Many different kinds of wildlife across the world are in danger, but we’ve created a world’s most endangered species list to put a spotlight on just how small some populations are. These almost-extinct animals are in some dire straits, with some populations having less than a hundred left!

Let’s prevent animals going extinct and help these threatened groups before it’s too late. Remember, there are plenty of animals that have already gone recently extinct because of humans.

What Animals Are Going Extinct?

There are nearly 20 animals that are about to be extinct according to the World Wildlife Fund and the World Economic Forum. Some species might have fairly low numbers but aren’t necessarily #1 on the WWF priority list, and some that have seemingly high populations are on the list. This has to do with their reproductive rates and cycles. It’s alarming how quickly populations diminish for certain species! For instance, the hawksbill turtle has a population well into the thousands, but their delicate egg-hatching reproductive cycles put them high on the priority list. Also, some on our list, like the Hawaiian crow, are actually extinct in the wild, and attempts to push them back into the wild have been desperate, despite the fact that they still have a population of a hundred or so.

What Is the Most Endangered Animal?

The most endangered animal is considered to be the vaquita, a small dolphin-like creature from the Gulf of California, not too far from America Out of the various nearly extinct animals on our list, they have the smallest number left: only about 30.

Besides the cute vaquita, what is the most endangered species in the world? Experts are most concerned about rhinoceros breeds, big cats (like tigers and leopards), as well as big apes and primates like orangutans. The next in line is probably the black softshell turtle.

Top 10 Endangered Species by Number Left

This is our most endangered animals list by the current population as of 2018:

Vaquita (Phocoena sinus): 30 left Black Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia nigricans): 44 left South China Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis): Around 50 left Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii): 58 left Javan Rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus): 68 left Sumatran Rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis): 85 left Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis): 84 left Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella breviostris): 92 left Socorro Dove (Zenaida grayoni): Around 100 left Hawaiian Crow (Corvus hawaiiensis): 114 left

What Can We Do to Stop It?

First, start with awareness. Look at our list of endangered animals and why they are endangered, and try to stop engaging in behaviors that would directly endanger them, such as poaching, contributing to ocean trash, or making traditional Chinese medicine that requires endangered animal parts. Then, look at the facts and see what you can do to help extinct-in-the-wild, threatened, and critically endangered animals. You could donate to the WWF, volunteer in the community, inform others, get in touch with your state’s wildlife resources, and put pressure on local governments if they are endangering local wildlife or trading with communities that do. Let’s work together to keep the world’s most endangered animals alive!

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