10 animals that are in danger of extinction in the world

The latest calculations of the number of eukaryotic species on planet earth ensure that there is a minimum of 8.7 million eukaryotic species (plants, animals, fungi, and single-celled organisms nucleated). At the moment, due to human action, we are in an accelerated period of animal extinctions.

This proposed sixth great extinction is caused by human action. Although extinctions occur naturally during evolution,we are experiencing 100 times higher species disappearance rates than we would expect under normal conditions.

By 2100, we may have lost half of the higher life forms on planet earth. As an illustration of this serious problem, in this article we present 10 animals in danger of extinction.

10 endangered animals

We present you a recent list with several examples of species whose survival is doubtful or complicated, at least without direct action to ensure their protection. Many of these animals, although they are beautiful or fascinating, do not interact with the majority of the human population, which makes their extinction a distant tragedy.

This list of endangered animals should serve as a reminder that we are doing something wrong in terms of our coexistence on planet earth and not to remedy it, we ourselves can end up on this list.

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1. Vaquita (Phocoena sinus)

The vaquita is a species of porpoise (a group of small cetaceans, close relatives of whales) discovered in 1958. They are less than 1.50m long and are currently only seen in the northern Gulf of California.

It is believed that there are only about 30 specimens of these funny marine animals left around the world, in large part due to the use of illegal fishing practices in the region they inhabit.

2. Orangutan (Pongo abelli, Pongo pygmeus)

There are several populations of orangutans in the forests of Sumatra and Borneo, with different degrees of danger disappearance, although all of them are in a precarious situation as far as their survival is concerned, treats.

They are animals of exceptional intelligence, with reddish fur, that nest in trees despite being of considerable size and weighing around 90 kilos in adulthood. They are also a close relative of human beings, sharing more than 96% of their genes with us.

3. Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla, Gorilla beringei)

Gorillas also share a very close common ancestor to humans, sharing more than 98% of their genes with ours. Conservation efforts are great to save this species of ape, which despite weighing more than 200 kilos and measuring almost 2 meters in height, it has suffered significant losses of population and territory due to the action human.

4. Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)

The whale shark is not only the largest shark on the planet, but it is also the largest fish that exists today, measuring around 20 meters long and weighing about 11 tons. Their diet is based on plankton, tiny organisms that are carried away by ocean currents.

Not much is known about these sharks, despite the fact that they rise to the surface to feed on plankton. They are capable of traveling enormous distances to get food and find other whale sharks to breed with. They are found in tropical oceans around the world.

5. Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)

The green turtle is the largest sea turtle, weighing up to 160 kg, and the only herbivorous sea turtle. Inhabits the oceans, moving long distances in pilgrimage from the areas where they feed to the beaches where they were born, to lay the eggs that will be the next generation of turtles.

The hunting of these animals, the effects of maritime pollution and the destruction of their mating habitats make this magnificent specimen also in danger of extinction.

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6. Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)

Bluefin tuna, especially threatened in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, weigh more than 350 kg and have a privileged vision, which they use to hunt. Intensive fishing practices for this species of tuna, especially in the Mediterranean Sea, have reduced their numbers by between 60 and 80% in recent years.

7. Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)

The blue whale is known to be the largest animal ever to exist in the history of planet earth. Its weight is the equivalent of about 33 elephants, about 200 tons. Their hearts are the size of a small car and they need to eat 4 tons of krill (small prawns) a day.

Their numbers were decimated in the first half of the s. XX, which led the international community to regulate the hunting of this animal. Even so, poaching by certain countries such as Japan continues to pose a great risk to this majestic endangered animal, of which only about 25,000 specimens remain.

8. Tiger (Panthera tigris)

The tiger is the largest Asian feline. They are territorial and solitary animals, hunted for their beauty and supposed "healing abilities" of some of their organs. Currently there are less than 4000 tiger specimens in the world. This is largely due to the pressure of hunting by humans, as well as the destruction of their habitats.

Fortunately, protection efforts for these animals are translating into increasing numbers of wild tiger populations and the population is expected to double by 2022.

9. Red panda (Ailurus fulgens)

The red panda is an animal slightly larger than a domestic cat, with a body similar in morphology to that of a bear. Native to southern China and the eastern Himalayas, the disruption of their habitats and poaching has reduced their numbers to less than 10,000.

Despite not having a close relationship with the giant panda, which belongs to the bear family, they also feed primarily on bamboo and have developed a pseudo thumb to facilitate their survival.

10. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

The polar bear has become the clearest example of an animal species threatened by the action of climate change, due to the disappearance of its glacial habitat due to the warming of the Arctic and the consequent thaw that this provokes. It is believed that there are currently about 30,000 specimens in the wild.

They spend half of their time hunting, due to their large size and high nutritional needs. Their diet is mainly carnivorous, which is not a problem since they are excellent hunters. Their favorite prey is the seal, which they hunt patiently waiting for them to come out to breathe.

Due to the destruction of their habitat, polar bears are increasingly in lower latitudes, in search of food and shelter.

Bibliographic references

• Census of Marine Life. (2011). How many species on Earth? About 8.7 million, new estimate says. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 24, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823180459.htm
• Ceballos, G., Ehrlich, P. R., Barnosky, A. D., García, A., Pringle, R. M., & Palmer, T. M. (2015). Accelerated modern human-induced species losses: Entering the sixth mass extinction. Science advances, 1 (5).