Endangered Animals: Facts, Statistic Highlights, & Conservation

Pollution, plastic in oceans, deforestation, global warming, climate change, and whatnot! Humans have been the biggest threat to nature, but they are the sole members facing the aftereffects. The deterioration of the earth has caused a decline in a lot of wildlife populations.

With more than 30,000 species on the brink of extinction, it becomes crucial to understand wildlife more and understand its importance. To ensure the Earth survives as the only planet to support life, balance within individual ecosystems is utterly necessary. As we lose one species, we are progressing towards extinction rapidly.

Let us know more about endangered species and learn a few interesting facts about endangered animals.

What are Endangered Species?

Endangered species are animals whose populations have shown a great decline, making extinction a threat to them. The main reasons any species becomes endangered are habitat loss (natural or anthropogenic) and loss of genetic variation (for example, the endangerment of big cats like cheetahs).

Apart from these two reasons, wildlife is challenged with a decline in the number of their population. Climate change, pollution, unsustainable hunting, etc, are a few ways humans have contributed to and accelerated the species’ endangerment and extinction.

Facts About Endangered Animals

The loss of biodiversity is a great concern for humans to save the natural balance of the Earth. The extinction rate of species has accelerated, which has made it a concern for humans.

Here are the top 15 facts about endangered animals that will help you learn about them:

1. The Data Collected

IUWC (International Union for Wildlife Conservation) published a book, “Red Data Book or Red List Book ” in 1964 that collects data about all the endangered and threatened species of both plant and animal species. The book displayed information based on color codes. For endangered species, the red color in the book is used to represent the species.

The Red Data Book has helped in the identification, evaluation, and maintenance of records of different species. It also helps to derive strategies to save the endangered species of the world. While it is very beneficial to track, record, and analyze data related to endangered species, it does not contain complete data for which continuous assessment of various species is still being performed.

2. What are the Top 10 Endangered Animals?

Have you ever wondered what the top listed endangered species of the world are? To start the facts about endangered animals, let us first talk about who makes it to the top list of endangered species. Of an assessment of more than 41,000 species of Java Rhinos, the Amur Leopard, Sunda Island Tiger, Mountain Gorillas, Tapanuli Orangutan, Black Rhinos, African Forest Elephants, Sumatra Orangutan, and Hawksbill Turtles are considered to be the most endangered animals.

3. The Endangered Pandas: How Many Species are There?

Among different endangered species, Pandas are showing a rapid decline in their population count. Pandas are of two species, the Red and Giant panda. As of recent reports, the count of pandas has declined significantly, with only 2060 pandas worldwide. There are a lot of efforts put into saving the endangerment of Pandas. A sub-species of Pandas is also known, named as Qinling Pandas.

4. Camouflage by Giant Pandas

One of the giant panda facts is that they are excellent in camouflaging. We all know the distinctive markings (black and white markings) of the giant panda. It helps the panda camouflage in both snowy (using white areas like the face, neck, rump, and belly) and shady (with the help of arms and legs that are black) environments. This way, the giant pandas hide from predators like leopards and tigers by blending in with their environment.

5. Giant Panda Facts: Can They Eat Meat?

When we think of giant pandas, we often associate bamboo with this species. We know that pandas mainly survive on bamboo plants, but do they solely depend on bamboo? One of the interesting facts about giant pandas is that, just like any other bear, their digestive system supports a carnivore diet as well. They entirely (about 99%) depend on an herbivore diet (including different parts like roots, leaves, and stems of bamboo plants). A small amount of their diet includes small rodents, small mammals, or eggs.

6. The White Color of Polar Bears

Polar bears are known for their elegant white coats. The role of their white coat is to camouflage the environment they live in. Because of their white coats, we often assume that polar bears are all-white. But it is not true. The skin color of polar bears is actually black, which is covered by a thick coat of white fur. Additionally, it is assumed that polar bears have only white fur but can also have light greyish fur, which appears white by reflected light. And unlike human hair, their hair is hollow like a straw.

7. Chinese Crested Tern: Successful Conservation

To conserve the falling count of endangered species, environmentalists are doing a lot. Among different species saved by conservation, one success has been in conserving the Chinese Crested Tern. It is a bird that was on the brink of becoming extinct, but the population has significantly risen because of all the conservation and regulations. Loss of wetlands, disturbance, and egg collection is the reason for the decline in bird population.

8. The Extinction of Angel Shark

The long and flat fins of this shark species give them the name Angel Shark. Their population has faced severe decline as well. The greatest threat to this species is habitat degradation and by-catching in fisheries. The angel shark was listed as an endangered species in 2016.

9. Save One Species to Save More

One of the very interesting facts about endangered animals is that if you save one species of animals, you also eliminate the chances of extinction of other species. In an ecosystem, any of the species is dependent on other species and vice versa. This means that losing or saving a single species can greatly affect the population of other species as well.

10. What is Causing the Extinction of Species?

One of the alarming facts about endangered animals is that most of the animal endangerment is caused by human activities. Animal species face natural extinction, even mass extinctions. But human activities are elevating the animal species endangerment. About 90 % of the total endangered animals are because of human activities like deforestation, pollution, and climate change. With this rate, we are progressing towards mass extinction faster than expected.

11. Polar Bears and Water

Polar bears are facing endangerment due to climate change and global warming. One of the interesting facts about endangered animals of this species is that they don’t drink water. Every living being needs water to survive. How do polar bears survive without water? The answer is that they fulfill their water requirements through chemical reactions in their body that help them to survive without making it necessary to drink water.

12. Sea Turtles: Sex Dependent on Temperature

Sea Turtles have greatly faced the consequences of human activities, and their population has significantly reduced. As we discuss how sea turtles face the threat of endangerment, let us learn one of the interesting facts about endangered animals (Sea Turtles). The temperature of their environment determines the sex of a sea turtle. For a temperature range of 28-29 degrees Celsius, the hatchling becomes a female, whereas it grows up to become a male sea turtle for lower temperatures.

13. Wildlife Poaching and Trophy Hunting: Causing Endangerment

There is no doubt that millions of animals are killed every year for different purposes. It can be for food, medicinal purposes, and sometimes as trophies. While there are regulations to incorporate hunting for legal purposes. But millions of animals are killed with no regulations and illegally. A lot of diversity loss and animal endangerment results from human activities like hunting and harvesting the animals as trophies. Overfishing is another example of the threat of endangerment to animal species. Over-consumption and increased demand have led to disturbance in the fish population of different species and the destruction of many marine habitats.

14. Are Animals Becoming Endangered Only Because of Human Activities?

Human activities have caused a decline in the population of many animal species. While human activities are one of the greatest reasons a lot of wildlife faces extinction and endangerment, it is not the only cause. The most important reasons for a species to become endangered are the invasion of other species, diseases, and habitat loss.

15. Almost 94% of the Rhinos are Lost

Rhinos have been one of the most known species to become endangered. Almost one century ago, the total count of rhinos was around 500,000, dropping to 70,000 in the 1970s. The reports suggested that the number of rhinos was 27,000 at the end of 2022. The decline in the population of rhinos is because of their horns. The Rhino’s horns are used as trophies and have served a medicinal purpose.

Highlighting the Top 10 Stats

The IUCN 2020 shared statistics that suggest that almost one-third of the Red List species are at risk of extinction. The total count of red-listed species with a danger of extinction is 30,178. The updates in reports suggest the count has risen to 40,080 species.
Another highlight from the statistics for endangered species is that around one-fourth of total mammals accessed for endangerment and extinction are susceptible to extinction (as per 2020 reports). This means one out of every four mammals faces the threat of extinction.
The reported extinctions on Earth for the past 250 years have a total count of 571 species.
Scientists are not very accurate about how many species there are on our planet, but till now, we have known around 2 million different species present on our planet. Of total species, we lose about 200 to 2000 species per year.
It is not the first time animal species have faced extinction, but the rate has significantly increased. But the concerning part is that the current rate of extinction of animal species is 1,000 to 10,000 times more than the natural extinction rate.
The geological history of Earth has faced five mass extinctions. The researchers suggest that only 2 % of total species are surviving on Earth currently (because of the mass extinctions). We are progressing towards the sixth mass extinction, for which the main cause is the unsustainable use of resources by humans.
Pandas have faced a rapid decline in their population in the past, but with conservation, the pandas are no longer endangered. The recent data suggests that the total count of Pandas is 1864 in February 2023.
The declining number of wild tigers was a great concern, but conservation efforts have shown promising results. The total number of tigers, as per 2023 reports, is estimated to be around 5500.
Red wolves are expected to go extinct by 2026. The red wolves were vulnerable to extinction in the 1980s when conservation strategies were derived. The population count was stable (100 red wolves) but has declined again. As per June 2023 reports, about 30 red wolves currently exist globally.
About 40% of total insect species are facing a decline in their population globally. Of these 40% species, one-third of the species are endangered.

How to Protect Endangered Species

Protection and conservation of endangered species is very important for the ecosystem to thrive. Humans have done a lot of damage to nature, including causing extinction and endangerment of different animal species. To balance the ecosystem, it is a crucial step to take measures that will help the endangered animals survive the changed environment and conditions.

Many organizations are already doing a lot to preserve the lives of these endangered animals. Some of the top-listed organizations for this cause are WWF (World Wide Fund), IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), and the list goes on. These organizations are doing a lot, and they have a lot of successful campaigns to save the falling numbers of endangered species. But they can not do everything.

So the question here is, can we do something that can protect the endangered species? The answer is yes! If you don’t know how to do so, here are some ways you can contribute to protecting the endangered species and saving the planet!

To begin, learn the most about the endangered species. Learn about their habitat, habits, behavior, feeding habits, and how important they are to the ecosystem. Once you have learned, share the same with your friends and family to increase awareness about this crucial topic.
Over-consumption is one of the reasons a lot of animal species have faced a population decline. We do not suggest you completely change your diet plans or commercial items. For food products, avoid purchasing fish or meat sold illegally or from the black market. Additionally, commercial products support brands that are not harming the environment.
Your buying habits can greatly affect the protection of endangered animals and plants. Avoid buying materials manufactured using endangered species, including both animals and plants.
Another great step is to network and contact people with authorities. People with authority can do so much that a citizen can not. Write letters and emails showing your concern and the importance of protecting endangered species.
To support the conservation of endangered species, ensure that you are avoiding the use of herbicides and pesticides. This can harm native species of plants and animals, affecting the environmental balance and entering the food cycle.
Plant native plants in your garden or backyard to not only help the native plants to thrive but also help the native animal species to replenish their survival. When introducing a new species, research carefully to avoid invasion by alien species, which will only accelerate the endangerment. Alternatively, you can also create a backyard that supports pollination.
Support and volunteer at wildlife sanctuaries, zoos, aquariums, and wildlife centers. Give donations to support the cause. Additionally, volunteering helps to learn more about endangered species.
Make your home wildlife-friendly, and you can do it by taking the smallest of the steps. Attach birdhouses and bird feeders to your garden. If you have ample space, you can also build a shelter for the wild animals.
Learn what is causing the wildlife to face this threat. While, as an individual, there’s nothing we can do on a large scale, even small efforts matter. Try opting for sustainable ways of living, follow the 3 Rs, avoid using plastic, and go for eco-friendly ways to live.

Summing Up

Protecting endangered animals and plants is important to help balance the ecosystem. To protect the populations facing a decline in number, begin with understanding and learning the most about wildlife. This way, you will get to learn interesting facts about endangered animals.

To protect the wildlife from extinction, you can do so much as an individual. The small steps you can take are volunteering and supporting the local, national, and international wildlife centers. A task as simple as opting for ways for sustainable living can do so much for species that are near the edge of becoming extinct.

Let us know in the comments one interesting fact you know about an endangered species!