Lisa O
With our society using up more and more resources, the spaces where animals live are getting smaller—and their numbers are dropping. The 2022 Living Planet Report found that wildlife worldwide has decreased by 69% on average since 1970. While we’ve had some amazing successes in protecting wildlife in the past, many animals are still at risk because of things people do that harm their homes. Here are ten animals that are going extinct.
Javan Rhino
Javan rhinos used to roam all over Southeast Asia, but their numbers have dropped dramatically because people hunt them, and their homes are disappearing. Only about 75 Javan rhinos are left in the wild, and they’re only on one island—Java, Indonesia. Plus, these rhinos are in great danger of dying out because of diseases, poaching, and maybe even breeding issues because there aren’t many of them left.
Amur Leopard
Back in 2014 to 2015, only about 92 of these leopards were left in the wild. Now, it’s estimated there are even fewer—around 84. These leopards are in big trouble because people hunt them for their fur and bones, which are used in traditional Asian medicine. Plus, their homes are being destroyed by fires caused by nature and people. To top it off, climate change is making it harder for them to find food.
Orangutan
There are two types of orangutans: Bornean and Sumatran. Sadly, both types have seen their numbers drop a lot. About a hundred years ago, there were over 230,000 orangutans. Now, there are only about 104,700 Bornean ones and 13,846 Sumatran ones left. The big problem they’re facing is losing their homes because folks are cutting down forests—especially for things like palm oil.
Sunda Island Tiger
The Sunda Island tiger, also known as the Sumatran tiger, is the smallest tiger type in the world, weighing up to 140kg. These tigers are very rare—with only about 600 left in the wild, and they’re exclusively found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Since the 1980s, the human population in Southeast Asia has nearly doubled. This rapid increase in human population has negatively impacted tiger numbers, as their habitats have decreased alongside human expansion.
Gorilla
In the wild, only about 200-300 grown-up Cross River Gorillas are left. Sadly, like lots of other endangered animals, their numbers are dropping primarily because of poaching, losing their homes, sickness, and fights with people. Gorillas take a long time to bounce back because they rarely have babies. Female gorillas only have babies every four to six years—and in their lives, they might only have three or four babies.
Black Rhino
From 1960 to 1995, black rhinos faced big problems, with many being killed by poachers. Only about 2% managed to make it through that tough time. Luckily, folks started taking better care of rhinos, and since the 1990s, their numbers have more than doubled across Africa. But even though things have improved, black rhinos are still in big trouble. They’re critically endangered, and there are only around 5,630 of them left in the wild.
Saola
The saola, often called the Asian unicorn, is one of the rarest mammals around. It was discovered in 1992 in Vietnam’s Annamite Range, but since then, it’s been like trying to find a needle in a haystack. No one’s done a proper count, but experts guess there are fewer than 750 saolas left, which could be even fewer.
African Forest Elephant
In the thick forests of West and Central Africa, the mysterious forest elephant, one of two types of African elephants, lives. We’re not exactly sure how many of these are out there because they’re super shy. But what we do know is that they’re in big trouble. Forest elephants are critically endangered, and their numbers have dropped by 86% over just 31 years. The main reason for this decline is poaching.
Yangtze Finless Porpoise
In China’s Yangtze River, the finless porpoise lives. These cute creatures face a big problem with fishing. Even though fishermen aren’t trying to catch them, many of these porpoises get caught accidentally in fishing gear and end up dying. On top of that, the water they swim in is full of dangerous pollutants. Only about 1,000 to 1,800 finless porpoises are left in the Yangtze, and their numbers keep decreasing.
Turtle
Two types of sea turtles are in big trouble: Hawksbill Turtles and Kemps Ridley Turtles. Leatherback sea turtles are also at risk, even though they’re classified as vulnerable. Sadly, their numbers are dropping, and some groups might disappear forever. One of the main dangers for sea turtles is hunting. Poachers go after their eggs, shells, and skin. But that’s not all—they also face problems like getting caught in fishing nets and swimming in polluted waters.