People haven’t been very careful with the nature that surrounds them. We built all sorts of polluting machineries that endanger the nature around us. Many animal species are now close to extinction all because of human’s needs of raw material and space to expand.
Mammals close to extinction
1. Javan Rhinoceros. This mammal lives in Vietnam and Indonesia and is one of the rarest mammals on the planet. It is haunted for its horn by poachers and his home is also destroyed by the developers. Because of the constant dangers that this species has to face there are no more than 60 remaining Javan Rhinoceros on the planet, making this large mammal one of the species close to extinction.
2. Cross River Gorilla. This species close to extinction can still be found in Nigeria and Cameroon in numbers below 300. This species was thought to be extinct in the 80s but its surprisingly still holding trough. The Cross River Gorilla is hunted especially for its meat but its habitat is endangered as well.
3. Sumatran Tiger. This mammal lives only in Sumatra, Indonesia and it has been here for a million years. Well, not sure how long it’s going to last since there are fewer than 600 Sumatran Tigers remaining. Its habitat is threatened by human expansion. Most of the remaining species live in natural reservations but about 100 are beyond the protected areas.
4. Golden-Headed Langur. This species is actually close to extinction since there are only below 70 Langurs still alive. The survivors live in Vietnam and it has been put under protection since the year 2000. It is still very close to extinction but for the first time in decades, its number rose.
5. Black-Footed Ferret. This is one of the species close to extinction, its numbers being around 1000. This mammal can be found in the North American Great Plains. It’s actually some good news for this species since they have been put under protection in the year 1986. Back then, only 18 individuals were left.
6. Borneo Pygmy Elephant. This mammal can be found in Northern Borneo in numbers about 1500. this is a smaller elephant species and it’s also more docile than his Asian relative. Palm plantations have reduced this specie’s range leaving it in need for more space.
7. Giant Panda. The remaining of these species close to extinction can be found in areas like China, Burma and Vietnam in numbers below 2000. This species is endangered because it has lost the habitat that it needs in order to survive. Species protection is trying hard to keep the Giant Panda from going extinct.
8. Polar Bear. Even though thePolar Bear is hanging on with about 25000 individuals, it is still considered a species close to extinction not only because of the human development but the climate is also very important. Changes due to global warming are seriously threatening this mammal.
Fish
1. Mekong Giant Catfish. This big catfish can be found in Southeast Asia in the region of Mekong. They only remain some hundred survivors. It’s hunted because of the prizes offered for its size. It is now a protected species in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos but the fishing didn’t stop.
2. Vaquita. This is one of the rarest cetaceans in the world. It can be found in the Gulf of California and its numbers don’t exceed 300. This species is close to extinction because of its limited habitat and because they get caught n nets quite easily.
Nature is very important not only for the beauty of the planet but for its survival as well. So let’s just try to live in peace.
