10 Animals on the Brink of Extinction
5. Vaquita
Vaquita live in Mexico’s Gulf of California and are the smallest and most endangered cetacean in the world. About 40 to 80 are killed in gill nets each year. The World Wildlife Fund in both Mexico and the US are collaborating on implementing measures to protect them such as the creation of a marine preserve and banning the use of damaging fishing equipment in their habitat. Without such actions, the animal may not survive much longer. It is the only porpoise adapted to live in such warm water.
Population: approximately 600 or less
Reproduction: Not much is known on this topic. They could have a gestation period of 11 months, and give birth to one calf every two years.
What Can I Do?
Donate to the World Wildlife Fund specifically for the vaquita. Watch this Vaqita video. Take your camera if you visit the Gulf of California and photograph the porpoise if you can. There aren’t many photos of them alive. Take a legitimate ecotour and view the vaquita in its natural habitat without disturbing it. If local fisherman begin to understand the endangered porpoise has tourist appeal maybe they will be more open to changing. Image Credit: William Shepard courtesy of World Wildlife Fund
6. Javan Rhino
The large mammal is elusive and is the least studied of the rhinos. They can live 30-40 years and are solitary except for mating and parenting. Two very small populations live in Java in the Ujung Kulon National Park, and in Vietnam’s Cat Tien Park. Javans used to have the largest population of the rhinos, living in Indonesia, China, Southeast Asia and India. But it has been driven right to the brink of extinction mainly due to poaching. The horn is in great demand for traditional chinese medicine, and one kilogram can bring $30,000. Apparently it is believed the horn when ground up can be used to ‘cure’ a wide range of things, some of which are not medical conditions: “To expel fear and anxiety, to calm the liver and clear the vision. ”
At the point of sale, when it has already been powdered it is very difficult to confirm if the actual products contain any true rhino horn because some sellers are substituting the bones of other animals to exploit gullible buyers. (Besides the fact that it has never been validated scientifically).
Population: Less than 60
Reproduction: Females give birth probably every 1-3 years. Gestation lasts 15-16 months.
What Can I Do? Never purchase any products that are advertised as made from Javan Rhino horn, or any rhino. Tell friends and relatives about the perils of those kinds of products made from animals parts. Keep in mind they actually might made be made from dog bones or other more common animals. (Regardless of what the seller says). Donate to the International Rhino Foundation. Image Credit: Public Domain
7. Cross River Gorilla
This primate is one of the most endangered in the world. It lives in a region between Nigeria and Cameroon in moist broadleaf forests. About one hundred and fifteen live in two parks created just for their protection: Takamanda National Park and Cross River National Park.
These gorillas are quite wary of humans, and there have been very few direct sightings of them. The main threats to them are habitat loss and death due to the bushmeat trade. They can also contract human diseases.
Population: 250 - 300
Reproduction: Unknown
What Can I Do?
Donate to the African Conservation Foundation. If it is safe for you to travel there, visit the area where the gorillas are like a British Columbian couple did. Image Credit: Arend de Haas, African Conservation Foundation.
8. South China Tiger
The big cat is considered to be the species other modern tigers evolved from. It is currently thought to be extinct in the wild, and only live in nature preserves managed by humans, and a captive breeding program. The population is so tiny some assume the species will be completely extinct in about a decade. As recently as 1959 there may have been about 4,000 of them living in the wild. Mao Zedong declared them a ‘pest’ and ‘enemies of the people’ so campaigns to eliminate them were enacted. By 1982 only about 200 were left. The Chinese government recently has been working to save them.
An innovative captive breeding program was started in South Africa, by a non-profit organization. Li Quan started Save China’s Tigers and has had some success in birthing cubs in captivity. The hope is the cubs can be taught to hunt in the South African preserves and they can be returned to live in nature preserves in China.
Population: Approximately 60 in captivity. No confirmed wild sightings in 20 years.
Reproduction: Females can mate any time of year. They usually have one litter per year of 1-3 cubs.
What Can I Do?
Donate to Save China’s Tigers. Never buy any products that advertise as containing tiger parts. Follow Li Quan’s blog. Image Credit: Author not specified, world66.com
Thanks for including a “what can I do” section. This is really helpful. I’ll try to get involved where I can.
Wow, that Lynx is beautiful!
RT
http://www.anon-tools.cz.tc
Why do you people want to waste your time saving animals that will eventually go extinct no matter what you do? A greater waste of time and resources there is not, we currently have a huge financial crisis, among other things, and you fools are wasting your time with these animals? How can you justify this when PEOPLE are dying all over the world from malnutrition and insane wars?
@123456789: Although this comment is couched in a way that doesn’t do justice to the article or the commenter, at its core the comment actually offers a good point. Around the world, people think of themselves and their families before they think of biodiversity or the environment. That’s understandable and it’s a big reason why alleviating poverty is so important. One way for anyone who can spare a dime is microfinancing through sites like Kiva (http://www.kiva.org), which is also great since you get your money back too in the end.
That is true. Many of these animals are poached to sell on the black market by poor people who don’t understand why they can’t make a pile of money when they don’t have any. Poverty drives people to desperate actions. The thing is…eco tourism generates far more money than selling a rare dead animal corpse.
However, there are almost 7 billion humans on this planet…and humans are not rare at all. These animals are extremely rare.
I think if we all work together we can do great things for these extinct animals and people too!! Iam for programs that want to save these beautiful animals..it will be a sad world when one day if not helped as much as possible that these animals and others will only be a memory!!
wow! those were really great……..
but i just wanna say 123456789 that, hey friend, juz see, animals are very essential for our World juz like us…… we should care for them….. these pics were given to tell us that, “these are the animals which are going to be extinct….. so. friends, please save those animals before they get totally extinct from this world”
k
Every species on this planet performs a task, which even minimal is essential (keystone species). Its true that there are other major issues occurring in our world, but I find it quite ignorant to not see the extinction of species as a massive concern as 123456789 put it. People are the cause of famine, wars, and the recession; they’re also the cause of the current lose of biodiversity. I agree with everyone else and found the article to be inspiring. It was just that one comment that pist me off!
We need to do a better job on conservation at the global level. Conservation needs to be taught to all children in schools. Maybe there could be a new television station that is only concerned with endangered wildlife.