5 critically endangered animals by Yuvan Agaram
Currently, there are more than 37,400 species threatened to extinction. There are many reasons why. Deforestation, poaching, pollution, and more. Here are some critically endangered animals and how we can save them.
1. Amur Leopard
In the Russian Far East, a rare subspecies of leopard lives in the temperate forests. They live up to 10-15 years, and up to 20 years in captivity. The leopard is very fast and strong, it hides unfinished prey into trees so another predator doesn’t take them. It is also called the Manchurian leopard and the Far East Leopard. But these creatures are critically endangered because of being poached largely for its beautiful spotted skin. Also because of prey scarcity where the Amur Leopard lives. Now, there are only 54 individuals left.
2. Javan Rhinoceros
The Javan Rhino is the most threatened of the 5 rhino species. With 60 individuals left, they only live in the Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia. They once lived all over northeast India and southeast Asia. The last Javan Rhino in Vietnam was poached in 2010. It’s a dusky gray color and has one horn about 10 inches. Like most rhinos, the Javan Rhinos are hunted for their horns for medicine and status symbol.
3. Sea Turtles
There are seven different species of sea turtles that live all across our oceans. While these are one of the most amazing creatures, there are many reasons why they're endangered. For example, bycatch is when a turtle is caught in fishing nets and hooks. They are also poached for their shells and meat, as well as their eggs. They also suffer from habitat loss, pollution and boat accidents. Many efforts are being made to save the turtles.
4. Sumatran Orangutan
The Sumatran Orangutan lives mostly in the rainforest trees, hardly getting on the ground. At first, the orangutan lived all over the island of Sumatra and further south into Java. Now, they’re restricted to the north of the island, mostly in provinces of North Sumatra and Aceh. The main threat to their existence is deforestation. The trees in the rain forests, their main habitat, are being cut down. Forest fires burn down the trees and the slow moving Orangutans can’t escape.
Their populations are extremely low.
5. Tigers
The largest of all the big cats, tigers are some of the greatest hunters. They can eat more than 80 pounds of meat at one time! They can reach ages of up to 20 years old. But these amazing cats are endangered. One threat is habitat loss. They have lost 95% of their historical range. Since people are building so many buildings and the forests are disappearing, the tigers are forced to enter and hunt in human territories. This causes them to be killed or captured. The most largest threat is poaching for their beautiful fur coats. They are traded illegally for skin, claws, and more. There were 9 tiger subspecies historically. Now,3 subspecies are extinct and only 6 remain.
Conclusion
There are many animals at the verge of extinction. As humans dominate the planet, animals fall. These animals are important to the environment. Soon, many will be gone. But, there is a way to save them. Stop polluting and damaging ecosystems. Boycott endangered animal products. Donate to conservations. Learn new and cool facts about these animals. Find out how to help local wildlife. That way we can save the animals and then the environment will not be damaged for us to live. It's a win-win!
Thank You!