Endangered Animals

Introduction

Endangered animals are species whose numbers in the wild have fallen so low that they are at high risk of dying out (becoming extinct) unless steps are taken to protect them. Extinction is a natural process: on a long time scale a few species disappear each year. However, human actions have greatly increased the speed of extinction. While natural background rates are about 1-5 species per year, some recent estimates report losses measured in many species each day. It has been estimated that as many as one million species (including plants) could be lost by 2050 if current trends continue.

Endangered Animals: Facts

• A species is considered endangered or threatened when its population has fallen to a level that puts its continued survival at risk because of habitat loss, disease, predation, pollution, over-hunting, or other hazards.
• Habitat loss, hunting and poaching, pollution, climate change and invasive species are the main reasons many animals become endangered.
• Estimates for elephant populations vary. Some reports state there are about 350,000 elephants left in Africa, while other estimates put the number at around 500,000 in Africa and 35,000 in Asia. Historical records show far larger numbers in the early 20th century.
• The red panda is endangered because its forest homes are cut down and because it is sometimes hunted for its fur. It can also be accidentally trapped.
• Some sources indicate that the decline of wild species is overwhelmingly driven by human activity; large human impacts on ecosystems are the main cause of most recent extinctions and extirpations.
• The blue whale faces threats from chemical pollution, ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear, and from past whaling that greatly reduced its numbers.
• Reported modern extinction rates are far higher than natural background rates. Some estimates state the current extinction rate is as high as dozens of species per day; other figures reported include more than 12 species a day. Continued loss at high rates could lead to 30%-50% of known species becoming extinct in the coming decades.

What Causes Animals to Become Endangered?

Many causes combine to make animals endangered. People affect animals directly and indirectly. Below are the main causes with simple explanations and an example.

• Habitat destruction: Forests, grasslands, wetlands and coral reefs are cleared or changed for farming, roads, towns and industry. When homes are removed, animals have less space, food and shelter, so their numbers fall.
• Hunting and poaching: Animals are killed for meat, fur, horns, medicines or as trophies. Illegal hunting reduces populations and can remove animals faster than they can reproduce.
• Pollution and pesticides: Dirty air, oil and plastic in oceans, chemicals in rivers, and pesticides in farmland can poison animals or reduce the food they need to survive.
• Climate change (global warming): Changing temperatures and weather alter habitats. For example, polar bears rely on sea ice that is melting; coral reefs are damaged by warmer seas, which harms many reef animals like turtles and fish.
• Invasive species: When people move plants or animals to new places, they can compete with or eat native animals. For example, grey squirrels introduced into parts of the UK reduced native red squirrel numbers.

Endangered Animals

Tigers

• Tigers are hunted for their skins and body parts, which are sometimes used in illegal medicines or sold for profit.
• If adult tigers are killed, their cubs may die too because they cannot survive without their mother. Tigers also need large, quiet areas to hunt, but human settlement and farming reduce their space, causing competition.

Orangutans

• Orangutans live in rainforests. When forests are cut down for wood or to make room for farms, orangutans lose their homes and food.
• They are also at risk from illegal hunting. Mothers are sometimes killed so their babies can be sold as pets.

Rhinoceroses

• Rhinos are hunted for their horns. Rhino horn powder is incorrectly used in some places as a medicine, which drives illegal poaching.
• Large declines have occurred; one statement in the material reports that more than 94% of some rhino populations have been wiped out. As a protection measure, some rangers remove horns to reduce poaching risk.

Turtles

• Turtles and tortoises are threatened by accidental capture in fishing nets and by being hunted for their meat, shells, skin and eggs.
• Pollution harms their ocean and nesting habitats. Light pollution on beaches can confuse newly hatched baby turtles, causing them to move away from the sea and become easy prey or die from dehydration.

African Wild Dog

• African wild dogs live in Sub-Saharan Africa. They are tall and slim with large ears that aid hearing and cooling.
• There are fewer than 5,000 African wild dogs in the wild today; the number could be as low as about 3,000. Main threats are habitat loss and being killed by farmers who fear for their livestock.

Amur Leopard

• The Amur leopard is a very rare subspecies found in parts of Russia and China and favours cold climates.
• It has long legs that help it move through snow, and its fur becomes very thick in winter - reported to grow over 7 cm - to protect it from the severe cold.

Asian Elephants

• Asian elephants are the second-largest land animals after the African bush elephant. They have smaller ears and smoother skin compared with African elephants. An adult Asian elephant can weigh up to 6,000 kg, and its trunk alone can weigh about 140 kg.
• Historic and modern estimates of elephant numbers differ. The material gives both 350,000 and around 500,000 for Africa, while noting there are about 35,000 in Asia in other estimates. Habitat loss from deforestation is a key reason for their decline.

Axolotl

• The axolotl (a Mexican salamander) is an amphibian with smooth, moist skin, long tail and distinctive external gills on both sides of its head.
• Axolotls are remarkable for their ability to regenerate lost limbs and other body parts, making them very interesting to scientists and nature enthusiasts.

Black-footed Ferrets

• Black-footed ferrets are mustelids found in North America. They live mostly underground, which makes them hard to see in the wild.
• Once thought extinct in the wild in the 1980s, they have been reintroduced through conservation programs. There are now an estimated about 1,000 black-footed ferrets in the wild.

Blue Whales

• Blue whales are the largest animals that have ever lived on Earth. They can weigh up to about 200 tonnes (≈181,437 kg).
• Despite their size, they feed on tiny crustaceans called krill. An adult blue whale can consume very large amounts of krill - the material states up to about 40 million krill a day.
• Blue whales live in all oceans and migrate seasonally from cold, food-rich waters near the poles to warmer seas for breeding and calving.

Chimpanzees

• Chimpanzees are not monkeys but members of the great ape family and are our closest living relatives in the animal kingdom.
• They share about 98% of their genes with humans. Adult chimpanzees stand around 3-5 feet tall and weigh about 25-50 kg. They live in the forests of Central Africa.

Galápagos Penguins

• Galápagos penguins live on the Galápagos Islands and are the only penguin species that live north of the Equator.
• They are the second-smallest penguin species. Major threats include pollution and climate changes such as El Niño events. Between the 1982-83 and 1997-98 El Niño events, the population fell by about 60%.

Golden Lion Tamarins

• The golden lion tamarin (also called the golden marmoset) is a small New World monkey with bright reddish-gold fur and hairless feet.
• Adults are about 19-22 cm long (body) with a tail of about 26-33 cm, and weigh roughly 400-822 g.

Whale Shark

• The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is the world's largest fish and can reach around 18.8 metres in length.
• Unlike most sharks, the whale shark is a filter feeder. Of the roughly 500 shark species, only three (including the whale shark) are filter feeders. They feed on plankton and other tiny organisms that float in the water.

Whooping Crane

• The whooping crane is a tall white bird found in North America with a very loud call. It is one of the tallest and heaviest birds on that continent.
• There are roughly 250 adult whooping cranes in the wild; conservation and breeding programmes have helped raise their numbers. Many spend summers in Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada and migrate to Texas in the United States for winter.

How You Can Help Save Endangered Animals

Young students can make a difference. Small actions in your home, school and neighbourhood help animals and their habitats.

• Find out which species are endangered near you. Awareness is the first step to protection.
• Make your home safe for wildlife: secure bins so animals do not get trapped, and use water wisely so more water remains for local wildlife.
• Plant native trees, shrubs and flowers in gardens and school grounds to provide food and shelter for birds, insects and small animals.
• Avoid using toxic herbicides and pesticides; choose safe or natural alternatives to protect insects, birds and soil life.
• Support trusted zoos, wildlife parks and conservation groups that take part in breeding, rescue and habitat protection programmes. Many of these organisations help reintroduce animals to the wild and run education efforts.
• Learn and teach others: share simple facts about local endangered animals and how people can help.

Protecting endangered animals helps keep nature healthy. When we save one species, we also protect the many plants and animals that depend on it. Everyone - children, teachers and communities - can play a part in conserving the life around us.