Have you ever considered the circumstances of some of the world’s most endangered species? When a species’ population has fallen by 50% to 70% and its population is reduced to less than 250 mature individuals, it is categorized as endangered.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List now contains 41,415 species, 16,306 of which are endangered species on the verge of extinction. This is up from 16,118 the previous year.
- Tigers
Bengal, Indochinese, Sumatran, Siberian, and Malayan Tiger are some of the subspecies that exist. On the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN, tigers are currently classified as “Endangered.” A “Critically Endangered” status is assigned to the Malayan and Sumatran subspecies.
According to the latest research and data by the World Animal Foundation, there has been an increase in the number of tigers, and now The Total Number of Wild Tigers Worldwide is 5,574 but much more work is needed to protect this species if we are to secure its future.
- Asian Elephants
Over the last 75 years, the Asian elephant population has fallen by an estimated 50%, with only 20,000 to 40,000 Asian elephants still living in the wild. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was enacted and signed by many nations whereby they agreed to regulate and restrict the international trade of endangered wildlife. As such, commercial trading in Asian elephants, their parts, and products is considered illegal under CITES and the ESA.
- Orangutan
There were possibly more than 230,000 orangutans in total a century ago, but the Bornean orangutan’s population is now projected to be at 104,700 based on updated geographic range (Endangered), and the Sumatran orangutan’s population is believed to be around 7,500. (Critically Endangered).
The main reason orangutans are threatened with extinction is the destruction and degradation of tropical rain forests, particularly lowland forest, in Borneo and Sumatra. Orangutan habitats are being removed at an alarming rate in Sumatra and Borneo for conversion to oil palm farms.
- Sea Otter
Sea otters were nearly extinct due to their luxuriant waterproof coat that protects them from the cold waters they live in. The species was nearly wiped off as a result of the commercial fur trade, with only 2,000 of an estimated 300,000 left by 1911. A worldwide prohibition on commercial hunting was enacted that year.
Though that ban, along with management and conservation measures implemented after the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act, has helped populations recover to about a third of their previous levels, they are still highly vulnerable to natural phenomena such as killer whale predation and anthropogenic factors like oil spills.
- Giant Panda
Everyone probably has seen a panda, and they may be the cutest species humanity has ever brought to extinction. We can’t get enough of the bi-colored critters, from plush animals to CGI abominations trained in martial arts. Even though their “aww factor” borders on the saccharine, it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Since the late 1980s, China, which is home to the last wild population of fewer than 2,500 individuals, has implemented more rigorous habitat regulations, and poaching has all but stopped. However, their situation is still precarious. Their territory is fragmented, and they face disease, predation, and famine when big swaths of the bamboo on which they eat reach the end of their life cycle and die.
These are some of the animals that are on the verge of extinction. We should take care of these animals because if they become extinct, future generations may never see them. Donate to the WWF and avoid buying any animal products created by endangered animals. For more information check out https://closertohome.wwf.sg/
This article was brought to you by Raj who is currently fleeing the battle~
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