If there are more than 2 million different species on the planet, there may actually be up to 20 million in total. But among them, some are in the extinction phase. Here are 10 particularly endangered species.
Species to protect. Whether because of a predator, an environmental change or sometimes human hunting, certain animals see their numbers decrease to the point of being threatened with extinction.
Update on the 10 species that could soon become part of the past, according to statistics from the environmental NGO WWF.
African forest elephant (30,000 individuals)
On the continent, the total elephant population has fallen from several million to just 400,000 today. But one subspecies is particularly endangered: that of the African forest elephants, which numbers barely 30,000 individuals. Traditionally hunted for the ivory of its horns, it particularly suffers from poaching.
hawksbill turtle (23,000 individuals)
The hawksbill turtle also suffers from human hunting. The quality of its scales continues to make it prey for certain poachers. This turtle is particularly distinguished by its spongivorous diet (it feeds exclusively on sponges).
Oran-OUtan of Sumatra (14,000 individuals)
The orangutan is one of the apes that shares the most DNA sequences with humans. With 97% of identical sequences, only the chimpanzee and the bonobo do better.
This animal is intelligent enough that it was seen, in 2024, chewing the leaves of a medicinal plant to extract the juice and then treating an open wound on its face. A few days later, the wound had closed.
Black Rhinoceros (5,630 individuals)
Black rhinoceroses historically far outnumbered white rhinoceroses. After having suffered a lot from human hunting, the West African species officially became extinct in 2011. Only a few very rare individuals remain scattered in the African savannahs of the south and east, little able to survive. revive the species.
Yangtze porpoise (1,000 individuals)
The porpoise is a difficult species to recognize. Very close to the dolphin, it has curved and pointed teeth, while the dolphin has circular teeth.
In addition, although it also adopts a friendly and unafraid behavior towards humans and boats, it very rarely happens that it leaps above the water, like dolphins. In China’s blue Yangtze River, authorities have recently taken significant steps to protect this endemic species. The population seems to be increasing in numbers in recent years.
mountain gorilla (1,000 individuals)
Gorillas are threatened with extinction. This animal, renowned for its natural strength, only has two habitats, separated by a few thousand kilometers. The most isolated species of all lives in the high mountains of Uganda (Bwindi forest).
oran-outan de tapanuli (800 individuals)
The Tapanuli orangutan differs from its Sumatran cousin by its darker coat. The two monkeys live together on the Indonesian island. It was only in 2017, by comparing the skulls of some individuals from the Tapanuli population and that of Sumatra and comparing their genomes, that the two species were classified as different.
Sunda Island tiger (600 individuals)
Sunda Island tigers lived on the Indonesian island a few years ago. Nowadays, populations have migrated towards Sumatra and the few remaining individuals therefore live on the main island of the country. These tigers are characterized by a smaller size and a propensity to have fur and whiskers under their snouts.
Amur leopard (100 individuals)
The Amur leopard is a wild beast living in eastern Russia and China. Compared to other leopards, this one stands out thanks to its special fur. It is thick and cream colored, especially during winter. The rosettes are 5 cm by 5 cm and are spaced further apart than the others.
Java rhinoceros (75 individuals)
The Javan rhino is the most endangered species in the world. It is the rarest large mammal on the planet. Formerly, the Asian rhino ranged from the islands of Java and Sumatra, to southeast Asia and as far as India and China.
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