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.
The Ujung Kulon National Park, a World Heritage Site, is the last remaining refuge of Javan rhinos. But the area also suffers from the invading Arenga palm, leaving the rhinos with less food to eat and less habitat to roam. Besides, the small Javan rhino population is also extremely vulnerable to extinction due to natural catastrophes, disease, poaching and potential inbreeding.
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 popseems 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.
The remaining Amur leopards face multiple threats to their survival, including habitat loss and fragmentation, prey scarcity and transportation infrastructure such as roads. However, there is hope for this rare big cat. Around 75% of their home range lies in protected areas in Russia and China, and they are also moving into suitable habitats outside of these protected areas.
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. And this has had an impact on tiger numbers, which have been shrinking along with their habitats.
As human settlements expand in the region, Sunda Island tigers are increasingly likely to encounter people, which could lead to a further rise in human-tiger conflict. Tiger poaching and illegal trading of tiger parts and products are also of serious concern to their survival.
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.
Today, these tree-dwelling primates are critically endangered with fewer than 800 individuals in the wild, making them the most endangered great ape species in the world. The loss of habitat is one of the main threats to its survival as tropical forests are being replaced by agriculture, mining, and hydroelectric and geothermal development. Between 1985 and 2007, over 40% of the forests in the province of North Sumatra, where the Tapanali orangutan is found, were lost.
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. Sadly, this could be yet another stark reminder of what soon may follow for many endangered species, including the Yangtze finless porpoise.
To protect this species, China has upgraded finless porpoises to ‘first level protected species’ in 2021—the highest level of protection available in the country. In 2018, their numbers were still around 1,000 individuals and stabilising in the wild.
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. As rhino conservation took hold, their numbers have more than doubled across Africa since the 1990s. But, black rhinos are still listed as critically endangered by the IUCN, with around 5,630 individuals in the wild.
Three subspecies of black rhino now survive, with the western black rhino declared extinct in 2011. Today, 95% of black rhinos are found in just four countries: Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The biggest threat to the remaining population is still poaching for their horn—in the last 10 years, almost 10,000 African rhinos have been killed to supply the illegal rhino horn trade.
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. The actual number of wild African forest elephants remains uncertain due to their shy nature, but we do know that they are critically endangered species and have declined by an estimated 86% over 31 years.
The main reason behind the decline is due to poaching, which is frequent, widespread and intensive, especially in Central Africa. As well as elephant poaching, habitat loss and land-use change for agriculture and other land uses have resulted in fragmented habitats and increasing human-elephant conflict leading to losses on both sides.
Today, African forest elephants occupy around 25% of their historic range, scattered among 20 different African nations, mostly in Gabon and the Republic of Congo.
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.
Sumatran orangutans face similar threats to their Bornean and Tapanuli counterparts. From logging, agricultural plantations, and expanding infrastructure development to the illicit pet trade.
Orangutans need vast tracts of connecting forest to live in but between 1985 and 2007 these great apes lost 60% of their forest habitat. Today the majority of these orangutans are found in the northernmost tip of Sumatra in the Leuser Ecosystem, a landscape that includes tropical lowland rainforests and steamy peatland swamps.
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. Their numbers are believed to be between 20,000 and 23,000 nesting turtles, although it is difficult to assess their true population numbers since marine turtles are the true ocean wanderers.
In the last 30 years, the worldwide populations of hawksbill turtles have reduced by at least 80% as a consequence of accidental capture in fishing gears, nesting habitat degradation, coral reef damage and the illegal trade of hawksbill shells and products.
Other human-led threats such as plastic pollution, climate change and rising sea levels could further contribute to the decline of this species in the future. At present, Hawksbill turtles are listed as critically endangered.
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