thewildlifejournaldav.

com ISSUE XX | JULY 2023

ENDANGERED ANIMALS
HOW MANY RHINOS
ARE LEFT IN THE
WORLD?

Rhinos are hard to

track because they are
elusive animals.
ISSUE XX | JULY 2023

WILDLIFE
ENDANGERED
We celebrate World Animal Day on
October 4 in honor of Saint Francis
of Assisi, the patron saint of
ecology, who died that day.
Originally, however, the idea for a
day dedicated to the celebration of
animals came from Heinrich
Zimmermann, an animal lover who
published a magazine in interwar
Germany called “Man and Dog.”

Animal populations have shrunk

rapidly in the past half century.
According to the World Wildlife
Fund, the population size of
vertebrates has been cut in half in
the past 40 years. South America
has been the most adversely
affected, seeing an 80% drop in the
amount of vertebrate species
between 1970 and 2010.

So, which species around the world

are in the most danger of
extinction?

thewildlifejournaldav.com
Amur Leopard

WWF UK estimates that there are only about 70 of

these majestic snow cats left in the world. Able to
survive Siberian winters and jump 10 feet vertically,
the Amur leopard is by no means a pushover. But its
habitat has been threatened by logging, hunting, and
other human activity that has siphoned off its prey
sources.
Issue XX| 01
 Bornean and
Sumatran Orangutans

Both of these Orangutan species have experienced quickly

dwindling populations as their habitats are gutted by human
activity. One hundred years back, orangutans were in full supply
— with more than 230,000, but the Bornean orangutan is now
estimated to number about 45,000-69,000 (Endangered) and the
Sumatran about 7,500 (Critically Endangered), according to
WWF. Tragic events like the 1997-1998 forest fires in Kalimantan
and a burgeoning orangutan pet trade have also contributed to the
endangerment of the species.

Issue XX| 02
 Black, Javan, and
Sumatran Rhinos

When European hunters first came to the African continent, they would kill rhinos for
both food and sport. According to the WWF, until the early 1990s, Black Rhinos were
poached more-or-less indiscriminately, and that practice continues today. In 2014, more
than 1,200 Black Rhinos were poached in South Africa — an increase from the previous
year.
The Javan Rhino has not seen any poaching since 2010, which is a good thing since there
are only 60 surviving species in the world. Even in the Ujung Kulon National Park where
the remaining Javan Rhinos live, they are at the risk of extinction. The park is in a prime
location for the strike of a natural disaster, such as a tsunami or volcano.
Though technically more numerous than the Javan Rhino, the Sumatran Rhino has
experienced poaching perhaps more severely than its Javanese relative. It is distinguishable
by the long hair that covers its body — reminiscent of the extinct wooly mammoth.

Issue XX| 03
Cross River, Eastern Lowland,
Western Lowland, and
Mountain Gorillas

Violent conflicts such as the civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of

the Congo (DRC) have not only affected humans, but animal
populations as well, reports the WWF. The Eastern Lowland Gorilla
and the Mountain Gorilla have been two casualties of this conflict.
While the Mountain Gorilla has seen its population rise slightly since
1989, the Eastern Lowland Gorilla has experienced a 50% drop in
population.
The Cross River Gorilla and the Western Lowland Gorilla have avoided
this violence, but still suffer from poaching and habitat destruction.
There are only about 200-300 Cross River Gorillas left in the world.

Issue XX| 04
 Hawksbill and
Leatherback Turtles

Hawksbill turtles have been hunted to the point of endangerment in

part because of the recognizable “tortoiseshell” pattern of the scales on
their shells. These shells are sold in markets to tourists and used to
make jewelry and ornaments.
The Leatherback Turtle’s impressive fortitude is shown in its migration
across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. But the animal has slowly
been losing population due to egg collection and overfishing. Marine
turtles have swum the oceans for more than 100 million years, and only
in the past century have they experienced threats to their population.

Issue XX| 05
 Pangolin

Somehow, the Pangolin is not a cross between a panda

and a penguin, but rather a solitary, scaly animal,
similar in looks to an armadillo. When frightened, the
pangolin is known to curl into a protective ball. Its
scales are too strong to be penetrated by the teeth of
wild cats, but this defense mechanism makes it quite
easy for human poachers to pick them up and sell
them on the blackmarket.
Issue XX| 06
 Saola

Discovered a mere 20 years ago in the highlands of

Vietnam and Laos, the Saola has only been
documented four times by scientists. Because of its
rarity, this animal — which is called the “Asian
Unicorn” — has come to symbolize conservation
efforts in the region.

Issue XX| 07
 South China Tiger and
Sumatran Tiger

While the Sumatran Tiger has managed to survive in

the wild on small patches of land in Indonesia, the
same can’t be said for the South China Tiger, which has
not been seen in the wild in 25 years. Conservationists
are hoping to reintroduce captive-bred South China
Tigers into the wild in a new country: South Africa.

Issue XX| 08
Sumatran Elephant

Indonesia’s Sumatra has made several appearances on

this list. The region has suffered from severe
deforestation in the past 25 years as Indonesia develops
a global, industrialized economy. The Sumatran
Elephant is one of biggest casualties of this push
toward globalization, as it has seen 70% of its habitat
disappear in one generation.

Issue XX| 09
 Vaquita

Another aquatic animal on the verge of extinction, the

Vaquita is the world’s most endangered marine
mammal. The 60 that remain are at the mercy of
illegal fishing gillnets, and will most likely become
extinct if that practice is not eliminated quickly.

Issue XX| 10
 Without intervention, these species will
disappear from the Earth completely.

Issue 27