The Most Endangered Animals From Around The World

1. Cheetah

Image source: Reddit

The fastest land animal in the world which is capable of sprinting as fast as 80 mp, the cheetah is listed as endangered as well as vulnerable. There are fewer than 7,000 adult cheetahs left in the whole world and habitat loss is a major reason for their decline in numbers. Cheetahs are often captured and trafficked illegally in the Middle East.

2. Mountain Gorilla

Image source: Reddit

Mountain gorillas are listed as critically endangered as of 2018 with only about 1000 existing in two separate populations in Central Africa. An adult male mountain gorilla weighs up to 500 pounds and eat about 75 lbs of vegetation, fruit and insects every day! These gorgeous primates will survive as long as they are protected.

3. Black Rhinoceros

Image source: Reddit

Also known as the hooked-lip rhinoceros, the black rhinoceros is endangered because of  its horns which are highly prized by people who would use them in Chinese medicine. Rhino horn is currently worth more than its weight in gold and used for making handles for knives and daggers.

4. Whale Shark

Image source: Reddit

In waters off China, hundreds of these animals are killed for their fins, skins and oil every year which is heartbreaking. Another danger to these sharks is the plastic pollution. When feeding, these animals may suck plastic into their innards, with the risk of bringing about the demise of these gigantic marine creatures.

5. Bengal Tiger

Image source: Reddit

The Bengal tiger lives in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. In 2014, 3,000 Bengal tigers existed in these countries, although none of the tiger habitat zones within the range are considered big enough to support more than 250 tigers. Poaching and habitat loss are the main reasons for the decline of the species.

6. Red Panda

Image source: Reddit

Its major threats are disease, habitat loss and poaching. Red pandas are hunted for their fur and trafficked as pets. In 2008, the IUCN estimated the global population of these pandas was about 10,000. However, the number of wild pandas in China has reportedly decreased by 40 per cent in the last 50 years.

7. Galapagos Penguin

Image source: Reddit

These adorable birds are considered endangered and there are about 1,200 adult Galapagos penguins in existence. They can survive in the tropics because of the cool Humboldt and Cromwell Currents. The Galapagos Penguin is the rarest penguin in the whole world.

8. Great Green Macaw

Image source: Reddit

Threats to the great green macaw include habitat loss as, during the 20th century, Costa Rica lost 90 per cent of its original forests. These birds were also killed because farmers considered them to be pests. On the positive side, many macaws still exist in game reserves and captive birds are sometimes released into the wild.

9. Irrawaddy Dolphin

Image source: Reddit

It is estimated that their population is only about 7,000 worldwide as of last year.  Even though these dolphins get along well with people, they sometimes die when getting entangled in fishing nets. Fortunately, many countries are trying to protect what is left of these docile and beautiful sea creatures.

10. Borneo Elephant

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Also known as a Borneo pygmy elephant, the Borneo elephant is a subspecies of the Asian elephant. The number has declined dramatically since the 1980s. Smaller than African elephants, the Borneo elephant has become domesticated in many areas, although this closeness to people has brought it into numerous conflicts and has lead to hundreds of fatalities of both people and elephants every year.

11. Orangutan

Image source: Reddit

Orangutans exist on the Islands of Borneo and Sumatra, living almost entirely in trees. feeding on fruit, vegetation, honey and bird eggs. Considered extremely intelligent for apes, orangutans are often studied for their ability to make tools and use them in clever ways. They are on the critically endangered list with about 75,000 in existence.

12. Ring-Tailed Lemur

Image source: Reddit

The ring-tailed lemur is critically endangered, along with virtually all other lemurs.  The main reason is that most of them live in Madagascar which is becoming more deforested as time goes on. Presently there are about 2000 ring-tailed lemurs around although zoos are taking some in and hoping they will breed.

13. Brown Spider Monkey

Image source: Reddit

The brown spider monkey can be found in Northern Colombia and is 25th on the world's most endangered primate list. It lives in old-growth rain forests and tragically, 80 percent of these creatures no longer exist. Like most monkeys, the brown spider monkey feeds primarily on vegetation and fruit, but will eat almost anything if there's no choice.

14. Dragon

Image source: Reddit

The Komodo dragon is the world’s largest lizard with an adult growing up to to ten feet long and weighing 150 lbs.  It is a relic of the megafauna that died out centuries before.  Females can reproduce without their eggs being fertilized. As of 2013, the wild population of Komodo dragons was assessed to be about 3000.

15. Amur Leopard

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Certainly one of the rarest wild cats in the world, the Amur leopard exists in parts of south eastern Russia and north eastern China. The major threats to this species are poaching wildfires and deforestation. There are many programs worldwide to try and preserve the remaining leopards.

16. Red Vented Cockatoo

Image source: Birdsearch

One of the avian animals on the endangered list is the red-vented cockatoo which is found on many of the smaller islands in the Philippines. Back in the '90s, this cockatoo had a wild population of 4000 birds but by 2008 the number had rapidly decreased to 1000. The birds are often killed as they are seen as being pests.

17. Rhim Gazelle

Image source: Reddit

Also known as the slender-horned gazelle or pale gazelle, the rhim gazelle resides in northern parts of the Sahara Desert and is considered to be an endangered species because there are only 300 to 600 in existence in the wild. The animal seldom drinks liquid water and survives by ingesting moisture from desert plants.

18. Florida Panther

Image source: USA Today

In recent years the Florida panther’s habitat has shrunk to only 5 percent of its historical range, as commercial development in Florida has exploded in the last few decades. In the 1970s there were about 20 panthers left in the wild although, with various conservation efforts, the number has climbed to about 240 in 2021.

19. Pygmy Racoon

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The pygmy raccoon, known as the Cozumel raccoon, only exists on Cozumel Island which is located off the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. This raccoon, similar to the common raccoon of mainland North America, is now an extinct species. If enough habitat is put aside for this species of raccoon, it could survive in the wild for many years to come.

20. Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Image source: Reddit

Found near tropical coral reefs, the Hawksbill Sea Turtle has been labelled as critically endangered since 1996, their population declining by 80 percent in the past 100 years. Hunted for its meat and stunning shell, these large sea turtles can weight 300 pounds. They suffer from habitat loss, hunting and pollution.

21. California Condor

Image source: Reddit

Essentially a vulture and the largest land bird in North America, the California condor has been extinct since 1987. The 27 surviving ones were captured and put on a breeding program. Now there are about 500 condors, this sacred bird of the Chumash Indians of Southern California.

22. Chinese Giant Salamander

Image source: Reddit

The Chinese giant salamander is a strange, sticky brown beast, growing as long as six feet and weighing up to 100 pounds. Found in Chinese streams and lakes, the huge salamander has become rare in the wild, due to habitat loss, dam construction, pollution and agricultural runoff.

23. Southern Bluefin Tuna

Image source: Reddit

An adult southern bluefin tuna can weigh over 500 pounds so it's no surprise that these monstrous predatory fish provide prime fishing for avid anglers. The southern bluefin tuna is also caught commercially although fishing has been reduced by 80 percent over the past 15 years due to the tuna becoming an endangered species.

24. Hairy-Nosed Otter

Image source: Reddit

The hairy-nosed otter is the rarest otter species in the world and can be found in Southeast Asia.  This endangered species is extinct in parts of Asia and as it doesn't do well in captivity, conservation programs have proved to be less than successful but are still ongoing.

25. Visayan Warty Pig

Image source: Reddit

The Visayan warty pig is also called a wild pig or forest pig. It is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN because of habitat loss from slash and burn cultivation.  Almost 95 per cent of the pig’s historical range has been wiped out by angry farmers growing crops because the pigs had been eating them.

26. Black-Footed Ferret

Image source: Reddit

The black-footed ferret has been listed as extinct in the wild but a breeding program and reintroduction into the wild have managed to save these creatures. Since these cute, animals are greatly susceptible to many factors, their numbers could easily drop very quickly so fingers crossed.

27. African Wild Dog

Image source: Reddit

Also called the painted dog, the African wild dog has been threatened by habitat loss, conflict with humans. The endangered wolf-like canids feed on antelopes and springbok which the dogs chase until exhausted and then they attack. The extinction of African wild dogs would have a profound effect across Africa.

28. California Golden Trout

Image source: Reddit

This colorful trout lives in the southern Sierra Nevada of California and thrives in high altitude areas as high as 10,000 to 12,500 feet. The primary danger to these golden trout is habitat loss caused by drought and climate change. By some estimates, this sub species of trout could be extinct within 45 to 50 years.

29. Mindoro Dwarf Buffalo

Image source: Reddit

Also known as a tamaraw, the Mindoro dwarf buffalo can be found in the Philippines, though only in a few specific spots. It is smaller and stockier than the common water buffalo but it has gone extinct there now. Because of habitat loss, illegal hunting and viral disease, it has become critically endangered.

30. Yangtze Finless Porpoise

Image source: Earth Sky

Being the only freshwater cetacean in China, the Yangtze finless porpoise is critically endangered. Estimates show that only 1,000 of the Yangtze finless porpoise still exist. Threats to these animals include an increase of vessel traffic on Chinese rivers and lakes, causing death by propeller strikes.