Endangered Animals

Did you know there are over 16,000 endangered animals today? That means that all of these poor animals are being threatened to the point of extinction. Studies show that the wildlife population has fallen by 73% since 1970! Today this article will share some of the most endangered animals.

The Amur Leopard

The Amur Leopard is one of the most endangered animals in the world. According to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) website, this is because there are only around 130 of them remaining in the wild. Fortunately, it seems that over the years the population has been increasing steadily but these leopards have been critically endangered since 1996. These rare animals can only be found in eastern Russia and northeast Asia. Before being protected by National Park laws in Russia, Amur Leopards faced many dangers including habitat loss, low food supply, and human architecture and roads.

The Hawksbill Turtle

Although half species of turtles are endangered, some are not. The Hawksbill Turtle is one of the species that are the most in risk of extinction. It’s hard to say how many are left in the wild since you can find them in many oceans such as the Indian, the Pacific, and the Atlantic ocean but we know that population has decreased by 80% in the last 3 generations. This is due to accidental capture in fishing gears, habitat nesting loss, coral reef damage, and illegal trade of hawksbill shells and products. Scientists say other human-led threats such as plastic pollution, climate change, and rising sea level will greatly contribute to the decline of this species in the future.

The Sunda Tiger

The Sunda tiger, also known as the Sumatron tiger, is the smallest tiger subspecies in the world

and are super hard to find and only live on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Unlike most cats, the Sumatra Tiger is a great swimmer and they use their webbed paws to catch fish. You can distinguish one as they have thin black stripes on their dark orange coats. Most tigers in Sumatra are killed purposely for self profit and according to a survey made from the global wildlife trade monitoring network, poaching for trade is responsible for at least 80% of estimated Sunda tiger deaths per year. In Indonesia, anyone caught hunting these animals are fined with jail time and large fees. Sunda tigers are losing their habitat and prey fast, and poaching is an ever lasting threat. 

What You Can Do to Help

Let’s talk about what you can do at home to help save these endangered animals. Climate change affects a lot of species and not just the endangered ones. To help stop climate change you can save energy at home by lowering the heating or AC of your house, turning off the lights once you’ve finished using them, and hanging your clothes to dry instead of using a drying machine. Plastic is a serious problem for all ocean dwellers. Animals see the plastic in the oceans as food and try to eat it. This results in the decline of life in sea mammals  as well as fish for you to eat! Plastic piles up in the ocean known as garbage patches which are a hazard for not only animals but humans as well. Some ways to help reduce plastic pollution is to reduce the amount you use in your everyday life. Avoid single use plastic such as bags, bottles, straws, and utensils. Try to bring reusable alternatives such as cloth bags, water bottles, and stainless-steel cutlery. Many don’t know this, but all plastic that is used never decomposes no matter how long you wait. Remember, everything you do matters and affects all of our daily lives.

Written By: Kairi Tang

Edited By: Noah Hampton