Countless rare, exotic animals are being threatened to extinction. For example, the California grizzly bear was on the endangered status, but hunters kept on hunting them down for their valuable fur. Soon, they became extinct. Being knowledgeable about these amazing animals and possibly being able to support them is just one step closer to getting these animals thriving again.
Donate Links:
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)The Jane Goodall Institute
The Charles Darwin Foundation
The World Animal Protection
Wildlife Vet International
The International Animal Rescue
Amur Leopard
Amur Leopards are the most endangered leopards. Native to China and Russia, these extraordinary animals can run at 37 mph and leap over 10 feet. They are important because they benefit other species such as Amur tigers.
Black Rhino
Black rhinos have a special hooked upper lip, which differentiates from other rhinos. The population significantly dropped in recent years due to high activity from poachers and hunters. The rhino horn is an especially prized item, and poachers often sell them on the black market.
Blue Whale
Blue whales are the largest (and loudest) animals on earth. They weigh about 200 tons and can be heard from hundreds of miles away. A significance is that they are the top predator on the food chain, but are targeted from commercial whaling.
Galápagos Penguin
As their name suggests, Galápagos Penguins only live on the Galápagos. They are the only species of penguins that live in the northern hemisphere. Unfortunately, pollution and climate change are threats to these birds and nonnative species, such as cats, can kill them.
Golden Lion Tamarin
Golden Lion Tamarins have beautiful manes that look like lions, and having a large mane makes their face, limbs, and tail look small. They are the closest relative to monkeys. The forests in Brazil in which they live are being cut down and reduced due to agriculture.
Humphead Wrasse
Humphead wrasses are huge coral reef fishes. They may be as large as six feet, and are famous for its hump on its forehead. Overfishing is the main concern. With fishermen spraying cyanide (a poisonous chemical) into the corals, they are forced to hide and are captured.
Spider Monkey
Spider monkeys are monkeys with long, slim arms and legs, and live in rainforests in the Americas. Their powerful tails allow them to swing in between branches easily. Predators naturally hunt for their eggs, but humans cutting down their habitat is an even greater threat.
Asian Elephant
Asian elephants are huge animals, although a bit smaller than the African elephants. They have declined by over 50% in the past century, due to habitat conflicts between humans and elephants. Similarly to African elephants, they are also being poached for their valuable ivory.
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees are very close to humans, in fact, we share many DNAs with them! They are also related to apes, but not to monkeys because chimps don't have tails. Sadly, chimpanzees are being captured as well as their habitats being deforested.
Atlantic sturgeon
Atlantic sturgeons live in the ocean between Maine and Florida. They have rows of visible bone just underneath the scales, a pointy tail, and can get as long as fourteen feet! Overfishing and habitat loss is the main reason why these fish are disappearing.
Galápagos Sea Lion
Galápagos Sea Lions live on the Galápagos, and have thick necks and bodies. The only difference from other sea lions is that they have a pointy nose. El Nino, or severe global warming, contributes to these sea lions not wanting to reproduce.
Anjouan Sparrowhawk
The Anjouan Island sparrowhawk is a rare, smaller subspecies of the Frances sparrowhawk. They have white bellies and gray feathers. They are threatened by hunting and habitat loss, and many explorers have no luck finding this special bird.
Mariana gray swiftlet
The Mariana gray swiftlet is a small bird, with grey wings and brown undersides. They live in caves and reproduce once a year. Caves in southern Guam are where they live, but after World War II, they disappeared, so they were relocated to O'ahu.
Giant panda
Giant pandas are famous for black fur around their eyes, arms, and legs, and a big, white body. They live on the damp, mountainous parts of mainland China consuming lots of bamboo. In the 1990s, much bamboo died and as a result, pandas starved.
St. Croix ground lizard
St. Croix ground lizards are tiny lizards that live in shrubbery and woodland areas. They have a long tail, orange neck, and brown body. They used to live in St. Croix, but with invasive species and habitat shifts, these lizards are in danger.
Sonoran pronghorn
Sonoran pronghorns are a subspecies of pronghorns, and they live in the Sonoran desert. They are notable for their horns that point backwards. Sensitive to loud noises, fear drives them to run away. Monsoons will solely dry weather which has decreased their population.