorilla, inhabit high-altitude forests in volcanic mountain regions across the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. These gorillas live in the Virunga Landscape, marked by political instability and poverty, increasing risks to their survival. Human populations have encroached upon gorilla habitats, with over 500,000 people now living nearby. Despite these challenges, conservation efforts led by local and international partners, including WWF’s International Gorilla Conservation Programme, offer hope. Currently classified as endangered, mountain gorillas number just over 1,000 in the wild. However, various threats persist that may impede their recovery.
Tapanuli Orangutan
The Tapanuli orangutan is a recently identified orangutan species, officially recognized as distinct in 2017. These unique primates are limited to a single, isolated population residing in the tropical forests of the Batang Toru ecosystem in Sumatra, Indonesia. Unfortunately, they are now critically endangered, with fewer than 800 individuals remaining in the wild, making them the most endangered great ape species globally. The primary threat to their survival is habitat loss, as tropical forests are increasingly converted for agriculture, mining, hydroelectric, and geothermal projects. Between 1985 and 2007, over 40% of the forests in North Sumatra, their home province, were lost.
Yangtze Finless Porpoise
The Yangtze Finless Porpoise, the only freshwater porpoise globally, lives in China’s Yangtze River and is critically endangered due to environmental degradation, overfishing, and pollution. In the past, Yangtze River dolphins coexisted with them, but there have been no sightings of dolphins in decades. China upgraded their protection status to ‘first-level protected species’ in 2021. As of 2018, about 1,000 individuals remained in the wild, indicating signs of stabilization.
Black Rhinos
Between 1960 and 1995, black rhino populations faced severe declines due to extensive poaching, with only about 2% surviving. Conservation efforts have since doubled their numbers across Africa, but they remain critically endangered, with approximately 5,630 individuals in the wild. Of the three black rhino subspecies, the western black rhino was declared extinct in 2011. Currently, 95% of black rhinos are concentrated in just four countries: Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The primary threat to their survival is still poaching for their horns, with nearly 10,000 African rhinos killed for the illegal rhino horn trade in the past decade.
African Forest Elephant
In the dense forests of West and Central Africa, you’ll find the elusive forest elephant, one of two African elephant species. Their exact numbers are uncertain due to their shy nature, but we do know they are critically endangered, with an 86% decline over 31 years. Poaching is the main reason for this decline, especially in Central Africa. Additionally, habitat loss and land-use changes have led to fragmented habitats and more conflicts between humans and elephants. Currently, forest elephants inhabit just 25% of their historic range across 20 African nations, mainly in Gabon and the Republic of Congo.
Sumatran Orangutan
The Sumatran orangutan, exclusively native to Sumatra, Indonesia, currently holds a critical endangered status, according to the IUCN, with fewer than 14,000 individuals remaining in the wild. These orangutans face similar threats to their Bornean and Tapanuli relatives, including logging, expansion of agricultural plantations, infrastructure development, and the illegal pet trade. Orangutans require extensive connected forest habitats, but between 1985 and 2007, they lost 60% of their forested areas. Today, the majority of Sumatran orangutans reside in the northernmost part of Sumatra within the Leuser Ecosystem, a diverse landscape encompassing tropical lowland rainforests and lush peatland swamps.
Hawksbill Turtles
The Hawksbill turtle, one of the seven marine turtle species, inhabits nearshore tropical and subtropical waters in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Although estimating their population is challenging due to their oceanic nature, it is believed there are between 20,000 and 23,000 nesting turtles. Over the past 30 years, Hawksbill turtle populations have dramatically declined by at least 80% due to accidental capture in fishing gear, habitat degradation for nesting, damage to coral reefs, and illegal trade of hawksbill shells and products. Additionally, human-induced threats like plastic pollution, climate change, and rising sea levels could further endanger this species in the future. Currently, Hawksbill turtles are classified as critically endangered.
