Ten of the World’s Most Endangered Animal Species

Recently, ten of the world's most endangered and threatened animal species have been identified, all of which are at risk of disappearing from the Earth entirely. The ten most endangered animals are the Sumatran rhino, the West Indian manatee, the red wolf, the Siberian tiger, the black-footed ferret, the Philippine crocodile, the mountain gorilla, the Ganges shark, the Sumatran orangutan, and the California condor.

Sumatran rhino

The Sumatran rhino is the smallest rhino in the world. It mainly lives in the rainforests, cloud forests, and swamps of India and Southeast Asia. The Sumatran rhino is critically endangered. There are only about 300 wild Sumatran rhinos, with six known rhino groups. The two main reasons for the extreme endangerment of the Sumatran rhino are poaching and the destruction of the Sumatran rhino's habitat by humans. In addition, because there are very few Sumatran rhinos that successfully breed in zoos.

West Indian manatee

Despite the International Whaling Commission's decision in 1947 to begin banning the killing of manatees, the Western manatee's numbers have not recovered to the level before the whaling period in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Currently, there are only over 100 West Indian manatees, with only 23 reproductive female manatees. The eastern coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia, is the only place where West Indian manatees live. However, their only living space is now occupied by oil companies. Oil companies' exploration and production activities are slowly driving this 3-ton mammal to extinction. High-density seismic surveys, seabed drilling, heavy ship navigation, and aviation transportation, as well as oil spills, are all fatal to West Indian manatees.

Red wolf

Compared to its relatives, the red wolf has evolved into a smaller, more slender body. The red wolf, which survived from the late Pleistocene ice age, cannot escape human control. The red wolf was once widespread in the southeastern United States. However, due to the indiscriminate hunting of red wolves by humans, the number of red wolves has decreased sharply. At the same time, as the number of red wolves and other predatory animals decreased, red wolves had difficulty finding mates for reproduction. They had to mate with grassland wolves, so the number of pure red wolves decreased. It is estimated that there are more than 100 wild red wolves in North Carolina, USA, and there are also more than 150 red wolves kept in captivity in the USA.

Siberian tiger

The Siberian tiger, also known as the Northeast tiger, was once widely distributed in Northeast China, the Korean Peninsula, and Mongolia. Currently, only the area around the Amur River in Russia is the habitat of the Siberian tiger. Currently, this area is listed as a key protection area. It is estimated that there are only 350 to 400 Siberian tigers. However, large-scale deforestation and continued poaching still pose a major threat to the survival of the Siberian tiger.

Black-footed ferret

The black-footed ferret is the only snowshoe ferret in North America, and it is also the most endangered mammal in this region. The black-footed ferret mainly lives in Canada's southern areas, extending to Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska in the United States. Human development has severely damaged the habitat of black-footed ferrets and prairie dogs. Currently, the survival space of black-footed ferrets is less than 2%. Rodents and ground squirrels are the main food source of black-footed ferrets, with prairie dogs being the most popular, accounting for about 90% of the black-footed ferret's food. Due to the harm caused by prairie dogs and grassland dogs, ranchers have sprayed a large amount of bait to kill prairie dogs. As a result, prairie dogs were completely wiped out, and black-footed ferrets, which relied on prairie dogs as their main food source, were also affected.

Philippine crocodile

The Philippine crocodile is a freshwater crocodile that is only found in the Philippines. Its scientific name is derived from its place of origin. In the Philippines, although these crocodiles are forbidden to be hunted, their survival is constantly threatened by human interference. Human activities and illegal fishing have seriously threatened the survival of the Philippine crocodile. A survey in 1995 found that there were only 100 adult Philippine crocodiles. Therefore, the Philippine crocodile has become one of the most endangered species on Earth.

Mountain gorilla

Mountain gorillas were not discovered until 1902. After that, due to deforestation, uncontrolled hunting, and illegal pet trading, a large number of mountain gorillas died. Currently, there are only 720 wild mountain gorillas, mainly distributed in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda and the Vicuña Volcano Range in Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Central Africa, especially the unrest in the Congo, is also one of the reasons why mountain gorillas cannot be effectively protected.

Ganges shark

The Ganges shark lives in the Ganges River in India. It has a notorious name, 'eating people'. The Ganges shark is often confused with the more dangerous bull shark. The Ganges shark is one of the 20 endangered sharks listed in the IUCN Red List. Because the fat of the Ganges shark is very valuable, it is hunted. Hunting, environmental degradation, and the over-exploitation of Ganges resources are the main reasons for the extinction of the Ganges shark.

Sumatran orangutan

The Sumatran orangutan is more rare and scarce than the Bornean orangutan. Due to habitat destruction and poaching behavior, this rare animal is inevitably facing the danger of extinction. Sumatran orangutans like to eat fruit and insects. The lifespan of a wild orangutan is about 45 years, which is longer than the lifespan of other primates. Female orangutans usually give birth to no more than three offspring in their lifetime. This means that the number of orangutans grows slowly. Once the number of orangutans decreases significantly due to external threats, it is difficult to restore them to their original size.

California condor

The California condor is one of the most endangered birds in North America, mainly living in the Colorado River Gorge and the western coastal mountains and surrounding areas of California. The California condor is one of the oldest birds in the world. It eats carrion and its lifespan is about 50 years, which is one of the longest-lived birds in the world. Due to hunting, lead poisoning, and environmental damage, the California condor has become one of the rarest birds in the world. In the 1980s, the California condor was almost extinct. After many efforts and protection, the number of California condors is currently 332, with 152 wild condors.