If you enjoyed this #short please share the love and subscribe 💖
Currently, more than 41,000 species have been assessed to be under threat of extinction according to the IUCN.
As our modern society gets more resource-intensive, natural spaces are shrinking and wildlife numbers are declining. Our 2022 Living Planet Report shows global wildlife populations have plummeted by 69% on average since 1970. While there have been amazing and inspirational wildlife successes and stories in the past, many animals are still endangered mostly due to unsustainable human-led activities. Currently, on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, more than 41,000 species have been assessed to be under threat of extinction.
1. JAVAN RHINOS
Once found throughout south-east Asia, Javan rhinos have suffered a staggering decline in their numbers due to hunting and habitat loss. The lone wild population of Javan rhinos is one of the rarest of the rhino species—around 75 individuals—which can only be found on the island of Java, Indonesia.
2. AMUR LEOPARD
The Amur leopard is one of the rarest big cats in the world, with only around 100 individuals left in the wild. Although their wild population seems to be stable and increasing, these leopard subspecies are still critically endangered since 1996. And there is a good reason that: Amur leopards can only be found in a relatively small region of the far east of Russia and north-eastern China at present.
3. SUNDA ISLAND TIGER
The Sunda Island tiger, or the Sumatran tiger, is the smallest tiger subspecies in the world, weighing up to 140kg. For reference, the tigers that live in the Amur region are the biggest of all the big cats where males can weigh up to twice as much as Sunda Island tigers. They are also very rare - there are estimated to be around 600 in the wild, and are only found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Since the 1980s, the human population of south-east Asia has nearly doubled from 357 million to around 668 million in 2020.
4. MOUNTAIN GORILLAS
The Mountain gorilla is a subspecies of the eastern gorilla, which lives in two isolated populations in the high-altitude forests up in the volcanic, mountainous regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, and in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park of Uganda. The Virunga Landscape has a history of political instability along with high levels of poverty in the region. This poses a substantial threat to mountain gorilla numbers as people have moved into areas closer to these great apes for food, shelter and space—over 500,000 people live near mountain gorilla habitat at present. Despite this, mountain gorillas are making a promising recovery with conservation efforts and interventions from local and international partners and the WWF through the International Gorilla Conservation Programme. At present, mountain gorillas are currently listed as endangered species, with just over 1,000 individuals in the wild. However, multiple threats remain that can hinder recovery progress for this species.
5. TAPANULI ORANGUTAN
The Tapanuli orangutan is the newly described species of orangutan, listed as a distinct species in 2017. Only a single, isolated population of Tapanuli orangutans exist in the wild, which is restricted to the tropical forests of the Batang Toru ecosystem on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.
6. YANGTZE FINLESS PORPOISE
The Yangtze Finless Porpoise is the odd one out of its family as it is the only living freshwater porpoise found in the world. This aquatic mammal currently resides in the Yangtze River in China and is listed as a critically endangered species. While the Yangtze river plays a crucial role in healthy ecosystem functioning, years of environmental degradation, overfishing and water pollution in the region are having detrimental impacts on many animal species who call it their home. Once upon a time, Yangtze river dolphins used to live alongside finless porpoises, but there haven't been any freshwater dolphin sightings for the past two decades.
7. BLACK RHINOS
Between 1960 and 1995, black rhino populations suffered dramatic losses in their numbers due to large-scale poaching. Around 2% survived the severe onslaught of the past.
8. AFRICAN FOREST ELEPHANT
Deep in the dense, humid forests of West and Central Africa, you can find the elusive forest elephant, one of the two members of the African elephant species.
9. SUMATRAN ORANGUTAN
The Sumatran orangutan is found exclusively on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. They are listed as critically endangered by the IUCN at present, with less than 14,000 individuals in the wild.
10. HAWKSBILL TURTLES
The Hawksbill turtle is one of the seven species of marine turtles and is found in nearshore tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, the Indian, and the Pacific Ocean.
Source - [ Ссылка ]
