endangered mammals
Endangered Mammals
Human greed has resulted in the exploitation of nature. Many species of mammals have become extinct and many more are threatened. Here is a list of some mammal species which are listed as endangered.
*The red box on the right is the IUCN conservation status, where CR means critically endangered, EN means endangered, VU means vulnerable, and EW means extinct in the wild.
These were just a few endangered mammal species, it is estimated that around 20 percent of all known mammal species are either threatened or endangered. Since we are responsible for this endangerment, it is up to us to save these animals. All of us can contribute to their conservation, even a small action on your part can make a difference. Here are some ways that you, your family, and your community, can help.
Addax
The addax is a rare antelope found in the Sahara desert, and is closely related to the Oryx.CR
African Wild Ass
Member of the horse family, the African wild ass is believed to be the ancestor of domestic donkeys.CR
African Wild Dog
These wild dogs can only be found in Africa, and can be seen hunting in large packs.EN
Anoa
This miniature water buffalo is native to Indonesia and, like most cattle, lives in pairs rather than herds.EN
Arabian Oryx
Native to the Arabian peninsula, the Arabian oryx is a medium-sized antelope that is mainly found in deserts and Steppe areas.VU
Asian Water Buffalo
The true wild population of the Asian water buffalo is thought to survive only in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Thailand.EN
Asian Elephant
The only living species of its genus, the Asian elephant is found across Southeast Asia.EN
Bactrian Camel
This large, double-humped camel is native to Central Asia. The Bactrian camel can be found only in the remote regions of the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts of Mongolia and China.CR
Baiji
The baiji, found only in the Yangtze River in China, is a freshwater dolphin that was thought to be extinct until 2007, when a few baijis were caught on tape.CR
Baird's Tapir
Native to Central America and Northern South America, The Baird's tapir is a massive mammal that mainly forages for leaves and fallen fruit.EN
Bearded Saki
Diurnal and arboreal by nature, these New World monkeys live in the Eastern and Central Amazon in South America. Three of the four species are considered to be threatened.EN
Black-Footed Ferret
Also known as American polecat, the black-footed ferret can be found in small and restricted populations in Central North America.EN
Black Rhinoceros
The black rhinoceros has a distinctive characteristic in the form of a clipped upper lip. These rhinos are native to Eastern and Central Africa, around the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.EN
Blue Whale
The blue whale is the largest known animal to have ever existed. They can be found in all the oceans of the world.EN
Bonobo
Also known as the pygmy chimpanzee, Bonobos are distinguished by their relatively long legs, pink lips and dark face. They can be found in the Congo basin, Central Africa.CR
Broad-Nosed Gentle Lemur
The broad-nosed gentle lemur is the largest bamboo lemur. It is only found in South-Eastern Madagascar.CR
Cheetah
The world's fastest land animal, the cheetah can reach speeds in excess of 60 miles per hour. They can be found in Africa and parts of the Middle East.VU
Giant Armadillo
Armadillos, found in Eastern South America, are insectivorous mammals. They can easily be distinguished by their armored platesVU
Giant Otter
The giant otter is a large aquatic mammal that is found across North-Central South AmericaEN
Giant Panda
The giant panda is a bear native to Central-Western and South-Western China. It has a distinctive white head with black eye patches, ears and shoulders.EN
Golden Bamboo Lemur
The golden bamboo lemur is a nocturnal primate that lives in the South-Eastern bamboo forests of Madagascar.EN
Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo
Also known as the ornate tree-kangaroo, this species of tree kangaroo has short legs, narrow feet and a long tail for balance. It is native to the rainforests of New Guinea.EN
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest apes inhabiting our planet. They are primarily herbivorous, and inhabit the forests and mountains of Central Africa.EN
Hawaiian Monk Seal
The Hawaiian monk seal is a species of ear-less seal, native to Hawaii. It is one of two remaining monk seal species.CR
Hirola
The hirola is a type of antelope. Due to their large preorbital glands, they are sometimes known as four-eyed antelope. They can be found in Kenya and Somalia.CR
Iberian Lynx
Native to the Iberian peninsula, the Iberian lynx is one of the endangered cat species in the world. They are solitary cats found in South-Western Europe.CR
Indiana Bat
The Indiana bat is a medium-sized bat that feeds exclusively on flying insects. This mouse-eared bat is native to North America and lives in limestone caves.EN
Indus River Dolphin
The Indus river dolphin is sub-species of freshwater or river dolphin. It can found in the rivers of Southern Asia.EN
Iranian Jerboa
The Iranian jerboa is a mouse-like rodent with large ears. This elusive creature is endemic to Iran, and is threatened by habitat loss and restricted range.CR
Javan Rhinoceros
Also known as lesser one-horned rhinoceros, the Javan rhinoceros is an extremely rare mammal with thick, gray skin. It is closely related to the Indian rhinoceros.CR
Maned Three-Toed Sloth
Maned sloths are solitary diurnal animals, spending about 60-80% of their day asleep. They are slow-moving mammals with small heads and can only be found in Brazil.VU
Mountain Zebra
Mountain zebras are distinguished from normal zebras by their characteristic unbarred belly. The species can be found in South-Western Angola, Namibia and South Africa.VU
Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat
The northern hairy-nosed wombat is one of the rarest mammals in the world. It can be described as a stocky, short-legged marsupial. They can only be found in Australia.CR
Orangutan
The Orangutan is the only surviving species of the subfamily Ponginae. They are tree-dwelling, large primates that spend most of the time on trees.CR
Przewalski's Horse
Native to the steppes of Central Asia, the Przewalski's horse was considered to be extinct in the wild, until it was reintroduced in Mongolia.EN
Pygmy Hippopotamus
This rare nocturnal creature is native to the forests and swamps of West Africa. Closely related to the common hippopotamus, the pygmy hippopotamus is only half as tall and weighs only a fraction of its larger cousin.EN
Red Panda
Related to raccoons, skunks and weasels, the red panda is a small arboreal mammal native to the Eastern Himalayas and South-Western China. It is omnivorous and mainly feeds on bamboos.VU
Red Wolf
The red wolf was thought to be extinct in the wild by 1980, but thanks to captive breeding, it was reintroduced in 1987 in North Carolina.CR
Scimitar-horned Oryx
The scimitar-horned oryx is a species of oryx which formerly inhabited all of North Africa, but is now extinct in the wild. It has curved, sword like horns that grow several feet long.EW
Sea Otter
The sea otter is a marine mammal, that spends most of its time in water. It has the densest coat of fur in the animal kingdom. They were hunted extensively for their fur, which brought them to brink of extinction. They are native to the coasts along the Pacific Ocean.EN
Snow Leopard
Snow leopards occupy alpine and sub-alpine areas of Central and South Asia. Their bodies are stocky, fur is thick, and their ears are small and rounded, perfect for cold mountainous environment.EN
Sperm Whale
The sperm whale is the world's largest carnivore and also possesses the largest brain of any animal. It is the only living member of genus Physeter. A mature male can grow to about 20 meters (67 ft) long. The head of a sperm whale constitutes one-third of its length.VU
Sumatran Rhinoceros
Relatively larger than other animals, the Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest and hairiest of all the rhinoceros species. They are found in peninsular Malaysia and the island of Sumatra and Borneo.CR
Tiger
The tiger is among the most recognized mammals in the world. It is the largest cat species, and the third largest land carnivore. Out of the 9 subspecies, only 6 remain and all of them are classified as endangered.EN
Yellow-Breasted Capuchin
Also known as golden-bellied capuchin, the yellow-breasted capuchin is a species of New World primates. It has a small face, short limbs and a prehensile tail. Their populations are restricted to the Atlantic forest of South-Eastern Bahia, Brazil.CR
- Protect the natural areas around your house, and in your community, by volunteering with an NGO
- Stop Pollution! And stop people who pollute the environment. One of the biggest reasons for extinction is the damage we cause to the environment.
- Recycle, reduce, reuse!