endangered animals

An endangered species is a native species that faces a significant risk of extinction in the near future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Such species may be declining in number due to threats such as habitat destruction, climate change, or pressure from invasive species.

TIGERS

One of the most common jungle species—and one that is popular with people—is the tiger. Topping World Wildlife Fund’s (WFF) list of the top ten endangered animals to watch in the year 2010, populations of the tiger, also known as the “Asian big cat,” are said to have decreased by 40 percent over the last decade. Much of this results from the destruction of their habitat. Studies note that only 3,200 members of the species Panthera tigris—formerly one of the most populous—remain in the wild.

Gorilla

Mountain gorillas—known scientifically as Gorilla beringei beringei—are one of the most endangered animals, due to deforestation and habitat degradation. Living in the mountains of Uganda and Congo in Africa, there are now only an estimated 689 in existence.

Javan Rhinoceros

Considered to be “critically” endangered since 2009, the population of the Javan rhinoceros is now less than 60, due to conversion of habitat forests to farmlands. Only two populations of Rhinoceros sondaicus remain in the world, with the rare “Vietnamese Javan rhinos” totaling less than a dozen.

Giant Panda

Continuously facing uncertainty, giant pandas—or Ailuropoda melanoleuca—now number only around 1,600, as the mountains of China continue to be deforested due to the increasing demands of a large population of consumers. Deforestation has also created "fragments" in the originally green, mountainous areas they call home, increasingly isolating and separating the already small panda population.

Golden Lion Tamarin

Tropical rainforests cover an estimated 2 percent of the globe; however, they house over half of the world’s animal species. The range and diversity of these animals can be tremendous. One of the most interesting of these rainforest dwellers is the Golden Lion Tamarin, a primate species that has a mane much like that of a lion. They live in the rainforests of Brazil—many of which have been cleared for ranching purposes, as well as to accommodate the expanding human population—and are rapidly decreasing in number. The primate is very small, usually only measuring up to 14 inches, and weighs less than 2 pounds.