30 Rare Animals on the Brink of Extinction

Sometimes, we take things for granted without knowing the dire consequences of our actions. We just know it when it’s too late to repair the damage.

We often observe this in nature. Every single day, millions of species vanish entirely from the face of the Earth and into the nonexistence, while more — although not totally gone — are endangered.

Below are some examples of animals that are in the verge of extinction.

1. Northern Bald Ibis

2. Javan Rhino

Long before it was endangered, they can be found across the Southeast Asia. However, they were hunted by poachers for their horns which they sell into black markets for $30,000.

Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia has given the remaining 40–60 individuals a safe refuge from the hunters.

3. Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat

Only about 115 Northern hairy-nosed wombats exist in Epping Forest National Park in Queensland, Australia.

Their noses are essential for their survival as these wombats have poor eyesight, and they rely on their sense of smell to find food.

4. Plougshare Tortoise (aka Angonoka)

Mostly, they reside in the Baly Bay region in Madagascar. With only an estimated population of 440–770, they are put on the top of the list as the most endangered tortoise in the world.

Due to its magnificent shell, the plougshare tortoise is poached for the illegal international pet trades.

5. Hainan Gibbon

Hainan gibbons are the world’s rarest primate as 23 of them only exists in Hainan Island in the South China Sea.
Watch this video and learn more about the endangered Hainan gibbons:

6. Sumatran Rhino

In Malaysia and Indonesia, only fewer than 250 mature Sumatran rhinos are left because they are hunted for their horns that are used in traditional medicines.

7. Cuban Greater Funnel-Eared Bat

Loss of habitat due to human destruction has caused the Cuban greater funnel-eared bats in Cueva La Barca, Cuba to have diminish in number. An estimated total of 100 Cuban greater funnel-eared bats are known to live.

8. Angel Shark (aka Squatina Squatina)

Although it can camouflage in the sand to catch unsuspecting small fishes as food, it never escaped the cruelty of human hands into endangerment.

Historically, the angel shark resides in the Northeast Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Black Seas, but commercial fishing has dwindled its population.

9. Nelson’s Small-Eared Shrew

The Nelson’s small-eared shrew is indigenous to some parts of eastern Mexico. Due to human activities that involve deforestation such as logging, cattle grazing, and agriculture, it has suffered from loss of habitat.

10. Rio Pescado Stubfoot Toad

The Rio Pescado stubfoot toad was thought to be extinct back in 1995. It was then rediscovered in the lowlands of Ecuador in 2010. However, it doesn’t put these toads from the endangered-animals list.

11. Boni Giant Sengi (Formerly Known as an Elephant Shrew)

Urbanization in some parts of the Boni-Dodori Forest in Kenya has driven these giant sengis from their homes.

12. Spoon-Billed Sandpiper

Northern Russia has their own breed of wader called the spoon-billed sandpiper. However, there are only 1,000 known mature individuals left in the wild due to habitat loss on its breeding grounds, plus the lack of tidal flats in their migratory and wintering range.

The spoon-billed sandpiper is a small wader that breeds in northeastern Russia. There are fewer than 1,000 mature individuals left in the wild.

13. Durrell’s Vontsira (aka Salanoia Durrelli)

One of Lake Alaotra’s endangered animal is the Durrel’s vontsira, a Madagascan marsh-dwelling mammal.

14. Luristan Newt (aka Kaiser’s Spotted Newt)

In Zagros Mountains of Iran, you can find the aboriginal salamander from the area, the luristan newt. Due to some extinct pet owners, the luristan newt were captured and sold on a Ukrainian website for $300. Only known luristan newts to live were only held in captivity.

15. Roloway monkey

The drastic decline of the population of the roloway monkey was the result of hunting for consumption as bushmeat.

They were usually found in the forests of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, but it has now become extinct in Ghana.

16. Vaquita

Vaquitas are considered to be the world’s smallest dolphin that resides from the Northern Gulf of California and Mexico.

However, only fewer than 200 vaquita dolphins are known to exist, and the population is steadily declining, with the fishermen’s use of gillnets to be the immediate threat to these dolphins.

17. Greater Bamboo Lemur

Slash-and-burn agriculture, mining, and illegal logging were the major cause of the downsize of this animal which is endemic to southeastern and southcentral rainforests of Madagascar. This creature possess powerful jaws that can crack through bamboo.

Only 100–160 are known to exist in the wild.

18. Actinote Zikani

Sao Paulo, Brazil, is the habitat of Actinote Zikani. However, it has been pushed on the brink of extinction due to human activites.

19. Tarzan’s chameleon

This chameleon is not named after the Disney character, but after the forest where it is indigenous.

It was discovered in 2009 in the Tarzan Forest in Madagascar. Due to rampant deforestation, however, the existence of Tarzan’s chameleon is threatened to vanish.

20. Geometric Tortoise

The geometric tortoise takes residence in Cape Province, South Africa. The endangerment of this specie is a result of habitat destruction and degradation, as well as predation.

21. Saola

It was the year of 1992 when Saola was discovered in the Annamite mountains that borders Vietnam and Laos.

Hunters have, ever since, been chasing this creature away from their natural habitat.

22. Common sawfish

The common sawfish swims in the waters of coastal tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Usually, they forage for food under the sandy ocean floor using their long saw-like rostrum or nose.

Sawfish have also adapted to survive in both salt and freshwater areas. However, they were endangered due to human destruction and activities.

23. Singapore Freshwater Crab

24. Red River Giant Softshell Turtle

Four of red river giant softshell turtles are left, all of which live in captivity. This giant weighs at about 440 pounds.

The animal is considered sacred by many Vietnamese.

25. Madagascar Pochard

Only about 20 mature pochards left in the volcanic lakes north of Bealanana, Madagascar.

Due to slash-and-burn agriculture, hunting, and fishing, as well as introduced fish, they continue to diminish in number.

26. Parides Burchellanus

In Cerrado, Brazil, there are fewer than 100 parides burchellanus left.

27. Dusky Gopher Frog

The dusky gopher frog population has dropped due to many reasons: loss of wetlands and native longleaf pine habitat, the decline of gopher tortoises, invasive species, disease, drought conditions, and lack of natural and prescribed fire. To this day, the entire population is estimated to only 60–100 individuals.

28. Franklin’s Bumblebee

Oregon and California is where the Franklin’s bumblebee resides. Disease from commercially bred bumblebees and habitat destruction are the major cause of their downscale.