Endangered species. Animals are endangered. Giant Galapagos tortoise
The natural extinction rate (or background rate) shows how quickly plants, mammals, birds and insects would die out if there were no people around. Scientists state that today these species are disappearing almost 1000 times faster than the natural rate, meaning we are losing about 150-200 species every day. About 15% of mammal species and 11% of bird species are listed as threatened.
Giant Galapagos tortoise
As populations grow and rich countries continue to consume resources at voracious rates, we are crowding out, poisoning, and wiping out all other species. With the world's population reaching 7 billion, the Center is marking the milestone by releasing a list of species in the United States that are at risk of extinction due to growing populations. The 10 species represent a range of geography as well as species diversity, but all are threatened by human influence. Some, such as the Florida panther and Mississippi frog, are rapidly losing habitat as populations expand.
1. Bengal tiger
Threat: Poaching for skin and other body parts is the most serious threat. Habitat loss due to human settlement and potential climate change due to rising sea levels are also threatening factors.
Species Information: Population size is less than 2,500 tigers with a declining trend.
Natural Habitat: Mangrove forests of Bangladesh, various national parks and forested areas in India and Nepal, and subtropical foothills of the Himalayas in Bhutan.
African wild dog
Others see their habitats dangerously altered - like New England's little sandstone bloom - or, like bluefin tuna, buckling under the weight of massive overfishing. Still others, like polar bear, are facing extinction due to fossil fuels leading to catastrophic global warming.
The kit fox has been listed as endangered. The four counties with known San Joaquin foxes have grown by 60 percent—an additional 5 million people—since then. Whale foxes' "small mammal base is significantly reduced by rodenticides, which not only kill viable prey, but can also kill leaf foxes as they grow in the foxes' bodies." Whale foxes have adapted to get their water from the prey they eat, making them even more dependent on their food source.
2. Orangutan
Status: endangered (Borneo), in critical condition(Sumatra)
Threat: The main challenges for both species are habitat loss due to over-cutting of trees and habitat modification for agriculture and habitat fragmentation due to road construction. Fires have played a large role in the decline of Borneo's orangutan population. Hunting and trade in animals is also a threat to the species.
Species information: Over the past 75 years, the Sumatra orangutan population is estimated to have declined by more than 80% and continues to decline. Most animals live outside protected areas. In 60 years, Borneo's orangutan population has declined by more than 50% and is expected to continue to decline.
Habitat: Sumatra orangutans are located in the northern part of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, most of lives in Aceh province. Borneo orangutans are found throughout the island of Borneo, mainly in Sarawak, Malaysia and Kalimantan, Indonesia.
They also often make "dens" in other animals, leaving them vulnerable to other human activities, such as the fumigants used to kill coyotes. List of endangered animals with photos and links to more information.
It's hard to believe that many of the world's most famous animals are struggling to survive. It would be a tragedy if tigers disappeared from the wild altogether, but this could happen in our lifetime. In the list of endangered animals below, we've included not only famous animals, but also animals you may never have heard of. The humpback lynx or black-footed ferret may not be as famous as tigers and elephants, but their plight is just as serious.
3. Polar bear
Status: in danger zone
Threat: due to global climate change, the volume is rapidly decreasing sea ice. This means loss of habitat for polar bears, whose survival depends on the presence of ice. Over 45 years (three generations), the population has decreased by more than 30%. According to some estimates, polar bears will disappear within 100 years. In addition to melting sea ice, there are other factors affecting the population, such as "overpopulation" in Canada and Greenland, poaching in Russia, and pollution (bears are at the top of the food chain, so the effect of pollution is on every link and on them). Oil production in the Arctic is also a serious problem, as it poses the threat of oil spills and increased levels of bear-human contact.
Habitat: Circumpolar Arctic (as far south as sea ice extends), Svalbard Archipelago in Norway and Churchill, Manitoba in Canada.
This list is not definitive; Unfortunately, many more species currently exist. The information on this page is updated regularly. We have included links to further information about many of the animals, as well as links to relevant charities.
You can learn more about endangered animals here: Learn more about wildlife here. List of endangered animals - African wild dog. African wild dogs found in sub-Saharan Africa. African wild dogs live in packs. They hunt at dawn and dusk and take prey such as Thomson's gazelles.
4. Western gorilla
Status: in critical zone
Threat: high level hunting and poaching, and diseases such as Ebola.
Species information: The western gorilla population, which includes the western lowland gorillas (pictured above), is estimated to decline by 80% within three generations (about 66 years) to 2,046 gorillas.
Habitat: The eastern (mountain) gorilla, found in Rwanda, Uganda and Eastern Congo, is critically endangered. The western gorilla can still be found in Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), mainland Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni), Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of Congo and Cabinda (Angola).
The Amur leopard is found in Russia and parts of China. At some point in wildlife only about twenty left Amur leopards. Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants. Asian elephants are the second largest animals in the world. Only African bush elephants are larger. Asian elephants have smaller ears and smoother skin than their African cousins.
Asian elephants are under threat due to poaching and habitat loss.
- Find out more about elephants here.
- Elephant of Mercy: David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
5. Humpback whale
Status: endangered
Threat: The number of humpback whales has increased since the hunting moratorium, but there remains a constant threat from noise pollution, entanglement fishing gear and collisions with ships. Within established quotas, they continue to be targets for the whaling industry.
Species information: In 1966, a moratorium on the hunting of humpback whales was introduced after they were classified as endangered, about 90% of the population was destroyed.
Habitat: off the coast of Canada, USA, South America, Australia and New Zealand, whale watching is a popular activity. During the summer, humpback whales spend time in the polar regions, where they feed and then return to warmer waters to breed. They typically migrate 25,000 km.
Black rhinoceroses like this live in Africa. Black rhinoceroses are endangered. They are found in East and Central Africa. Despite their name, their color ranges from brown to gray. They are hunted for their horns.
- Learn about black rhinos here.
- Learn about rhinoceroses here.
This list of endangered animals isn't just about tigers and elephants: other, lesser-known creatures face just as many problems. Black ferrets found in North America. They are members of the supsidae family, which includes weasels, badgers and wolverines.
6. Sifaka
Status: critically endangered
Threat: Habitat loss due to logging (some of it illegal), arson and hunting are the main threats.
Species Information: The sifaka is a species of the lemur family. The silky sifaka is endangered; as of 2008, there were approximately 250 adults of the species. Perrier's sifaka is also endangered.
Habitat: The sifaka, like all lemurs, exists only in Madagascar.
Don't worry, this huge animal is only interested in eating krill! Blue whales are the largest creatures that have ever lived on Earth. They are even larger than the largest dinosaurs. Find out more about blue whales here. . Bonobos are very similar to chimpanzees, but are usually smaller, with longer legs and darker faces. They are located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Africa.
Chimpanzees live in the forests of Central Africa. These are our closest relatives and use about 98% of our genes. Find out more about chimpanzees here. . Finnish whales are large marine mammals. They are the second largest animal on Earth, second only to blue whales. If you look at the lower jaw of a fin whale, you will see that the left side is black and the right side is white.
7. African lion
Status: vulnerable
Threat: One of the main threats to lions today is retaliatory/deliberate killing to protect human lives and livestock (a common practice is luring lions with poisoned carcasses). Habitat loss, trophy hunting and disease are also threats.
Species Information: There has been a population decline of 30% over the past 20 years (three generations).
Habitat: Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Galapagos penguins live on the Galapagos Islands and are the only penguin found north of the equator. They are the second smallest penguin: only the little penguin is smaller. Find out more about penguins here. . Galapagos sea lions live on the coast Galapagos Islands. This may seem like a large number until you realize that there are more people in the average Premier League football crowd than there are Galapagos sea lions in the entire world.
Ganges river dolphins are freshwater dolphins found on the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers in Balngladesh, India and Nepal. These curious animals are practically blind and swim on their sides. Pandas have very strong jaw muscles for chewing bamboo stems.
8. North American grizzly bear
Status: Endangered in the US; special danger in Canada; became extinct in Mexico.
Threat: human settlement and conflicts with humans. Today, bears are endangered in British Columbia's Jumbo Valley due to plans to develop a large ski resort. This region is one of the most important wildlife corridors in North America through which grizzly bears come and go from the Purcell Wildlife Refuge, an area free of human influence.
Species Information: After the Yellowstone grizzlies disappeared in 2007 - due to the "effective removal of endangered grizzly bear protections in the Yellowstone area national park"- the federal government sued to have the bear relisted. Grizzlies were added to the list in 2009.
Habitat: Grizzly bears in North America exist primarily in Alaska, Western Canada, and the northwestern United States.
Giant pandas are bears that live in the forests of China. Find out more about pandas here. . A beautiful golden lion tamarin lives in the coastal forest in Atlantic Ocean Brazil. More than 85% of this forest has been destroyed, and as a result, this little monkey has become endangered.
You can learn more about the golden lion tamarin here. . Humpback fish - big fish, which can reach 2 m in length. It has large lips and a bulge on its forehead that gets larger as the fish gets older. The giant rodent lives around coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region.
9. Giant Galapagos tortoise
Status: vulnerable
Threat: Until recently, the main threat was commercial hunting for museum collections. Today, the biggest threat is predators such as "wild pigs, dogs, cats and black rats." Donkeys, goats and cattle compete with turtles for grazing areas.
Information about the species: In the 19th century, the species' numbers decreased significantly due to the fact that passing ships caught turtles. Between 1811 and 1824, records show that 15,000 turtles were caught by 105 whaling ships. One of the subspecies giant turtle Pinta Island is believed to be extinct after the last of the species, Lonesome George, died in captivity earlier this year.
Habitat: Ten of the 15 subspecies exist on the seven Galapagos Islands.
Learn more about this endangered reef fish here. . Leatherback turtles are the largest sea turtles and the only ones without a complete shell. Instead, leatherback turtles are protected by tough, oily skin on their backs. They are the fastest swimming and deep diving sea turtles and migrate long distances.
- Learn more about sea turtles here.
- Sea Turtle Charity: Sea Turtle.
10. Chimpanzee
Status: endangered
Threat: Chimpanzee decline is due to habitat destruction and modification (farming and logging), poaching (for meat, animal trade, and crop protection) and disease (they are susceptible to human diseases, and as human populations increase, so do numbers human-chimpanzee contacts).
Species Information: The reason for the endangered status of the chimpanzee is the rapid decline in numbers over the past 20-30 years, which will continue for the next 30-40 years.
Habitat: Chimpanzees live "from southern Senegal through the forested north of the Congo River to western Uganda and western Tanzania, from sea level to altitudes of 2800 m."
You can find out more amazing facts about mountain gorillas. . Orangutans live in tropical forests. There are two species of orangutans: Sumatran and Bornean. Both are currently critically endangered and their populations continue to decline.
Orangutans spend most of their lives in trees, where they feed on fruits and insects. The word "Orangutan" means "man of the forest" in Malay.
- Find out more about orangutans here.
- Orangutan charity: Orangutan International Foundation.
11. Rothschild's giraffe
Status: endangered
Threat: development Agriculture became the main reason for the decline in the species' numbers.
Species Information: The Rothschild's giraffe - or Baringo, or Uganda giraffe - is the second most endangered species, along with the West African giraffe. As of 2010, fewer than 670 individuals remained in the wild.
Habitat: The remaining population lives in protected areas in Uganda and Kenya. Captive breeding programs such as the Giraffe Center in Nairobi are looking to increase these numbers.
They are very shy animals and are rarely seen. Snow leopards have adapted to life in the mountains. Snow leopards live in the mountains of Central Asia. They are adapted for life in the snow, pale in color, with thick fur and wide legs. Find out more about the snow leopard here. . Spider monkeys live in the forests of Central and South America. They have long arms and prehensile tails. Spider monkeys are social and talkative animals. There are seven species of spiders, all of which are endangered. The black-skinned brown spider monkey is endangered.
12. Hippopotamus
Status: vulnerable
Threat: The main reasons for the decline are exploitation and habitat loss; there is no evidence that these threats will be mitigated in the near future.
Species information: Over the past ten years, the hippopotamus population is estimated to have declined by 7-20%, with an overall decline of 30% predicted over the next 30 years (three generations).
The pygmy hippopotamus, found in West Africa (Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia) is critically endangered.
Habitat: rivers, lakes and swamps south of the Sahara.
How can you help the endangered animals on this list?
It's sad to see such an iconic animal on the endangered list. There are several subspecies of the tiger, and all are endangered. It's hard to believe that one of the world's most recognizable animals is on the endangered list.
- Find out more about tigers here.
- Tiger Charity: Tiger Awareness.
13. African elephant
Status: vulnerable
Threat: elephant poaching for ivory is unfortunately not new problem. Earlier this year, the New York Times published an article in which Congolese authorities suspected the Ugandan military of using helicopters to slaughter animals. Historically, armed groups have killed elephants for the purpose of selling ivory to buy weapons and support their causes.
Information about the species: despite poaching, status African elephant has been upgraded from endangered to vulnerable. While some regional populations are in decline, most are growing at 4% per year. It is believed that the overall effect will be an increase in population. Elephants became regionally extinct in Burundi, Gambia, Mauritania and Swaziland, although they were reintroduced to Swaziland throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Habitat: They can be found in 37 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Then tell other people about them! By telling other people about endangered animals, you are actually helping animals. Well, the more people you tell, the more people will know there's a problem. The people you profile may decide to help endangered animals, either by raising money for charity or by making changes to their lifestyle. The people you talk about will tell other people and the word will spread even further.
Anyone can help endangered animals by raising money for a related charity. We have included links to several animal charities on the endangered animals list. Why don't you take a look at some of their sites to see what they get?
14. Grevy's zebra
Status: endangered
Threat: The main threats to Grevy's zebra are reduction in available water sources; habitat changes and loss due to increased pastures; competition for resources; diseases.
Species information: The population of Grévy's zebras is thought to have declined by 50% over the past two decades. The species "has undergone one of the most dramatic range reductions of any African mammal."
Habitat: Grevy's zebra can be found in Ethiopia and Kenya.
15. Cheetah
Status: vulnerable
Threat: habitat loss and fragmentation; clashes with farmers (cheetahs that prey on livestock are considered "pests"); poaching.
Species Information: Current population ranges from 7,500 to 10,000 individuals. Based on 1970 estimates of 15,000 individuals, the population has declined by at least 30% over the past two decades.
Habitat: The vast majority of the remaining population is found in the Southern and East Africa. The Asiatic cheetah is found in Iran.
16. African wild dog
Status: endangered
Threat: Declines are primarily due to human dispersal, habitat loss, and control of predator kills.
Species Information: African wild dogs, which hunt in packs, are very efficient hunters with kill rates of around 80%, compared to 30% for lions and, surprisingly, less than 2% for polar bears. From numbers of over 500,000 in over 39 countries, their populations have declined to numbers between 3,000 and 5,500 in 14 countries.
Habitat: eastern and southern Africa: two large groups in Tanzania (Selous Game Reserve) and northern Botswana/eastern Namibia.
17. Sloth
Status: from “causes concern” to “critical threat”
Threat: Various species of sloths suffer from habitat loss due to deforestation, hunting/poaching, and illegal animal trade.
Species Information: Critically endangered three-toed sloths are the smallest of all sloths and live on desert island off the coast of Panama. The three-toed maned sloth is classified as a species of concern and is showing population decline.
Habitat: Sloths live in trees in the jungles of Central and South America.
18. Rhinoceros
Status: from “endangered” to “critical threat”
Threat: The main threat to all subspecies is poaching. Rhino horn is sold on the black market for ornamental and medicinal purposes. Habitat loss due to soil development for agricultural purposes is also a threat to some species.
Species Information: There are two species in Africa: the White Rhinoceros and the Black Rhinoceros. Black rhinos are listed as critically endangered and their population has declined by almost 98% since 1960. Asian species are the rhinoceroses of Java, Sumatra and India. Of these, the rhinoceroses of Java and Sumatra are critically endangered. As of 2008, there are fewer than 50 adult males of the Javan species remaining; the Sumatra population shows a decline of approximately 80% within three generations (about 60 years)
Habitat: White rhinos are found in South Africa, and Black rhinos are found in Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and the United Republic of Zimbabwe. Both species have been reintroduced to several other African countries. In Asia, the Indian rhinoceros is found in India and Nepal, the Javan rhinoceros is found in Indonesia and Vietnam, and the Sumatra rhinoceros is found in Indonesia and Malaysia.
19. Koala
Status: endangered
Threat: spread of people destroying eucalyptus trees, food sources for koalas. In addition, the “nutritional value of remaining eucalyptus trees” is decreasing due to increasing CO2 in the atmosphere, leading to the inclusion of the koala in the list of the 10 most vulnerable species to climate change in the world.
Species information: The koala population is found in Australia. Some populations are declining while others are increasing.
Habitat: Regions in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia
20. Magellanic penguin
Status: endangered
Threat: The threat mainly comes from oil pollution (according to 1994 reports, this causes more than 40,000 deaths per year). In addition to this, the fishing industry also plays a big role in the population decline.
Habitat: The Magellanic penguin breeds in the Pacific and Atlantic coasts South America in Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands.
21. Galapagos sea lion
Status: endangered
Threat: Reproduction cessation during El Niño events and possible disease transmission from wild dogs
Species information: In 1978, the census showed about 40,000 individuals, but a recent study found a 50% decline.
Habitat: Galapagos archipelago
The natural extinction rate (or background rate) shows how quickly plants, mammals, birds and insects would die out if there were no people around. Scientists state that today these species are disappearing almost 1000 times faster than the natural rate, meaning we are losing about 150-200 species every day. About 15% of mammal species and 11% of bird species are listed as threatened.
Bengal tiger
Threat: Poaching for skin and other body parts is the most serious threat. Habitat loss due to human settlement and potential climate change due to rising sea levels are also threatening factors.
Species Information: Population size is less than 2,500 tigers with a declining trend.
Natural Habitat: Mangrove forests of Bangladesh, various national parks and forested areas in India and Nepal, and subtropical foothills of the Himalayas in Bhutan.
Orangutan
Status: Endangered (Borneo), Critically Endangered (Sumatra)
Threat: The main challenges for both species are habitat loss due to over-cutting of trees and habitat modification for agriculture and habitat fragmentation due to road construction. Fires have played a large role in the decline of Borneo's orangutan population. Hunting and trade in animals is also a threat to the species.
Species information: Over the past 75 years, the Sumatra orangutan population is estimated to have declined by more than 80% and continues to decline. Most animals live outside protected areas. In 60 years, Borneo's orangutan population has declined by more than 50% and is expected to continue to decline.
Habitat: Sumatran orangutans are located in the northern part of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, most of them live in the province of Aceh. Borneo orangutans are found throughout the island of Borneo, mainly in Sarawak, Malaysia and Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Polar bear
Status: in danger zone
Threat: Due to global climate change, sea ice is rapidly decreasing. This means loss of habitat for polar bears, whose survival depends on the presence of ice. Over 45 years (three generations), the population has decreased by more than 30%. According to some estimates, polar bears will disappear within 100 years. In addition to melting sea ice, there are other factors affecting the population, such as "overpopulation" in Canada and Greenland, poaching in Russia, and pollution (bears are at the top of the food chain, so the effect of pollution is on every link and on them). Oil production in the Arctic is also a serious problem, as it poses the threat of oil spills and increased levels of bear-human contact.
Habitat: Circumpolar Arctic (as far south as sea ice extends), Svalbard Archipelago in Norway and Churchill, Manitoba in Canada.
Western gorilla
Status: in critical zone
Threats: High levels of hunting and poaching, as well as diseases such as Ebola.
Species information: The western gorilla population, which includes the western lowland gorillas (pictured above), is estimated to decline by 80% within three generations (about 66 years) to 2,046 gorillas.
Habitat: The eastern (mountain) gorilla, found in Rwanda, Uganda and Eastern Congo, is critically endangered. The western gorilla can still be found in Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), mainland Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni), Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of Congo and Cabinda (Angola).
Humpback whale
Status: endangered
Threat: Humpback whale numbers have increased since the hunting moratorium, but ongoing threats remain from noise pollution, entanglement in fishing gear, and ship strikes. Within established quotas, they continue to be targets for the whaling industry.
Species information: In 1966, a moratorium on the hunting of humpback whales was introduced after they were classified as endangered, about 90% of the population was destroyed.
Habitat: Off the coasts of Canada, the United States, South America, Australia and New Zealand, whale watching is a popular activity. During the summer, humpback whales spend time in the polar regions, where they feed and then return to warmer waters to breed. They typically migrate 25,000 km.
Sifaka
Status: critically endangered
Threat: Habitat loss due to logging (some of it illegal), arson and hunting are the main threats.
Species Information: The sifaka is a species of the lemur family. The silky sifaka is endangered; as of 2008, there were approximately 250 adults of the species. Perrier's sifaka is also endangered.
Habitat: The sifaka, like all lemurs, exists only in Madagascar.
African lion
Status: vulnerable
Threat: One of the main threats to lions today is retaliatory/deliberate killing to protect human lives and livestock (luring lions with poisoned carcasses is a common practice). Habitat loss, trophy hunting and disease are also threats.
Species Information: There has been a population decline of 30% over the past 20 years (three generations).
Habitat: Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
North American grizzly bear
Status: Endangered in the US; special danger in Canada; became extinct in Mexico.
Threat: human settlement and conflicts with humans. Today, bears are endangered in British Columbia's Jumbo Valley due to plans to develop a large ski resort. This region is one of the most important wildlife corridors in North America through which grizzly bears come and go from the Purcell Wildlife Refuge, an area free of human influence.
Species information: After the Yellowstone grizzly bear disappeared in 2007 - due to the "effective removal of endangered grizzly bear protections in the Yellowstone National Park area" - the federal government sued to have the bear relisted. Grizzlies were added to the list in 2009.
Habitat: Grizzly bears in North America exist primarily in Alaska, Western Canada, and the northwestern United States.
Giant Galapagos tortoise
Status: vulnerable
Threat: Until recently, the main threat was commercial hunting for museum collections. Today, the biggest threat is predators such as "wild pigs, dogs, cats and black rats." Donkeys, goats and cattle compete with turtles for grazing areas.
Information about the species: In the 19th century, the species' numbers decreased significantly due to the fact that passing ships caught turtles. Between 1811 and 1824, records show that 15,000 turtles were caught by 105 whaling ships. One subspecies, the Pinta Island giant tortoise, is believed to be extinct after the last of the species, Lonesome George, died in captivity earlier this year.
Habitat: Ten of the 15 subspecies exist on the seven Galapagos Islands.
Chimpanzee
Status: endangered
Threat: Chimpanzee decline is due to habitat destruction and modification (farming and logging), poaching (for meat, animal trade, and crop protection) and disease (they are susceptible to human diseases, and as human populations increase, so do numbers human-chimpanzee contacts).
Species Information: The reason for the endangered status of the chimpanzee is the rapid decline in numbers over the past 20-30 years, which will continue for the next 30-40 years.
Habitat: Chimpanzees live "from southern Senegal through the forested north of the Congo River to western Uganda and western Tanzania, from sea level to altitudes of 2800 m."
Rothschild's giraffe
Status: endangered
Threat: agricultural development has become the main reason for the decline in the species' numbers.
Species information: The Rothschild's giraffe - or Baringo, or Uganda giraffe - is the second most endangered species, along with the West African giraffe. As of 2010, fewer than 670 individuals remained in the wild.
Habitat: The remaining population lives in protected areas in Uganda and Kenya. Captive breeding programs such as the Giraffe Center in Nairobi are looking to increase these numbers.
Hippopotamus
Status: vulnerable
Threat: The main reasons for the decline are exploitation and habitat loss; there is no evidence that these threats will be mitigated in the near future.
Species information: Over the past ten years, the hippopotamus population is estimated to have declined by 7-20%, with an overall decline of 30% predicted over the next 30 years (three generations).
The pygmy hippopotamus, found in West Africa (Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia) is critically endangered.
Habitat: rivers, lakes and swamps south of the Sahara.
African elephant
Status: vulnerable
Threat: Elephant poaching for ivory is, unfortunately, not a new problem. Earlier this year, the New York Times published an article in which Congolese authorities suspected the Ugandan military of using helicopters to slaughter animals. Historically, armed groups have killed elephants for the purpose of selling ivory to buy weapons and support their causes.
Species Information: Despite poaching, the African elephant's status has been upgraded from Critically Endangered to Vulnerable. While some regional populations are in decline, most are growing at 4% per year. It is believed that the overall effect will be an increase in population. Elephants became regionally extinct in Burundi, Gambia, Mauritania and Swaziland, although they were reintroduced to Swaziland throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Habitat: They can be found in 37 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Grevy's zebra
Status: endangered
Threat: The main threats to Grevy's zebra are reduction in available water sources; habitat changes and loss due to increased pastures; competition for resources; diseases.
Species information: The population of Grévy's zebras is thought to have declined by 50% over the past two decades. The species "has undergone one of the most dramatic range reductions of any African mammal."
Habitat: Grevy's zebra can be found in Ethiopia and Kenya.
Cheetah
Status: vulnerable
Threat: habitat loss and fragmentation; clashes with farmers (cheetahs that prey on livestock are considered "pests"); poaching.
Species Information: Current population ranges from 7,500 to 10,000 individuals. Based on 1970 estimates of 15,000 individuals, the population has declined by at least 30% over the past two decades.
Habitat: The vast majority of the remaining population is found in Southern and Eastern Africa. The Asiatic cheetah is found in Iran.
African wild dog
Status: endangered
Threat: Declines are primarily due to human dispersal, habitat loss, and control of predator kills.
Species Information: African wild dogs, which hunt in packs, are very efficient hunters with kill rates of around 80%, compared to 30% for lions and, surprisingly, less than 2% for polar bears. From numbers of over 500,000 in over 39 countries, their populations have declined to numbers between 3,000 and 5,500 in 14 countries.
Habitat: eastern and southern Africa: two large groups in Tanzania (Selous Game Reserve) and northern Botswana/eastern Namibia.
Sloth
Status: from “causes concern” to “critical threat”
Threat: Various species of sloths suffer from habitat loss due to deforestation, hunting/poaching, and illegal animal trade.
Species Information: Critically endangered three-toed sloths are the smallest of all sloths and live on an uninhabited island off the coast of Panama. The three-toed maned sloth is classified as a species of concern and is showing population decline.
Habitat: Sloths live in trees in the jungles of Central and South America.
Rhinoceros
Status: from “endangered” to “critical threat”
Threat: The main threat to all subspecies is poaching. Rhino horn is sold on the black market for ornamental and medicinal purposes. Habitat loss due to soil development for agricultural purposes is also a threat to some species.
Species Information: There are two species in Africa: the White Rhinoceros and the Black Rhinoceros. Black rhinos are listed as critically endangered and their population has declined by almost 98% since 1960. Asian species are the rhinoceroses of Java, Sumatra and India. Of these, the rhinoceroses of Java and Sumatra are critically endangered. As of 2008, there are fewer than 50 adult males of the Javan species remaining; the Sumatra population shows a decline of approximately 80% within three generations (about 60 years)
Habitat: White rhinos are found in South Africa, and Black rhinos are found in Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and the United Republic of Zimbabwe. Both species have been reintroduced to several other African countries. In Asia, the Indian rhinoceros is found in India and Nepal, the Javan rhinoceros in Indonesia and Vietnam, and the Sumatra rhinoceros in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Koala
Status: endangered
Threat: spread of people destroying eucalyptus trees, food sources for koalas. In addition, the “nutritional value of remaining eucalyptus trees” is decreasing due to increasing CO2 in the atmosphere, leading to the inclusion of the koala in the list of the 10 most vulnerable species to climate change in the world.
Species information: The koala population is found in Australia. Some populations are declining while others are increasing.
Habitat: Regions in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia
Magellanic penguin
Status: endangered
Threat: The threat mainly comes from oil pollution (according to 1994 reports, this causes more than 40,000 deaths per year). In addition to this, the fishing industry also plays a big role in the population decline.
Habitat: The Magellanic penguin breeds on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America in Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands.