April is the Earth month and we must not forget that we are not the only ones who live here. An extensive amount of fauna is now endangered because of different circumstances but with something in common, all are caused by man, global warming, illegal hunting, or destruction of their habitat has put many species in danger.
To list all the animals that are endangered or vulnerable would be a very long list, but these are just a few of the many animals that we should not forget.
Red Panda – Population: less than 10,000
A very skillful and acrobatic animal that predominantly stays in trees, the red panda is slightly larger that a cat with a body like a bear and thick russet fur. Their long bushy tails serves them to balance and cover themselves in the winter, is an herbivore.
Most of the red panda’s habitat in the Eastern Himalayas where villagers put traps are often caught in traps meant for other animals like wild pigs and mistakenly they get trapped. Once they get to humans’ hands, people use their fur for caps or hats..
The loss of nesting trees and bamboo is also causing a decline in the red panda population.
African Wild Dog – Population: 1,409
One of the world’s most endangered mammals. These dogs are social and gather in packs, they are opportunistic predators that hunt animals like gazelles. Just in a sprint, this dog can reach speeds of more than 44 miles per hour.
Problems arise when expanding human activities decrease their habitat, but major threats to the survival of these animals include accidental and targeted huntings and viral diseases as well.
Ganges River Dolphin – Population: 1,200 – 1,800
The Ganges river dolphin was officially discovered in 1801, they lived in some river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
They can only live in freshwater and are blind. They use ultrasonic sounds to hunt, which bounces off of fish and other prey, in a certain way they can see an image in their mind.
They are frequently alone or in small groups, females are larger than males and give birth once every two or three years to only one calf.
Accidentally they get caught in fishing nets and hunted for meat and oil, used for medicinal purposes. The industrial, agricultural and human pollution is a serious cause of habitat degradation; just each year 9,000 tons of pesticides and 6 million tons of fertilizers are thrown in their habitat.
Bonobos – Population: 10,000 to 50,000
These species look much like as a chimpanzee, however, the Bonobos are usually a bit smaller, leaner, and darker.
the Bonobos groups tend to be more peaceful and are led by females.
Bonobos can only be found in forests of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, they mantain relationships and settle conflicts through intercourse and most of the groups are led by females.
This particular kind of primate shares 98.7% of its genetic code with humans, along with the chimpanzees, making them our closest living relatives.
Unfortunately, humans hunt bonobos to eat them, trade them, and keep them as pets and for use in traditional medicine.
Black-Footed Ferret – Population: Approx. 370 in the wild
One of North America’s most endangered mammals. This little animal was once thought to be extinct, but it was rediscovered in 1981 in Wyoming, so efforts were concerted by numerous partners to give the black-footed ferret a second chance to survive.
Captive breeding, reintroductions and habitat protection improved the restoration of this animal in the wild, however the habitat loss and diseases remain. It is estimated that there should be 3,000 ferrets in the wild to successfully recover this species.
Saola – Population: Unknown
The Asian unicorn, as it is known, has been documented in the wild only four occasions to date. It was discovered in May 1992 by the Ministry of Forestry of Vietnam and WWF in north-central Vietnam.
This animal has two parallel horns with sharp ends and can be found in both males and females. Surprisingly, they are a cousin of cattle but resemble an antelope and are mostly found in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam and Laos.
Habitat loss and hunting represent a risk for this species; as forest disappear to make a way for agriculture, infrastructure, and plantations, saola is being squeezed into smaller spaces.
