Among the 120,372 species monitored by the IUCN, 8,404 were categorized as Critically Endangered as of 2021.
About 96 percent of all mammal species extinctions of the last hundred thousand years can be attributed to human impact.
This article, part 2 of our two-part series, highlights nine more animals on the brink of extinction.
A total of 21 species, including birds, mussels, fish, and one mammal, were officially declared extinct by U.S. scientists this year. This article, the second in our 2-part series, takes a look at nine more animals on the verge of extinction.
1. Gorillas
These highly intelligent animals, which exhibit numerous human-like behaviors and emotions, such as sadness and laughter, are our third-closest relatives, following chimpanzees and bonobos.
Inhabiting the tropical and subtropical forests of equatorial Africa, the largest of the great apes are divided into two species: the eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei) and the western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla). Both are classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ by the IUCN.
A mountain gorilla family in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park in 2020.
According to The Gorilla Organization, a non-profit focused on conservation, the present population of western gorillas stands at less than 150,000. Among them, the Cross River gorillas (Gorilla gorilla diehli), one of the two subspecies of western gorillas alongside the western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), number fewer than 300 individuals in the wild.
One sub-species of eastern gorilla, Grauer’s gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri), has just 6,800 individuals.
Present only in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this subspecies numbered 17,000 individuals in 1998. However, the population declined dramatically due to wars, illegal hunting, and habitat loss, according to a 2016 study by Panama’s Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
The Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei), the only subspecies listed as ‘endangered,’ has a population of around 1,200.
Poaching, climate change, habitat destruction, and disease are considered gorillas’ most significant survival threats. Some conservationists expect gorillas to become extinct in the wild by or before 2050.
2. Kākāpō
Commonly known as the owl parrot, the kākāpō (Strigops habroptila) is a nocturnal, ground-dwelling parrot species native to New Zealand.
These flightless parrots, capable of growing up to 25 inches long, are in imminent danger of extinction, with only 247 individuals alive today, according to New Zealand’s Department of Conservation.
Their most significant threats are introduced mammalian predators, such as cats, rats, ferrets, and stoats, that nearly wiped out the whole population before the Kākāpō Recovery Programme kicked off in 1995.
Additionally, aspergillosis, an infection caused by the fungus aspergillus that causes severe, and at times fatal, respiratory illness, is another major threat. The infection killed two adults and seven chicks in 2021.
Kākāpōs are native to New Zealand where they are considered one of the country’s unique natural treasures.
In 2023, a team of scientists from the University of Otago performed gene sequencing of almost the entire kākāpō population to aid in the species’ survival.
“Kākāpō suffer from disease and low reproductive output, so by understanding the genetic reasons for these problems, we can now help mitigate them,” explained Andrew Digby, Ph.D., a science advisor from the Department of Conservation, in a press release.
3. Yangtze finless porpoise
The Yangtze finless porpoise is the only species of freshwater porpoise in the world. The name comes from its lack of a dorsal fin.
This cetacean species (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) is endemic to the Yangtze River in China and can be found in the main river channel and the two large lakes. Two species and three subspecies of finless porpoise are currently recognized.
Extensive human activities on the river, including pollution, illicit fishing, boat collisions, and dam construction, have led to a significant decrease in the population, leaving only around 1,000 individuals today. Loss of habitat is forcing the porpoises into smaller and smaller areas.
The World Wide Fund for Nature warns that without immediate conservation efforts, the Yangtze finless porpoise faces a 90 percent chance of going extinct within the next century.
4. Gharial
The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), commonly called gavial or fish-eating crocodile, is an Asian member of the Crocodylia family recognizable by its distinctive long and slender snout.
Historically, the gharial’s range spanned the rivers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Today, the species is restricted to fragmented populations in Nepal and northern India.
According to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in the U.S., the gharial leads an aquatic lifestyle, with individuals only leaving the water to bask and nest on sandbanks.
Gharials have been listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN as of 2007, after a 98 percent population decrease since the 1940s. There are currently fewer than 250 individuals remaining in the wild.
The significant population decrease is attributed to habitat loss from human activity, a decline in available food resources (fish), and harmful fishing methods.
5. Brown spider monkey
Indigenous to the forests in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela, the brown spider monkey (Ateles hybridus) is one of the world’s 25 most endangered primate species.
Distinguished by its long prehensile tail, the species has four curved fingers and no thumbs, which helps it swing from one tree to another and move around tree branches.
A critically endangered brown spider monkey female and its newborn at the Barcelona Zoo in Spain, in 2022.
Over the past 45 years, the population of brown spider monkeys has declined by around 80 percent, resulting in a remaining wild population of approximately 3,000 individuals, according to the IUCN.
The primary risks to the species include the loss of its natural habitat due to human-led deforestation and illegal hunting, as the species’ meat is highly valued in many parts of its native region.
6. Hawksbill sea turtle
This critically endangered sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) gets its name from its unique beak-like mouth, which is perfect for finding food sources in hard-to-reach cracks and crevices,
Found in tropical and subtropical waters of the world’s major oceans, the largest populations of hawksbills are found in the west Atlantic, Indian, and Indo-Pacific Oceans. The largest nesting populations are located in Australia and the Solomon Islands.
According to a 2018 study, the Hawksbill is at a particular risk from climate change, which is already causing an alteration in sex ratios and reproductive outcomes.
Natalie Montero, a Florida State University graduate and lead author of the study, found that rising air and sea temperatures, along with increased rainfall and solar radiation, could reduce the overall hatching success of the species by 11 percent by the end of the century.
“Humans can help marine turtles in many ways,” says Montero. “Reducing coastal construction and protecting more coastal habitat will help ensure present and future nesting habitat is available.”
The Hawksbill sea turtle is among the most endangered sea turtle populations and one of the oldest living creatures on Earth.
In many parts of the world, hawksbills are hunted for their beautiful shells, which are used to create jewelry and trinkets.
Other threats include becoming tangled in commercial fishing gear, vessel strikes, ocean pollution, predation of eggs and hatchlings, and habitat destruction from human activity.
Estimates claim there are only five populations worldwide, with more than 1,000 adult females and around 8,000 adult females nesting annually.
7. Chinese giant salamander
Considered one of the largest amphibians in the world, the Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is native to rocky mountain streams and lakes in the Yangtze River basin.
Habitat loss, pollution, and overhunting for its meat — a delicacy used in traditional Chinese medicine — pose significant threats to the species.
Chinese giant salamanders are native to the Yangtze river basin of central China.
According to Endangered Wildlife, an environmental conservation organization, fewer than 50,000 individuals are left in the wild.
Farmed populations are estimated at over 2 million, however, research from 2015 states that farming poses a grave risk to the wild salamander populations instead of supporting their conservation.
The study found that wild salamanders are illegally poached to supplement farmed populations, which are not as hardy and frequently face challenges in successful breeding.
“With better farming practices, the Chinese giant salamander farming industry has the potential to benefit, rather than threaten, their conservation,” says Andrew Cunningham, PhD, a wildlife epidemiology professor at the Zoological Society of London and lead author of the project.
8. Red wolf
The red wolf (Canis rufus) is the world’s most endangered wolf, a canine whose size is between a coyote and a gray wolf.
Native to the southeastern part of the U.S., red wolf populations decreased significantly by the early 20th century due to intensive predator control initiatives and habitat destruction from human activity.
Fewer than 20 red wolves live in the wild throughout the U.S.
Distinctive for the reddish cast of their coat, red wolves have been listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCU.S.nce 1996.
According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, only around 17 red wolves are left in the wild. Another 241 individuals are kept in captivity in 45 nationwide breeding facilities.
9. Sehuencas water frog
The Sehuencas water frog (Telmatobius yuracare), native to Bolivia’s tropical montane cloud forests, rivers, and marshes, is predominantly threatened by habitat loss.
The species was believed to be extinct between 2009 and 2019, as scientists were aware only of a sole male specimen, nicknamed Romeo, who was kept in captivity at Bolivia’s Natural History Museum Alcide d’Orbigny.
Dubbed ‘the world’s loneliest frog,’ Romeo even had an online dating profile set by the scientists in a bid to find a female and save his species from vanishing.
But in 2019, researchers discovered five of the frogs in the wild — three more males and two females. The discovery allowed the establishment of a breeding program.
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Georgina Jedikovska Georgina Jedikovska, journalist, plant engineer, oenophile and foodie. Based in Skopje, North Macedonia. Holds an MSc. degree in Horticultural Engineering, with a specialization in viticulture and oenology. Loves travelling, exploring new cultures, a good read, great food and flavorful wines. Enjoys writing about archaeology, history, and environmental sciences.
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