Animals in danger of extinction

Natural extinction rate (or background rate) indicates how quickly would become extinct plants, mammals, birds and insects, if there were no people around. Scientists have concluded that today these species are disappearing faster than the natural rate of almost 1000 times, that is, we lose about 150-200 species every day. About 15% of mammal species and 11% of bird species are included in the list of species threatened with extinction.

Bengal tiger

Status: Endangered

The threat of poaching to obtain skin and other parts of the body is the most serious threat. Loss of habitat due to human settlement and the potential of climate change due to rising sea levels are also threatening factors.

Information about the form of: population size is less than 2, 500 tigers with a tendency to decrease.

Natural habitat: mangrove forests of Bangladesh, various national parks and forests in India and Nepal and subtropical foothills of the Himalayas in Bhutan.

Orang

Status: Endangered (Borneo), critical (Sumatra)

Threat: the main problems for both species are the loss of habitat due to excessive felling of trees and habitat change for agriculture, as well as her fragmentation due to road construction. Fires have played a major role in reducing the number of population of orangutans of Borneo. Hunting and trade in animals is also a threat to the species.

Information on the form over the last 75 years the population of orangutans of Sumatra is estimated to be reduced by over 80% and continues to decline. Most of the animals live outside protected areas. For 60 years the population of orangutans of Borneo has decreased by more than 50% and it is expected that this figure will continue to decline. Habitat: Sumatran orangutans are located in the northern part of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, the majority of whom reside in the province of Aceh. Borneo orangutans are found throughout the island of Borneo, mainly in Sarawak, Malaysia and Kalimantan, Indonesia.

A polar bear

Status: in the danger zone

Threat: in connection with global climate change, the amount of sea ice is rapidly declining. This means a loss of habitat for polar bears, whose survival depends on the presence of ice. For 45 years (three generations) size of the population decreased by more than 30%. According to some estimates, polar bears will disappear within 100 years. In addition to the melting of sea ice, there are other factors that affect the population, such as "over-population" in Canada and Greenland, poaching in Russia and pollution (bears are at the top of the food chain, so the pollution effect on its each link operates and on them). Arctic Oil is also a serious problem, as it represents a threat to the oil spill and bear an increased amount and human contact.

Habitat: the circumpolar Arctic (as far south as the stretches of sea ice), Svalbard in Norway and Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

The Western Gorilla

Status: in the critical zone

Hazard: A high level of hunting and poaching, as well as diseases such as Ebola.

Information about the form of: population of western gorillas, which includes the western lowland gorilla (pictured above) is estimated to be reduced by 80% within three generations (about 66 years) to 2046 gorillas.

Habitat: eastern (mountainous) Gorilla found in Rwanda, Uganda and Eastern Congo, is endangered. Western gorilla can still be found in Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), the mainland of Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni), Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of Congo and Cabinda (Angola).

Humpback whale

Status: Endangered

Threat: the number of humpback whales has increased after the introduction of a moratorium on the hunt, but it remains a constant threat due to noise pollution, entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes. In establishing quotas, they continue to be a target for the whaling industry.

Information on the form: a moratorium on the hunting of humpback whales in 1966 after they were declared endangered, about 90% of the population was destroyed.

Habitat: off the coast of Canada, the USA, South America, Australia and New Zealand, a whale-watching is a popular pastime. During the summer, humpback whales are found in the polar regions, where they feed, and then return to the warm waters to procreate. They tend to migrate to 25,000 km.

Sifaka

Status: critical danger of extinction

Threat: loss of habitat due to deforestation (some illegal), burning and hunting is the main threat.

Information on the form: Sifaka lemur is the kind of family. Silky Sifaka is endangered; As of 2008, there were about 250 adult specimens of this species. Sifaka Perrier is also endangered.

Habitat: Sifaka, like all lemurs, exists only in Madagascar.

African Lion

Status: in the area of ​​vulnerability

The threat, one of the main threats to the lions today - is the response / intentional murder to protect human lives and livestock (normal practice is luring lions poisoned carcasses). Loss of habitat, trophy hunting and disease are also threats. Information about the form of: a decrease in population by 30% over the past 20 years (three generations).

Habitat: Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

North American grizzly bear

Status: threatened with extinction in the United States; particularly at risk in Canada; have died in Mexico.

The threat: human settlement and conflicts with humans. Today, the bears are threatened with extinction in the valley Jumbo in British Columbia because of the plans for the development of a large ski resort. This region is one of the most important wildlife corridors in North America, in which grizzly bears come and go from the reserve Purcell - a zone free from human influence.

Information on the form after the Yellowstone grizzly disappeared in 2007 - because of "the effective removal of the protection of endangered grizzly near Yellowstone National Park" - the federal government has been sued to bear again been included on this list. Grizzlies were added to the list in 2009.

Habitat: Grizzly in North America, there are mainly in Alaska, western Canada and the northwestern United States.

A giant Galapagos tortoise

Status: in the area of ​​vulnerability

Threat: until recently, the main threat was commercial hunting for museum collections. Today, the biggest threat is a predator, such as a "wild pigs, dogs, cats and black rats." Donkeys, goats and cattle compete with the turtles of the area of ​​pasture.

Information on kind: in the 19th century, the number of species decreased significantly, due to the fact that the passing boats caught turtles. Between 1811 and 1824 years, according to the records of 105 whalers 15,000 turtles were caught. One subspecies, the Pinta Island giant tortoise, thought to be extinct after the last representative of the type of "Lonesome George" died in captivity at the beginning of this year. Habitat: Ten of the 15 subspecies exist in seven Galapagos Islands.

Chimpanzee

Status: Endangered

Threat: the chimpanzee population decline due to the destruction of the environment and its changes (agriculture and forestry), poaching (for meat, trade in animals and crop protection) and diseases (they are susceptible to human diseases, and as the human population grows, increasing the number of contact of humans and chimpanzees).

Information about the form of: the cause of the threat of extinction of chimpanzees status is the rapid decline in the number over the past 20-30 years, which will continue for the next 30-40 years.

Habitat: chimpanzees live "from the south of Senegal through the wooded north of the Congo River to western Uganda and western Tanzania, from sea level to an altitude of 2800 m."

Giraffe Rothschild

Status: Endangered

Threat: the development of agriculture was the main reason for reducing the number of species.

Information about the form of: Rothschild giraffe - or Baringo or Ugandan giraffe - is the second of the species most threatened with extinction, along with the West African giraffe. As of 2010 in the wild have less than 670 individuals.

Habitat: The remaining population lives in protected areas of Uganda and Kenya. Program for captive breeding, such as giraffes Center in Nairobi, are going to increase those numbers.

Hippo

Status: in the area of ​​vulnerability

The threat: the main reasons are reduction of the number of maintenance and loss of habitats; there is no evidence that these threats will be offset in the near future.

Information about the type: in the last ten years the population of hippos, the estimated decreased by 7-20%, and in the next 30 years (three generations) is projected to decrease as a whole by 30%. Pygmy hippopotamus found in West Africa (Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia) is endangered.

Habitat: rivers, lakes and swamps south of the Sahara.

African elephant

Status: in the area of ​​vulnerability

The threat: destruction of elephant poaching in the pursuit of ivory, unfortunately, not a new problem. This year, the New York Times published an article in which the Congolese authorities suspect the military of Uganda to use helicopters to slaughter the animals. Historically, armed groups are killing elephants in order to sell ivory to buy weapons and to support its objectives.

Information on the form: despite the poaching of African elephants was upgraded from "endangered" to the status "in the vulnerability zone." While some regional populations are in decline, most show an increase of 4% per year. It is believed that the overall effect will be a population increase. Elephants disappeared at the regional level in Burundi, Gambia, Mauritania and Swaziland, although they were re-imported into Swaziland during the 1980s and 1990s.

Habitat: they can be found in 37 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Grevy's Zebra

Status: Endangered

Threat: major threats to zebra Grevy reduction are available water sources; changes in habitat and the loss of it due to the increase of pastures; competition for resources; disease.

Information on the form: it is believed that the population of Grevy's zebra has declined by 50% over the past two decades. This kind of "has undergone one of the most significant reductions in the range of all African mammals."

Habitat: Grevy's zebra is found in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Cheetah

Status: in the area of ​​vulnerability

Threat: loss and fragmentation of habitat; clashes with farmers (cheetahs preying on livestock are considered "pests"); poaching.

Information about the form of: the current number of 7, 500 to 10, 000 individuals. Based on estimates of 1970 showed 15, 000 individuals, the population has decreased by at least 30% over the past two decades.

Habitat: the vast majority of the remaining population is in South and East Africa. Asiatic cheetah is in Iran.

The African wild dog

Status: Endangered

Hazard: A decrease in number is mainly due to human settlement, habitat loss and control of predators killing.

Information about the form of: African wild dogs that hunt in packs, are very efficient hunters with murders rated about 80%, compared with 30% for the lions, and, oddly enough, less than 2% for the polar bears. With population of over 500,000 in more than 39 countries, their population was reduced to an amount of between 3,000 and 5,500 individuals in 14 countries.

Habitat: Eastern and Southern Africa are two major groups in Tanzania (Selous Reserve) and northern Botswana / Namibia east.

The slothful

Status from "a concern" to "critical number of threat"

The threat: various kinds of sloths are suffering from the loss of habitat due to deforestation and hunting / poaching and illegal trade in animals.

Information on the form: three-toed sloths Pygmy having the status of a critical threat of extinction - the smallest of all the lazy, they live on a deserted island off the coast of Panama. Three-toed sloth with a mane is estimated as causing fear and shows a decline in population. Habitat: sloths live in trees in the jungles of Central and South America.

Rhino

Status from "endangered" to "critically endangered"

Threat: the main threat to all subspecies is poaching. rhino horn on the black market for ornamental and medicinal purposes. Loss of habitat due to development of soil for agricultural purposes is also a threat to some species.

Information about the type: in Africa there are two types: White Rhino and Black Rhino. Black rhinos are given the status of critically endangered, their population has decreased by almost 98% since 1960. Asian species - a rhinoceros of Java, Sumatra and India. Of these rhinos of Java and Sumatra are critically endangered. According to 2008 had less than 50 adult male cynomolgus species; Sumatra population shows a reduction of approximately 80% over three generations (about 60 years)

Habitat: White rhinos are found in South Africa, and Black - in Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and the United Republic of Zimbabwe. Both species were introduced again in some other African countries. In Asia, the Indian rhinoceros is found in India and Nepal, the Javan rhino - in Indonesia and Vietnam, and the Sumatran rhino - in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Koala

Status: endangered

The threat: the spread of people who consume eucalyptus trees, power supplies koalas. In addition, "the nutritional value of the remaining eucalyptus" is reduced due to the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere, leading to the inclusion of koalas in the list of 10 species, the most vulnerable to changes in the world climate.

Information on the form found in the population of koalas in Australia. Some populations are shrinking, while others increase. Habitat: regions in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia

Magellanic Penguin

Status: endangered

Threat: the threat comes mainly from oil pollution (in the 1994 report, this leads to more than 40 000 deaths per year). In addition to this, the fishing industry also plays an important role in reducing population.

Habitat: Magellanic penguin nests on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America in Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands.