Endangered animals

What are the animal species at risk of extinction? According to many rankings that indicate which animals are in greater danger of extinction , among the main endangered species, we find the polar bear or white bear . This type of mammal is one of the most threatened species on Earth, and some do not predict more than a century of life. The main reason for the danger faced by polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) is the melting of the Arctic or North Pole, their natural habitat.

It is estimated that there are only slightly more than 20,000 copies .

We continue this list of endangered animals in the world talking about a species of rhinoceros. The situation of the Java rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros sonicus ) is very dramatic , not only because there are very few specimens left and according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species it is in a critical state of danger of extinction , but for the reason The main one that drives them to disappear: hunting to make him an ornament or the belief, in China and in Eastern cultures, that his horn has healing properties. Hunting, in general, has very negative effects on animals, even more so on certain species.

Here you can learn more about Why the Java Rhino is in danger of extinction .

This is another of the most endangered animal species in Asia and in the world. It is said that there are fewer than 4,000 tigers ( Panthera tigris ) in the world living in their natural habitat and their survival is increasingly threatened, suffering more in recent years. Again hunting is the main element that has driven this, although deforestation also influences, an indirect consequence of human action. The Javanese and Bali tigers are now extinct and, although their meat is not routinely used for nutrition, tigers are hunted for their skin, which is paid for at high prices in the market. Two of the most threatened subclasses are theBengal tigers and Amoy or Xiamen tigers .

We recommend you read these other articles if you want more information about the endangered Tigers and why the white tiger is in danger of extinction .

If you were wondering which animals are in danger of extinction , it may surprise you to know that there are those who consider that this animal, the kangaroo, is already at risk.

The kangaroo , of the Macropodidae family , is an Australian animal whose meat is eaten and is also exported to other places for consumption, as well as for tourist activities, poaching, etc. In addition, despite its hunting, this marsupial suffers above all the effects of global warming. It could disappear in a few years , according to experts. If temperatures continue to rise in the coming years, the kangaroos could be doomed to disappear in a few years, as their population is decreasing little by little due to the aforementioned and due to the increase in temperatures at a faster rate, it could drastically worsen in a short time.

However, currently it has not yet been categorized as a species at risk, although it is being closely monitored for what has been said. Here we tell you more about the current state of this animal: The endangered kangaroo, the causes and information .

This migratory fish, called Thunnus thynnus , is commonly found in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea has shown signs of weakness in recent years. The reason that this animal is in danger of extinction? The use of bluefin tuna in quality sushi on the market. At this time, there is already a temporary prohibition to stop using it in such an abusive way; otherwise, it may disappear.

The mountain gorilla ( Gorilla beringei beringei ) is another of the animals in danger of extinction, in fact this species is in serious danger of extinction , regarding its hunting and the deterioration that its habitat has suffered. It is estimated that there are fewer than 800 individuals of mountain gorillas living in their natural environment.

Although there are still quite a few specimens, penguins ( Spheniscidae ) also suffer the consequences of melting ice and global warming . They are animals that migrate and many are dying along the way. For this reason, some of its species have already entered the list of the most endangered animals, with the greatest risk in specific areas of the planet, such as the South Pole.

The wild dog, African wild dog or Lycaon pictus is another of the most endangered animal species in the world. According to the IUCN Red List, African wild dogs are in danger of extinction and, furthermore, according to the most recent data collected by the entity, their population continues to decline.

There are several threats that it suffers, since the destruction of its habitat, as well as its illegal hunting for its skins and its capture alive as a pet pressure, because in some areas of Africa they have come to be domesticated for use as guardians, the same that has happened to hyenas or even cheetahs.

Although it has survived in history hundreds of millions of years, it has now been declared a species in a state of serious vulnerability, as its population continues to decrease day by day, which puts it half a step from the danger of extinction. Currently, it is considered that there are between 20,000 and 30,000 specimens

They live in the Pacific and are the largest sea turtle that exists. Although they reproduce quickly, they die because fishermen catch them, often accidentally, and they have many more predators when they are young or still in the eggs. Several associations are working to publicize the migration route of leatherback turtles ( Dermochelys coriacea ) , to prevent them from being accidentally captured and disappearing.

In this other AgroCorrn article on Is the leatherback turtle in danger of extinction? You can find out more about its status, characteristics and what to do to help this marine species.

Not only are polar bears threatened, we also often see in the eco news how pandas , this striking exotic animal, are seriously threatened. The main cause of their situation is the destruction of bamboo forests, which is the food par excellence of these mammals.

However, for some time, they have managed to increase their population and the official lists now catalog them in a state of vulnerability , so it seems that little by little they are recovering.

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , koalas are in a state of vulnerability and their population is decreasing , but this data is from a few years ago and taking into account the total volume of koalas, both in the wild and in captivity.

The most current data on its conservation status is the one published at the beginning of May 2019 in the AKF ^[1] . The AKF (Australian Koala Foundation), has stated that koalas could be “functionally extinct” in the Australian natural landscape, which means that although thousands of them remain between nature and captivity, the Australian ecosystem to which this species belongs already It cannot provide what they need, that is, they consider that even if they were released, they could not survive. However, other scientific sources, such as this note in which New Scientist has published in mid-May 2019 ^[2], a few days after the previous one, they specify that they will not become extinct, at least not in a short period of time, but that the koala population has a negative trend, because their habitat is being lost and other reasons, which it may be reflected with the loss of local populations of this species and not at the level of its global population.

If you want more information about species of animals in danger of extinction in the world , we leave you here several links to lists of these by countries, continents or natural regions.

• Endangered animals in the Amazon .
• Most endangered animals in Asia .
• Endangered animals in Europe .
• Endangered animals in Africa .
• Endangered animals of the North Pole .
• Animals in danger of extinction in Spain .
• Animals in danger of extinction in Mexico .
• Animals in danger of extinction in Chile .
• Endangered animals of Peru .
• Animals in danger of extinction in Venezuela .
• Animals in danger of extinction in Argentina .
• Animals in danger of extinction in Guatemala .
• Animals in danger of extinction in Panama .
• Animals in danger of extinction in Ecuador .
• Animals in danger of extinction in Bolivia .
• Animals in danger of extinction in Colombia .
• Animals in danger of extinction in Nicaragua .
• Animals in danger of extinction in Paraguay .
• Rare marine animals in danger of extinction .
• Fish in danger of extinction .

How to save endangered animals and prevent them from disappearing is one of the most widespread questions as a result of the new news of species at risk and of species that have just disappeared, such as the North American puma.

The truth is that there are many things we can do to prevent endangered animals from disappearing. However, it must be borne in mind that not all of these processes are totally our fault nor do they all depend on us. It is true that many species are in our situation due to our activities and that in the case of others what we are doing is participating in the acceleration of their disappearance.

Some of the things we can do to protect endangered animals are:

• Being ecological, avoiding consuming certain products and reducing the consumption of others, reusing objects and recycling the materials that are possible. It can help you to know the Zero Waste or Zero Waste movement and join the global efforts.
• Avoid using unnecessary transport that pollutes by using more public transport or clean transport, such as walking, cycling, skates, etc.
• Help different associations, organizations and governments to fight against illegal animal trafficking and poaching.
• Report any case of illegal trafficking of animals , or parts of them, and poaching that we see or know about.
• Inform us to raise awareness and find out what we can do at the local level, for example by consulting the town hall, and help raise awareness among children and young people.

In addition, we recommend these other posts about Why it is important to protect endangered animals and also about Animal phrases that can be very useful to share with family, friends and acquaintances and help raise awareness about the importance of respecting them.

Finally, we wanted to conduct an interview related to animals in danger of extinction with the environmental lawyer Nerea Zarza , who specializes in environmental issues as well as wildlife and animal rights.

1. What laws protect endangered animals today?

Regarding the protection of animals in danger of extinction, we have a diversity of regulations both at the state (Spain) and regional levels, but it is important to note that these regulations depend on European standards. By way of example, and for me one of the most important regulations, is Directive 92/43 EEC, more commonly known as the “habitats directive”, which establishes both endangered and threatened species, as well as the species that deserve special protection, although it is true that said Directive aims to cover certain minimums that each member state must comply with through internal regulations, which from my point of view is not fulfilled.

2. Do you think there is still a lot to do and improve in terms of animal protection?

Very much, although it is true that in recent years social pressure has favored the creation of animal protection regulations, and that there are certain species that are in danger of extinction enjoy good protection normatively speaking, such as the bear or the lynx, there are animals that, although the professionals of the sector are tired of saying that they need greater protection and their classification as “in danger of extinction”, they are still in a regulatory limbo. In this sense, I am talking about the Iberian wolf, an animal whose protection is very controversial and which has long created a great debate in our country. I must add that this species is classified as “in danger of extinction in Portugal”, a country with which we share a large part of our fauna.

3. In terms of environmental protection, do you think that environmental regulations should continue to be improved? On what line?

Of course, the environment is in constant change, more now with climate change in a fast march, and therefore environmental regulations must be modified to face these changes. At an international and especially European level, from my perspective and although there are always aspects to improve, things are being done well. The problem lies in the internal regulations of the countries, since in many, the economic interests of some sectors outweigh the need to implement effective regulations to combat the destruction of these habitats and their species.

I have to add that it is necessary to train the new generations regarding these problems so that they create awareness regarding such an important issue and that it seems incredible that today we still do not give it the importance it has, since without ecosystems there are no lifetime.

4. Could you mention any animal species that you think needs to be paid special attention so that it does not disappear?

At first, and hearing this question, I can’t help the bees come to mind, I think that it has been warning for a long time about the precarious situation they are going through, both due to the increases in temperatures and the introduction into the habitats of invasive species, such as the Asian hornet in our country, an invasive species that is exterminating our bees by leaps and bounds. It goes without saying that bees are the largest pollinators in the world, without which we would be doomed to starvation due to lack of food. I am aware that it may sound alarmist, but it is a reality.

5. What do you think are the biggest difficulties faced by those who struggle to protect the environment, of course, including endangered species?

Neither more nor less than economic interests. Unfortunately, and as I mentioned before, most of the problems in terms of environmental protection are found when that protection directly collides with economic interests. Today, and this is something that many professionals in the sector will be able to corroborate, the regulations and protection plans are not carried out because they would produce an economic impact, also due to the resistance of these sectors to evolve to a sustainable model of what that they have been doing for a long time, since it has been shown that, for example, sustainable tourism is as or more lucrative than the model that is currently being implemented. I do not want to name specific sectors because with this I do not seek to create controversy, but to show a latent problem in our society.

6. Could you give any recommendations to those who want to contribute their grain of sand to the fight to protect animals at risk, as well as the environment?

One of the most effective means of contributing is information, because today we have at our disposal means of dissemination that we did not have several years ago. Social networks, well used, are a very powerful means of disseminating information. Those who do not have the financial means to cooperate with organizations that are dedicated to environmental and animal protection, can help these organizations by spreading their message, being aware of the situation in which these animals are and the reasons why they have come to that situation. It goes without saying that at an individual level we must be respectful of our environment and, of course, we must be aware that nature is wise, by this I mean that nature has a delicate balance, which passes through each and every one of the individuals that make up an ecosystem and that, therefore, the extinction of one of them, however insignificant it may seem, causes said balance to be broken, affecting all individuals. Each loss of a species is irreparable damage and, unfortunately, we regret when there is no longer a solution.

If you want to read more articles similar to Endangered Animals , we recommend that you enter our Endangered Animals category .