Endangered animals are species that are under the threat of extinction. When an animal or species is termed endangered, they are either disappearing fast from the face of the planet or are very sparsely populated, not good enough for survival of the animal community in the long run. The IUCN has a list of endangered species, which is called the Red List. The list serves as a guide and determines the level of danger an animal community is under. The following are some of the animals part of the endangered species list:
1. Greater Horseshoe Bat
The Greater Horseshoe Bat is an animal species with a decreasing population trend. Britain has a total of 18 bat species, all of which are endangered; the greater horseshoe bat being very close to the danger zone. Destruction of appropriate rooting sites, like hollow trees and old buildings, is one of the reasons for the bat’s decline.
Changing use of land from small fields and woodland to large-scale farming has had its share of impact as well. Use of insecticides on plants has also aggravated the decreasing population of the bats, as the chemical spray kills the insects on the plants that serve as a major source of food for the bats.
2. Loggerhead Turtle
The Loggerhead Turtle dwells in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. A few decades ago, the major reason for the turtle’s declining population was the market value for its meat and shell. Now, the turtle has to live with people who disturb the sandy beaches. These beaches are used by the turtle for laying its eggs.
In countries like Turkey, hotels and restaurants are build in close proximity to the turtle’s breeding locations. Out in the sea, these animals get trapped in fishing nets at times, thereby getting drowned. The newest or the most recent threat to these turtles is the increasing temperatures of the sand that plays a role in determining the gender of the animal. Sands with warmer temperatures lead to increased female population.
3. Siberian Tiger
The Siberian Tiger is the largest, in sheer size, of all the tigers on the planet. Though the animal is highly endangered, especially when there were just 20 Siberian Tigers left, the population trend is getting stabilized considerably. As per the IUCN, there are close to 360 Siberian Tigers in Russia as of the 21st century. Loss of habitat and hunting are few of the major reasons why the tiger is getting reduced in numbers.
4. The White Tailed Eagle
The White Tailed Eagle could be found in huge numbers across the globe, before humans started to pollute its wetland habits with insecticides and other chemical sprays. The population of the bird in the Middle East is the least of them all. The bird flies across distances and several geographical locations in search of its food, fish.
However, feeding on poisoned fish has lead to the bird laying thin-shelled or infertile eggs that could be easily broken apart. The nesting places, on the other hand, have also been destroyed by modern forestry techniques. Though the bird was completely extinct in Britain during the 1900s, it still exists in Scotland after it was reintroduced in the year, 1975.
5. Mandarin Duck
The Mandarin Duck might be spotted in lakes and ponds of Britain; however, the bird originally belongs to or is a native of Eastern Asia countries, such as China, Japan, and Korea. The bird is generally found in water bodies closer to the woods. Scarcity of water in such places has lead to the steady decline of mandarin ducks.
6. Mountain Gorilla
Zaire, Uganda, and Rwanda are the only places in the world that can be called home for a mountain gorilla. The animal’s survival depends heavily on dense forests, and the consistent cutting down of trees to make way for agricultural lands has pushed the animal to the verge of extinction. Though there are several laws in place to protect the gorilla, the condition is still quite precarious for rainforest animals like the gorilla, one of the most popular African animals.
7. Jackass Penguin
The Jackass Penguin is the sole African penguin. It was one of the very common seabirds of Africa, with South Africa and Namibia replete with the bird. The bird’s survival is primarily dependent on sea creatures. However, the constant fishing around the area has led to a scarcity of appropriate food for the bird.
Pandas, Black-footed Ferret, California Condor, Spectacled Bear, etc. are some of the other wildlife or wild animals in danger that feature in the list of extinct animals or endangered animals.
