There are many lesser known species who need are help. Learn about some of the most endangered species in the world and how to help them at The Animal Center.
1. Vaquita: the vaquita is the rarest marine animal, a porpoise who lives in the gulf of California off of Mexico. As of 2023 there are reportedly fewer than 20 individuals left. Their gestation period, or how long their pregnancy lasts is 10 to 11 months, making it a slow journey for them to reproduce. The vaquita’s population has dwindled ever since the Totoaba fish became a popular medicine. Even though there is no scientific proof that the Totoaba fish can actually cure disease, they are sold at illegal markets for $80,000 dollars per kilogram. People catch the Totoaba fish in gillnets and vaquita’s get tangled up in these same nets, drowning them. As of 1975 it has been made illegal to hunt the Totoaba, but this hasn’t stopped people. To learn more about the vaquita and how to help them see our post here.
2. Javan Rhinoceros: there are only 76 Javan Rhinoceros left in the world. This is because they are killed by trophy hunters, and because they are also killed for being seen as pests to agriculture. Javan Rhinoceros are also poached for their horns because in some Asian cultures Javan horns are considered a prize for medicinal values. Their life span is 30-50 years and the only place that the Javan Rhinoceros lives is Ujung Kulon National park located in Java Indonesia, built to keep them safe and out of harm's way. Poachers that are convicted for killing a Javan Rhinoceros serve a minimum of five years in jail.
3. Addax: this species is critically endangered with fewer than 100 species left. As of recently, a new addax calf was born at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois. The addax resembles an antelope with twisted horns from 22 to 31 inches long in height. Their natural predators include: cheetahs, lions and African wild dogs, but they are also poached by humans frequently. Hunting or harassing an Addax is illegal in their natural habitat, Niger, but in Texas, they are legally hunted. There are 5-20 members of addax per herd. They are often poached for their long horns which hunters sell for decorative wall hangings.
4. Northern Right Whale: there are fewer than 350 Northern Right Whales remaining. Northern Right Whales are categorized into 2 species: the north pacific right whale and the southern right whale. They are baleen whales which means they eat large amounts of copepods. In the early 1890s whalers had almost pushed northern right whales to extinction. The namesake of this beautiful species comes from a much more sinister meaning. Whalers thought they were thought to be the “right” whale’s to hunt because they float when they’re killed so they are easy to spot and retrieve. Right Whales predominantly live in the coast of eastern America and Atlantic water but they migrate seasonally to New England and Northern Canadian waters. The main threats to this species are getting tangled in fishing gear, vessel strikes and climate change.
5. Pangolin: there are eight species of Pangolins left, although 2 are listed as critically endangered according to WWF. Pangolins are like armadillos with thick scales covering their bodies. They are mammals in the order pholidota which means they are scaly and toothless eutherian mammals. Their population is around 10,000 but decreasing rapidly. Each species is protected by worldwide laws but those laws are broken by poachers who hunt them for bush meat, but in the last decade the price has risen for pangolin skin, scales, and the entire creature in some countries.
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