A rare beast. Strange and rare animals

In the twentieth century, scientists discovered more than 50 unknown species of animals; in the same century, about 100 known species disappeared from the face of the Earth. Over the past 50 years, there have been 25 fewer species of mammals alone. And people are to blame for this.

They mercilessly destroyed and continue to destroy rare animals. And here is just a small list of those representatives of the fauna that are on the verge of complete extinction.

This Zibellino is very curious and is not afraid of humans. Very lucky tourists can also pet it and feel its lightness, similar to that of a cat. For its beautiful and expensive fur with silvery lines, Barguzin is called the king of wild fur or soft gold.

More and more animals are at risk of extinction around the world due to poaching, deforestation and climate change. The bird is mainly occupied by species such as elephants and rhinoceroses, which are hunted for valuable materials such as ivory.

Bison

Mammals are the heaviest and largest in Europe. These are the last European representatives of wild bulls. Previously, bison lived in mixed and deciduous forests of Central, Western and South-Eastern Europe, Transcaucasia, the Caucasus and Northern Iran. However, due to the ruthless hunting of animals by people, as well as the draining of swamps and deforestation, the “home” of the bison has practically ceased to exist. By 1927, there were only 48 specimens of powerful animals in the world.



Fires ravaging forests in Indonesia to make way for intensive cropping, with particular emphasis on oil palms, are increasingly creating serious threat the survival of a land that has become a symbol of deforestation and loss of natural habitats. Sumatra is one of the places in the world where deforestation and poaching are threatening the survival of wildlife. Not only are oranges in danger, but also elephants, especially due to ivory hunters. The desire for money and human consumerism is the first threat to the extinction of these animals.

Scientists became concerned about the rapid disappearance of bison and identified small areas of forest where the animals could live and reproduce freely. As a result, there are now about 3 thousand individuals in the world, about 100 are kept in captivity.

Helmeted cassowary

This is a large flightless bird. Typically, an adult grows up to 1.5 meters in length and weighs approximately 80 kilograms. Cassowaries live in tropical forests in northeastern Australia and New Guinea. However, humans are quickly taking over the habitats of the giant bird.



Amur leopard, also known as the Far Eastern leopard, is a very rare species. There are only about 60 specimens left in nature. It is also known as the Siberian leopard. It used to spread to Korea, China and Russia, but is now at high risk of extinction due to poaching.

Phoca, from the Gulf of California, is a rare species of Phocaena. It is native to the northern Gulf of California, and some recent estimates range from 150 to 200 specimens remaining in the wild. Lemurs are a group of primates that are found only in Madagascar. Today, only a few dozen lemurs remain on the island. Unfortunately, specimens of these animals are increasingly at risk of extinction.

Reduces the number of living creatures wild dogs and pigs, they eat chicks and eggs of birds. Now the population of helmeted cassowaries is only 1.5 thousand individuals.

Gavial

The rarest and most bizarre crocodile in the world. Due to the constant reduction of gharial habitats and the destruction of fish stocks, by 1970 there were almost no individuals left. But in India they have developed programs for the artificial breeding of rare crocodiles. This helped increase the number of gharials to 1.5 thousand. But even now this rare animal in the world continues to die.



It is endangered due to poisoning due to the high value of its horn. Unfortunately, the hundreds of rhinoceroses representing the time between China and Vietnam are in sharp decline. Now there will only be about fifty specimens in the protected area of ​​the island of Java.

Its capture is also prohibited in countries that allow the fishing of other turtles. Sensitive to marine pollution, it is also at risk of ingesting floating plastic bags, which are exchanged for jellyfish and bugs at breeding sites. The Siberian tiger is endemic to a narrow geographic region located in the far southwestern part of Siberia, largely corresponding to the massive coastal mountain region of the Sikhote Alin, and its habitat consists of mixed boreal and temperate forest, two typical biomass of this region.

Crocodiles become entangled in fishing nets, and their eggs continue to be collected for medicinal purposes. Males are hunted for the growths on their noses, which are considered excellent aphrodisiacs.

Big panda

The animal is known all over the world, because it is the giant panda that is depicted on the emblem of the World Wildlife Fund. But the popularity of these cute bears does not help save them from extinction. Panda holdings in South Asia have dwindled to just a few small plantations. Moreover, they are all located separately, that is, isolated from each other. Now there are only 1,200 individuals in the world.



It is found in tropical regions South America. However, its origins can be traced back to Switzerland. There is soft and bright plumage, thanks to which predators find themselves in dense tropical forests. Its population before the European invasion was quite large. Cats, rats and ferrets attacked the island along with the new settlers and began to hunt the cocoon, which did not know these enemies.

Meeting in Mexico and Guatemala. These were once the sacred birds of the Mayans and Aztecs. They believed that the quafer was the god of the air. This species is globally threatened with a "vulnerable" status. Its eyes are covered with special skin, which makes it transparent under water.

Snow Leopard

The most beautiful cat once lived in the mountains Central Asia. It is similar to a white leopard, but much smaller and has a long and bushy tail. Nowadays, snow leopards are rarely seen in the wild as they are secretive predators. Moreover, the snow leopard is considered almost extinct, its population is only 2 thousand individuals.



Humans' impact on the planet is being felt more and more, with animals being the most affected. These are 15 species you'll never see alive. Liger is a cross between a tiger and a lion. The animal loves water more than its parents and loves to communicate. Since the parents' habitats do not overlap in the wild, the ligur exists only in captivity. In the past, the territories of Asiatic lions and tigers overlapped, so there may have been wild leagues.

He lives in Epping National Forest in Queensland, Australia. The conchfish lives in a relatively small forested area in Colombia. Unfortunately, many of its habitats have been destroyed. For many years the species was thought to be extinct. Madagascar turtle fishing.

The reason for the extinction is a reduction in habitat, a decrease in the number of ungulates that snow leopards feed on, as well as the development of mountain pastures and developing tourism, which allows people to reach the most remote areas of the mountains.

Przewalski's horse

The animal has almost become a myth. These are the last wild horses on the plains of Asia. Almost all individuals were forced out of their territories and captured by humans. Therefore, there are now only a thousand horses in the world named after the famous explorer Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. Moreover, they are bred in captivity in nature reserves and zoos.



The Madagascar fishing turtle is the most endangered turtle in the world. He lives in the Bali Bay region of Madagascar. Its total number ranges from 440 to 770 people. Because it is extremely beautiful, its main threat is the illegal international pet trade.

Its natural habitat is forest in Andhra Rai, southern India. He lives there in less than 100 sq. The Han gibbon's natural habitat is Hainan Island in the South China Sea. Only 23 people remain free. This makes them the richest primates in the world. Because of their possible early extinction, many organizations are trying to reduce the factors that contribute to the decline of the giant population.

People have never managed to domesticate a wild horse, because it is not naturally trainable and does not allow itself to be broken. The only place where it is theoretically possible to meet a Przewalski's horse is the Mongolian desert. However, the animal has not been seen there for more than 50 years. Therefore, there is a high probability that such horses have disappeared in the wild.

These rots live in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Madagascar. The main threat to the species is mining, illegal logging and forest burning for Agriculture. This is the largest species of lemur and lives in Madagascar. It feeds only on bamboo and prefers the stem, but also eats the leaves. It is not yet known how to deal with the cyanide found in the stems.

This is the most little dolphin in the world. He lives in the northern Gulf of California and Mexico. Fewer than 200 remain at large and the decline continues. The main threat to them is the use of fishing nets. She lives in only two places on the Mississippi River. The cause of extinction is habitat loss, disease, drought, and invasive species.

Mountain gorillas

These large monkeys can be found in dense tropical forests in southwestern Uganda, Rwanda, and eastern Congo. Gorillas have a rather menacing appearance and impressive size, but the animal itself is peaceful and very sociable. However, hunting of animals, destruction of their habitat, disease and the desire of circuses to get at least one individual may leave the planet forever without mountain gorillas. Now there are no more than 720 of them.



Fish fish live in coastal tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Currently, however, its population is limited northern Australia. It has adapted to live in both salt water and freshwater pools, and its nose is used to search for food under the sandy bottom. The main threat to the species is human impact on nature and fishing nets.

The Singapore cold water crayfish lives in forest streams in Singapore. It is a critically endangered species and its population is declining due to habitat loss. She lives in a small rainforest region in Madagascar. There is a very scattered and declining population.

Amur tiger

The rarest animal in the world, which, moreover, is included in the Red Book. The Amur tiger is widespread in the southeast of Russia and is considered the largest of its relatives. The habitats of this animal are being intensively reduced, and predators are mercilessly exterminated.

It lives in eastern Mexico and is considered an endangered species. It is a mammal from Madagascar, related to the brown-tailed mongoose. It is threatened by the destruction of its habitat in Lac Aloatre. Madagascar is an island located along the east coast of South Africa in the Indian Ocean. It is the fourth largest island in the world and slightly larger than France. Big Islands- Borneo only, New Guinea and Greenland. About 150 million years ago, Madagascar was part of Africa, but then split and became an island.

The people who now live on the island are descended from Indonesians who came through Indian Ocean. There are also Arabs and Africans who settled later. This diversity of peoples has greatly contributed to the island's unique cultural traditions. After a period marked by the presence of pirates on the east coast, Madagascar was colonized by the French in the late 19th century.

The Amur tiger is an endangered species

Therefore, already at the beginning of this century, the number of Amur tigers almost crossed the critical mark. Measures to protect them helped to slightly increase the number of individuals to 400.

Sumatran rhinoceros

The smallest rhinoceros in the world. Not so long ago, he lived quietly in the swamps and tropical forests of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, China and Bangladesh. Now he is on the verge of extinction. There are only 6 populations of Sumatran rhinoceroses in the world, which live on the island of Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula.



About 75% of Madagascar's animal species are endemic, meaning they do not live anywhere else in the world. The island is home to strange animals, including lemurs, tennis rays, brightly colored chameleons, the fossa also known as the full-sized Madagascar viper and various other creatures. Unfortunately, due to habitat destruction and hunting, many of Madagascar's unique animals are now endangered.

Due to its location, Madagascar's climate is variable: the island has only two seasons: the hot season from May to October and the rainy season from November to April. East Coast is the wettest part of the country and is home to the largest forests on the island. This area is also periodically visited by destructive tropical storms and cyclones. The central part is much cooler and drier, so most of The land is cultivated by the population, where most of the rice is grown.

Animals live alone, so it is very difficult to calculate their exact number. According to experts, there are no more than 275 such rhinoceroses. The reason for the catastrophically rapid decline is said to be Chinese pseudo-medicine, which uses animal horns for its treatment methods.

Philippine crocodile

Small crocodiles live exclusively in the Philippines. And they are also on the verge of extinction. They are most often destroyed by poachers who use unique methods. fishing.



The West Bank is home to deciduous forests. Deciduous trees lose all their leaves during the dry season. When the rain returns, these forests sprout into a sea of ​​bright green leaves. The southwestern part of Madagascar has the driest climate of the island. Parts of this area can be considered a desert because there is very little rain.

It is because of this varied climate that the animal world of Madagascar is so unique that the island itself is considered a unique place on Planet Earth. Madagascar has one of the richest biological resources on the planet. Other unique animals are species of bats that are not found anywhere else, unique birds, beautiful chameleons and geckos, sweet fish such as the snake, which is sold as ornamental aquarium fish. Madagascar also has about 14 endemic species of filamentous rodents, divided into their own subgroup.

Hunting of the Philippine crocodile is prohibited, but the population is still declining. And now there are only 200 individuals in the world.

Far Eastern leopard

A century and a half ago, the predator could be found in the southern part of what is now Primorsky Krai. But the number began to rapidly decrease due to hunting of Far Eastern leopards. The man liked their beautiful skin. And parts of the animal’s body, from claws to liver, were used in traditional Chinese medicine. According to estimates, the number of predators is negligible. There are only 30 cats left in Russia, another 10 live in China.



The variety of shapes and sizes of these rodents is great, for example, the giant rat of Madagascar looks like a rabbit. Baobabs usually grow in the drier parts of Madagascar. They adapted to their environment by storing large amounts of water in large chests. The island is also home to another unique plant that forms entire forests called thorns.

This is because each plant is covered with sharp spines, and although these plants look like cacti, they are not related to them. Most of Madagascar's animal species are not only endemic, but also very rare or endangered. There are a number of international programs to conserve Madagascar's fauna, but the removal of unique rainforests outside protected areas continues to pose a major threat to the island's biodiversity.

The cause of the disappearance has never been established. Back in 1990, scientists counted only 11 individuals in the world. And now there is no information about the animal.

Florida cougar

Most rare view cougars. There are only 5-15 endangered species in the world. And you can only find him in swamps and forests South Florida. The Florida cougar is disappearing due to the draining of swamps and sport hunting of the animal.



And animals, whose lists are updated every three years. Annex 1 prohibits international trade endangered species. Schedules 2 and 3 prohibit international trade in species that may be threatened. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Defines the concerted actions of Member States in which migratory species spend part of their life cycle. Parsonians pay special attention to rare, endangered and endemic migratory species.

As a result of the activities of environmental organizations and the application of international documents, some endangered species are beginning to recover. Great amount Animal species have disappeared from the face of the earth, many of them in historical times. Some of them became legends. The bison, also called the European bison, is the largest animal among the mammals of the European fauna. In Europe there are two subspecies of the mountain or mountain beetles and the mountain or Caucasian beetles.

The editors of uznayvse.ru invite you to look at miracles depths of the sea, where you can meet rare and unusual animals. For example, an octopus, which is very similar to Dumbo the elephant, or a squid, which resembles

In the 20th century, scientists discovered more than 50 previously unknown animal species. However, during the same time, more than 100 others completely disappeared from the face of the Earth. In mammals alone, 25 species disappeared before 1960. People, without thinking about tomorrow, about their future and the future of all living nature on our planet, predatorily destroyed animals, and, unfortunately, continue to do so. This article presents only a few of the 800 endangered animals.

The bison is the heaviest and largest mammal in Europe and the last European representative of wild bulls. In historical times, the habitat of the bison was the zones of broad-leaved and mixed forests of Western, Central, South-Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, and Northern Iran, but due to ruthless hunting, as well as deforestation and drainage of swamps, the “home” of the bison gradually narrowed. By 1927, only 48 individuals of these powerful animals remained in the world. However, on the initiative of scientists from the All-Union Society for Nature Conservation, small areas of forest were allocated so that the animals could reproduce. Currently, the number of bison is about 3,000 individuals, of which more than 100 are kept in captivity.


The helmeted cassowary is a large flightless bird. Adults reach up to 1.5 meters in length and weigh about 80 kilograms. Cassowaries live in the tropical forests of New Guinea and northeastern Australia. However, it is precisely these places where giant birds once flourished that are now being quickly developed and changed by humans. Feral dogs and pigs that eat eggs and chicks, as well as the roads on which they die, cause a lot of trouble to cassowaries. Today, the population of helmeted cassowaries is estimated at approximately 1,500 individuals.


The gharial is considered one of the rarest and most bizarre crocodiles in the world. Due to the rapid reduction of suitable habitats, the destruction of fish stocks and the predation of gharials, by 1970 they were considered almost completely extinct. But in India, programs were developed to collect eggs and artificially breed crocodiles in captivity, which helped increase their population from 70 to 1,500 individuals. However, to this day, gharials still die when they become entangled in fishing nets. Their eggs are illegally collected for medicinal purposes. And males are hunted for growths on the nose, which are considered an aphrodisiac.


The giant panda is known all over the world, because it is depicted on the emblem of the World Wildlife Fund. But such popularity does not help save her from slowly disappearing. The pandas' domain, which once stretched across southern Asia, has shrunk to a few tiny provinces. As a result of hunting and climate change, the number of pandas has declined sharply. By 1900, bamboo bears could only be found on the outskirts of the Tibetan Plateau. Soon after the expansion of agriculture, the already small panda territory was divided into six separate areas, completely isolated from each other, where a small population of 1,200 individuals lives to this day.


Snow leopard - this beautiful cat once lived in the mountains of Central Asia. Outwardly, it is similar to a white leopard, but smaller and has a very long and fluffy tail. Snow leopards are very difficult to find in the wild, as they are quite secretive predators. And due to the reduction in their numbers, which reached less than 2000 individuals, the snow leopard became almost extinct. The reason for this is a reduction in habitat, a decrease in the number of ungulates on which they feed, intensive development of mountain pastures, as well as developing tourism and more frequent human penetration into hidden areas of the mountains.


Przewalski's horses - these animals were the last wild horses in the endless plains of Asia. Free and free as the wind, they were forced out and captured by man. The reason for the extinction of this horse in the wild was the Mongolian tribes, who overhunted them for their tasty meat. Now in the world there are about 1000 individuals that are bred in captivity: in zoos and nature reserves around the world. People were never able to domesticate the Przewalski's horse, because by nature it is not trainable, and also does not allow anyone to ride it. The only place where a wild horse can be is the Mongolian deserts. But even there, no one has seen her for more than 50 years, and now there is no hope left that this last wild Przewalski’s horse in the world survived in the wild.


Mountain gorillas live in dense tropical forests in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, southwestern Uganda and Rwanda. Despite their menacing appearance and considerable size, they are a very sociable and peaceful animal. However, predatory destruction by poachers, natural disasters, the destruction of natural habitats, human-borne diseases and the manic desire of circuses to get at least one gorilla, can forever destroy the remaining 720 individuals who so need our protection.


The Amur tiger is one of the rarest representatives of the world fauna, which is included in the Red Book as endangered. It is distributed in the southeast of Russia and is considered the northernmost and largest species of tigers. Habitat decline due to economic activity humans, as well as the intensive extermination of these predators led to the fact that at the beginning of this century the number of tigers reached a critical level. And by the end of the 30s, there were only 50 of them left. However, after conservation measures were taken, the number of Amur tigers now fluctuates around 400 individuals.


The Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest representative of its species, which previously lived in tropical rainforests and swamps in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, etc. Currently, this species is on the verge of extinction, because only 6 populations of Sumatran rhinoceroses have survived, four of them of which are located on the island of Sumatra, one on Borneo, and another on the Malay Peninsula. Due to the solitary lifestyle of these animals, it is difficult to determine their exact number, but it is estimated that there are less than 275 Sumatran rhinoceroses left. The reason for this reduction is Chinese pseudo-medicine, in which rhinoceros horn is an integral part of the treatment.


The Philippine crocodile is a small species of crocodile that is found exclusively in the Philippines. It is also endangered due to habitat loss and the use of poaching fishing methods. Although hunting the Philippine crocodile is strictly prohibited, its population is rapidly declining and today does not exceed 200 individuals.


Far Eastern leopard. Just a century and a half ago, this predator was found throughout the southern part of what is now Primorsky Krai. The almost tropical summer and long frosty winter did not prevent the leopard from firmly establishing itself here. But everything changed with the arrival of people. They began killing leopards for their beautiful skin, and various body parts, from the liver to the claws, were widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. But most importantly, in the open spaces occupied by humans there are almost no ungulates left - the main prey of leopards. And those predators who switched to domestic animals automatically signed their own death warrant. According to modern data, the number of Far Eastern leopards has come close to the point of extinction - only 30 cats remain in Russia, and another 10 in China.


The Javan rhinoceros is the most mysterious of all rhinoceroses. This one-horned animal once lived throughout the mainland. South-East Asia, on the Greater Sunda Islands, as well as in the southeast of India and China. Today, the Javan rhinoceros is distributed only on the island of Java and Indonesia. There is not a single individual of this animal in zoos around the world, and all 25-30 rhinoceroses live in the wild, left to their own devices.


The Blue Macaw is a species of parrot no longer found in the wild in Brazil. The last free-living male disappeared in 2000. Before this, in the mid-90s, attempts were made to introduce a female specimen, but this bird died. The reason for the disappearance is the easy capture of parrots, since they have been using the same flight route for years, African bees that have populated all the hollows suitable for nesting, as well as the cutting down of trees. 30 blue macaws are currently in captivity. And the hope is that someday it will be possible to return these birds to wildlife, quite ghostly.


Chinese river dolphin- a practically extinct aquatic mammal that was distributed in the central-eastern part of China. Dolphins have no natural enemies, but poaching, death from collisions with river boats, pollution of the Yangtze River, the construction of dams, and land drainage caused enormous damage to the number of animals, which decreased to 30 individuals of river dolphins.


Orange toad. This amphibian is considered one of the most spectacular on Earth. Its habitat is limited to only one mountain in Costa Rica, Monteverde. The orange toad was discovered in 1967 and became almost extinct just 10 years later. The reason for the toad's disappearance has never been established. There is an assumption that there is an influence of global climate change or an increase in the penetration of ultraviolet radiation. The last time 11 individuals of the orange toad were seen was back in 1990. Since then there has been no information about these animals.


The Florida cougar is the rarest endangered cougar species. Its number is only 5-15 individuals. The Florida cougar lives in the forests and swamps of southern Florida.


The reason for its almost complete extinction was mainly the drainage of swamps, as well as sport hunting.