Many animals are on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss, poaching or changing environments. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains the IUCN Red List that tracks critically endangered species and those that are already extinct in the wild. Take a look at some of the world's most threatened species.
SPIX'S MACAW
Made famous by the 2011 animated musical-comedy “Rio,” the Spix’s macaw has teetered on the edge of extinction for over two decades; it has been listed as “Critically Endangered” by the IUCN since 1994. Hunted for the illegal live bird trade, this macaw has also been hit by the loss of its woodland habitat and the introduction of aggressive African bees in what remains of its range. The species has been declared possibly extinct in the wild. According to IUCN, there are less than 50 individuals alive in captivity.
CHINESE GIANT SALAMANDER
Native to China, the giant salamander can grow to nearly six feet (two meters) in length and is regarded as the world’s largest amphibian. Current population trends indicate decreasing numbers for a species that was quite common even as recent as 30 years ago. The major threats facing the species are commercial exploitation for human consumption and habitat destruction due to mining.
NORTHERN WHITE RHINOCEROS
Also called the Northern square-lipped rhino, they used to be found in several east and central African countries before going extinct in the wild. In the world's last three, a male called Sudan (pictured), his daughter Najin and his granddaughter Fatu, were kept at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. On March 19, 2018, 45-year-old Sudan died from multiple age-related issues, leaving only two females to save the species.
WESTERN LOWLAND GORILLA
The most common gorilla subspecies in the Congo Basin, their population has decreased rapidly due to poaching and disease, and according to World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), currently, about 100,000 of them remain.
JAVAN RHINOCEROS
These rhinos are dusky gray in color and have a single horn of up to about 10 inches (25.4 centimeters). Their skin has a number of loose folds, giving the appearance of armor plating. Habitat loss and poaching over the years have drastically reduced their numbers. The estimated population size is 46-66, found at the Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia.
AMUR LEOPARD
Found in the Russian Far East, Amur leopards are solitary hunters. Nimble-footed and strong, they carry and hide unfinished kills so as to not attract other predators. Loss of habitat due to rampant human activities are threatening their existence. As per WWF, only 20-25 remain in Russia and nearly another dozen in China.
BLACK RHINOCEROS
One of the oldest mammals on Earth, black rhinos were once found extensively along the eastern coast of the African continent. Rampant hunting and poaching have led to a sharp decline in their numbers over the last few decades. Data from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) indicates there are approximately 5,000 individuals left today.
SUMATRAN ELEPHANT
Feeding on a variety of plants and depositing seeds, Sumatran elephants contribute to a healthy forest ecosystem. Civil conflicts, hunting, and poaching for tusks have reduced their population enough for them to be marked critically endangered by IUCN.
SUMATRAN TIGER
With a dangerously dwindling population, Sumatran tigers are on the watch list of animals that need protection. Found in patches of forest on the Sumatra island, these tigers are threatened due to rampant deforestation and poaching.
SAOLA
Saola was discovered in Vietnam in 1992, after the recovery of a skull with unusually longhorns, at a hunter's home. It was one of the most spectacular zoological discoveries of the 20th century and is one of the world's rarest large animals. Hunting, poaching, habitat fragmentation and snares threaten their existence, and their population is estimated to be less than 750, according to IUCN data.
HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE
Found throughout the world’s tropical oceans, hawksbill turtles have inhabited the planet for over 100 million years. A vital link in the marine ecosystem, help maintain the health of coral reefs and seagrass beds. They are extensively poached for their colored and patterned shells, which are sold in the market at high prices as "tortoiseshells." According to WWF, their population has declined by over 80 percent in the last century.
SOUTH CHINA TIGER
These tigers were hunted in thousands before a ban was imposed by the Chinese government in 1979. According to WWF, about 30-80 tigers were estimated to be existing in 1996, but no sighting in the wild has prompted scientists to consider them as "functionally extinct."
CROSS RIVER GORILLA
Very similar in appearance to the western lowland gorilla, these gorillas live in the Congo Basin and face poaching and habitat loss due to human encroachment. WWF data suggest that not more than 200 to 300 of this species exist in the wild.
MALAYAN PANGOLIN
Also called Sunda or Javan pangolin, they are found widely in Southeast Asia, from southern China to Borneo, and are known for their protective, scaly body armor. They are killed increasingly for their flesh and scales.
YANGTZE FINLESS PORPOISE
Found in the Yangtze River and known for their mischievous smile and an intelligence level comparable to that of gorillas, this aquatic creature is threatened by human activities and pollution. According to IUCN, only 500-1,800 of these dolphins survive today.
SUMATRAN ORANGUTAN
These orangutans are fruit eaters and play a vital role in the dispersal of seeds over a huge area. Once found across the Sumatran island, they have now been reduced to pockets of the island's northern part due to poaching and illegal pet trade. According to WWF, their population is a little over 14,600.
SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS
In the last 15 years, only two captive female Sumatran rhinos have given birth. There are three known subspecies: while two of them are found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, the third is believed to be extinct. Poaching poses the greatest threat to these animals. IUCN reports show their estimated population to be less than 275.
GUAM RAIL
These flightless birds once inhabited Guam in large numbers before the island was invaded by brown tree snakes, which led to their predation and plummeting in number. Today, they are confined to a captive-breeding facility in Guam and across a few zoos in the U.S. In the last couple of decades, efforts have been made to release small batches of rails in a controlled environment to help promote their breeding. According to IUCN, they are extinct in the wild.
MOUNTAIN PYGMY POSSUM
These mammals, found in alpine and subalpine boulder fields and rocky scree in south-eastern Australia, were believed to be extinct until 1896. However, the rediscovery of a single living specimen in a ski club lodge on Mount Hotham, Victoria, in 1966 revived hope for their survival. Destruction of their habitat is the major reason for their dwindling numbers.
NORTHERN HAIRY-NOSED WOMBAT
Indigenous to Australia, these shy animals had completely disappeared in the early 20th century after the loss of their only two known habitats in southern Queensland and New South Wales. In the 1930s, a small population was spotted in Epping Forest National Park in Queensland. According to IUCN, nearly 80 mature individuals exist now.
PYGMY THREE-TOED SLOTH
They are known to be one of the slowest animals in the world – so slow that algae grow on their back, giving them a natural cover from predators. Found only in Isla Escudo de Veraguas, an isolated Panamanian island in the Caribbean, their population has suffered due to the destruction of habitat.
ADDAX
Also known as white antelope or screwhorn antelope, these animals thrived in the extreme climate of the Sahara Desert for thousands of years. However, destruction of habitat and frenzied hunting have forced them to the verge of extinction.
PHILIPPINE CROCODILE
This freshwater species is on the verge of extinction due to habitat destruction, hunting, and dynamite fishing. As per IUCN, less than 140 adults survive, and aggressive conservation efforts are on to protect them from going extinct.
HULA PAINTED FROG
In 2011, a park ranger in Israel found one specimen of the Hula painted a frog, considered extinct since the 1950s due to the draining of the 15,000-acre Lake Hula — their natural habitat. The discovery of a second specimen a few days later revived the hopes of their survival.
LORD HOWE ISLAND STICK INSECT
Commonly referred to as "land lobster," these nocturnal insects were primarily found in Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. However, in 1918, the introduction of black rats by a ship that had run aground near the island led to their massive predation. They were believed to be extinct until they were rediscovered on a nearby island in 2001. According to IUCN, nearly 35 individuals exist today.
COMMON SKATE
The common skate has become uncommon across northwestern Europe and the Mediterranean and Black Seas. They are often caught accidentally in fishing nets, and their re-population is difficult because they are long-lived and slow to mature.
ALAGOAS CURASSOW
Locally called mitu mitu, the Alagoas curassow was found in the forests of northeastern Brazil. Last seen in its natural habitat in the late 1980s, there are only 130 of them in two aviaries. According to IUCN, they are extinct in the wild. They were lost due to deforestation and hunting.
EUROPEAN EEL
Since the early 1980s, an almost 90 percent decrease in the population of the European eel has prompted a ban on their export throughout the European Union. Water pollution, changes in climate, dams, overfishing, and parasites are probable causes of its decline.
HAWAIIAN CROW
Found only in Hawaii, the U.S., the last-known crow disappeared from the wild in 2002 – making them getting classified as "extinct in the wild" by IUCN. There are a few in captivity since they are especially susceptible to environmental fluctuations and avian malaria.
SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX
Once commonly found across North Africa, scimitar oryx have been extinct in the wild since 2000 and only a few hundred survive in captivity. They are kept in protected areas because they are prized by game hunters for their horns and the local population used their flesh and hide.
MALAYAN TIGER
Found only in the southern tip of Thailand and the Malay peninsula, only about 80-120 of these tigers still survive, as per IUCN. Illegal hunting for parts used in folk medicine and loss of forests has caused their population to decline by more than 25 percent in the last generation.
