25. Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle
Image Source: Shanghaiist
Formerly native to the Yangtze River and Lake Tai in China, the giant softshell turtle is now a critically endangered species. The secretive turtle spends most of its time submerged deep underwater. Unfortunately, due to habitat loss and hunting, there are only three giant softshell’s remaining in the world. To our knowledge, two remain in the wild in Vietnam and one lives in captivity in China. The last known female died in April 2019, putting the future of the softshell at an all-time high risk.
24. Cebu Flowerpecker
Image Source: CebuFest
This beautiful bird was thought to be extinct as recently as 1990. Thankfully, in 1992, the Cebu flowerpecker was rediscovered. The current population is estimated to near 100 living Cebu?s. Perhaps one thing going in its favor is its location. The flowerpecker’s can only be found on the island of Cebu, a remote island in the Philippines. Without further destruction of its habitat, there is hope for the Cebu?s population to grow in the coming years.
23. El Rincon Stream Frog
Image Source: Edge of Existence
These little guys live in one place; Patagonia, Argentina. The El Rincon stream frog is a very unique species. Due to the sub-zero temperatures on the Somuncura Plateau in Argentina, the frogs spend their lives in geothermal springs. The main reason for its gradual disappearance is two-fold. First, the creation of dams has cut into its habitat. Also, the introduction of rainbow trout to the springs has been detrimental to the frogs.
22. Hirola
Image Source: Our Endangered World
Nicknamed the four-eyed antelope due to the highly visible glands under its eyes, the hirola population is believed to be under 500. Unfortunately for the hirola, its most striking feature is also partially to blame for its decimation. Poachers are drawn to the animal because of its stunning horns. However, poachers aren’t the only problem. Severe drought, habitat loss and its proclivity to catch diseases like tuberculosis have all harmed the species. With no hirola in captivity, its population continues to dwindle at a rapid pace.
21. Seychelles Sheath-Tailed Bat
Image Source: ABC
Fearsome in appearance, these sheath-tailed bats are on the edge of extinction. These tiny creatures used to be found all over the granitic islands of the Seychelles. Unfortunately, due to a diminished habitat, the bats are now found on a mere three islands. Long-time lovers of insects, the Seychelles’ population has dropped in part because of a lack of insects. The rise of coconut plantations, as well as the the growth of the kudzu vine, has taken away the Seychelles? main food source.
20. Rondo Dwarf Galago
Image Source: Tanzania?s Wildlife Management
Blame logging for the demise of these adorable primates. Residing in Tanzania, the Rondo dwarf galago weighs less than five ounces. Commonly referred to as bushbabies, the dwarf galago can only be found in a handful of small patches within the Tanzanian forest. Their huge eyes (relative to their body) are of the utmost importance for these nocturnal animals.
19. Pygmy Three-Toed Sloth
Image Source: Earth Touch
Through the rise of the internet, the creation of memes, and entertaining films like Zootopia, sloths have seemingly gained a ton of fans. Despite their popularity, however, the pygmy three-toed sloth is facing an uphill battle. The pygmy lives on Isla Escudo de Veraguas; a tiny island off the coast of Panama. As many people know, sloths spend almost all of their time in trees. The results of timber harvesting and an increase in human developments have been devastating. As recently as 2012, the wild pygmy population had fallen under 80.
18. Chile Darwin?s Frog
Image Source: Smithsonian Magazine
Also referred to as the northern Darwin?s frog, this ancient frog is on life support. The destruction of its habitat in the Chilean forests have gone a long way in hurting the species, but there is a bit of a mystery regarding its staggering decline. There have been no confirmed sightings of Chile Darwin?s frog since 1981. However, some zoologists remain hopeful that they are still out there somewhere ? hence the species not being labeled extinct.
17. Philippine Eagle
Image Source: All About Birds
If it isn’t clear enough from just looking at this picture, maybe the Philippine eagle’s nickname, monkey-eating eagle. will sum up just how dangerous this animal is. One of the largest eagles in the world, the Philippine eagle uses its impressive speed and agility to hunt down prey. Natural disasters and deforestation have harmed the species, but multiple conservation projects are ongoing. There is hope that the population can be built back up with time.
16. Hainan Gibbon
Image Source: The Conversation
Living only on Hainan Island, China, the Hainan gibbon population is in dire straits. Like so many others, the gibbons’ habitat has been dramatically reduced due to illegal plantations being built in the forest. Furthering the demise of the species is the speed at which they can reproduce; females have a single offspring every two years. With no gibbons currently in captivity and the number of wild gibbons down to around 20, this primate is in need of a small miracle.
15. Hispaniolan Solenodon
Image Source: Newsweek
Looking like a cross between a rat and a shrew, the Hispaniolan solenodon is both one of the oldest animals on the planet and one of the only mammals capable of producing venom. The solenodon is a slow mover and is not able to defend itself too well, allowing predators to pick them off quite easily. Conservation efforts have ratcheted up over the past few decades in an attempt to keep this unique animal alive.
14. Greater Bamboo Lemur
Image Source: Earth Times
Thought to be extinct up until its rediscovery in 1986, the bamboo lemur has gone through a slight resurgence on the island of Madagascar in the years since. Recent estimates state that there are roughly 500 bamboo fiends still traversing Madagascar’s scintillating terrain.
13. Red Wolves
Image Source: Museum of Life and Science
One of North America’s most tenured residents, red wolves mainly operate in North Carolina and throughout the eastern United States. When the Endangered Species Act went into effect in 1973, a serious effort was made to save the red wolves. Their population was increased; mainly in captivity; and the wolves were slowly reintroduced to the wild. The number of red wolves in the wild surpassed 300, but was down to less than 100 as of 2018 due to hunting.
12. Black-Spotted Cuscus
Image Source: Earth Times
Its mix of terrifying eyes and razor-esque claws slightly overshadows the black-spotted cuscus’ beautiful coat. Residing in New Guinea, the cuscus has gradually disappeared over the past 40 or so years. The multi-colored cuscus has been classified as Critically Endangered since 2010. Weighing up to 15 pounds, the cuscus has frequently fallen victim to hunters in search of its meat.
11. Vaquita
Image Source: Green World Warriors
The rarest marine animal in the world, the vaquita belongs to the same family as dolphins and whales. However, the vaquita only grows to roughly five feet long and are easily the smallest species out of all the Cetacea. Their population has decreased dramatically as the use of illegal fishing nets. With less than 40 known vaquita remaining today, the species is in serious trouble.
10. Pangolin
Image Source: National Geographic
Not to be confused with an armadillo, the pangolin are native to Africa and Asia. The pangolin is a critically endangered species for one main reason ? they are considered a delicacy in China and Vietnam. The scales that cover most of their body are believed to have medicinal powers. As a result, the pangolin is the world?s most trafficked animal. Over 100,000 pangolins are believed to be trafficked a year.
9. Sumatran Rhinoceros
Image Source: PBS
As we all know at this point, rhinos are among the most hunted animals in the world because of their horns. The Sumatran rhino is the smallest of the species, and also the only Asian rhino with two horns. Illegal poaching has absolutely decimated the population ? less than 100 Sumatran rhinos are believed to roam Southeast Asia at the moment.
8. Amur Leopard
Image Source: Animal Planet
As stunning as they come, the Amur leopard is native to southeastern Russia, northern China and Korea. Reaching speeds close to 40 mph, Amur leopards are among the fastest cats around. Unfortunately, there are four main factors that have led to possible extinction. Poaching, deforestation, human development, and inbreeding. With under 100 Amur?s left in the wild, the leopard has the unfortunate distinction of being the world’s rarest cat.
7. Giant Otter
Image Source: Science News
This isn’t the cute and cuddly otter that you have grown to love. The giant otter is a fierce predator capable of taking down a caiman. Growing to lengths up to six feet, the otters were once targeted for their pelts. Thankfully, it is now illegal to hunt the world?s biggest otter. However, despite one threat being lessened, the otters are still at risk due to their habitats being destroyed.
6. Bornean Orangutan
Image Source: WWF
From 1950-2025, the Bornean orangutan population is expected to have dropped by nearly 85 percent. Tragically, many things are going against these incredible animals. The two clear villains are poachers and those responsible for destroying their habitat, but the orangutan’s reproduction timeline is also a deterrent. Because the females are only able to reproduce every six to eight years, the species isn’t able to keep their numbers up. Orangutan’s are among the smartest animals in the world and share close to 97 percent of their DNA with humans.
5. Peruvian Spider Monkey
Image Source: Tambopata Ecolodge
One of the most vital animals to the rain forest?s well-being, the Peruvian spider monkey is yet another example of a species falling victim to deforestation. The monkeys help disperse fruit seeds throughout the forest as they make their way across the canopy. While a good amount of spider monkeys remain in Peru, their population has been cut in half since 1975.
4. Saola
Image Source: WWF
The ‘Asian unicorn,’ the saola is one of the rarest animals in the world. So much so, that there are only four documented sightings of the saola in Laos and Vietnam. It wasn’t until 1999 that a saola was captured on film. The horned animal is closely related to goats and cattle. Humans tearing into their environment and hunters searching for a ‘rare find’ have led to a diminished population.
3. Darwin?s Fox
Image Source: Pinterest
First discovered by Charles Darwin in the 1830s, Darwin’s fox is native to Chile. Thankfully, recent discoveries have confirmed that there are more foxes living on mainland Chile and Chilo Island than previously believed. This should come as no surprise; hunting and habitat loss have hurt the species.
2. Tiliger
Image Source: ligerworld
To understand what a tiliger is, we must first define a liger. A liger is a hybrid offspring of a male lion and a female tiger, equating to the largest known cat in the world. A tiliger is a second generation hybrid from a male tiger and a ligress (female liger). There are less than 10 known tiliger’s in the world.
1. Hairy-Nosed Wombat
Image Source: koala.net
Found only in Queensland, Australia, the hairy-nosed wombat may be on its way back to safety. While the wombat’s future remains in serious danger, the estimated number of wombat’s in Queensland has gone up in recent years. Conservation efforts have increased the likelihood of the hairy-nosed wombat?s survival, with current estimates putting the population above 200, more than doubling the total from just over a decade ago.