Top 12 Endangered Wild Animal Species Worldwide

1. Amur Leopard

Amur Leopard is a rare and precious animal species belonging to the cat family originating from the Far East of Russia, possessing a running speed of about 60 km/h and jumping up to nearly 6 meters from the ground. They are also known as the Far Eastern Leopard, Manchurian Leopard, or Korean Leopard and are one of the rarest large cats in the world. Currently, this animal species is almost extinct and is being specially cared for in Russian national parks. In 2015, according to reports, there were only about 60 Amur Leopards left. They are found in the border region of forests between the Far East of Russia and China. This is an extremely endangered species, and the WWF (World Wild Fund) is cooperating with local communities, regional authorities, governments, and other non-governmental organizations to save the Amur Leopard and ensure the conservation nature of their habitat in the long term.

The coat of the Amur Leopard is brighter than most other leopard species and has large, dark, rosette patterns, intermittently solid. They weigh between 70-105 pounds (31 to 48 kg). Adapted very well to cold conditions in the Far East of Russia, they have thick fur, with fur thickness reaching up to 7cm in winter. The main reason Amur leopards are hunted is because of their beautiful fur. Another reason is the lack of prey as their food includes deer, sika deer, and forest rabbits, which are hunted by local people for food and income. Amur Leopards are also threatened by habitat loss. This species is very important in the food chain. They are top predators, meaning they play a significant role in balancing the number of other species in their habitat. This affects the state of forests and ecosystems, providing diverse food, clean water, and many other resources for the natural environment and humans. Conserving the habitat of the Amur Leopard also benefits other species, including Amur Tigers and prey such as sika deer, deer... These leopards have fast and strong legs. They carry and hide their prey on tree branches to prevent it from being stolen by other predators. They are considered to have the best stalking and climbing skills in the big cat family, with impressive strength, they are capable of subduing prey weighing 10 times their own weight.

2. Mountain Gorilla

Mountain gorillas are scientifically known as Mountain gorillas, and their current global population is under 900 individuals. The main habitat of this species is predominantly in three countries and four national parks, including Bwindi National Park in Uganda and Virunga National Park in Congo. Maintaining the current population is a very difficult task, requiring conservation efforts from every possible angle. Additionally, the most concerning factors are warfare, deforestation, or human encroachment, which are increasingly threatening their existence. Mountain gorillas are Hominoidea animals, belonging to the Hominidae family, Gorilla genus, and Eastern gorilla species. They are one of the largest surviving species to date. Mountain gorillas have fossils dating back 34-24 million years ago (Oligocene) in Africa and the Middle East, but nowadays, they are only found in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mountain gorillas have thicker and longer fur compared to other gorilla species, enabling them to survive in harsher weather conditions. The size of males is about 1.5 meters, weighing 180 kg – twice the size of females.

Similar to many other Hominoidea species, they have longer arms than legs, moving on the ground using all four limbs, with the weight concentrated on their fingers rather than the palms. Mountain gorillas are most active from dawn to dusk, with a habit of dividing their day into 3 meals: morning, noon, and afternoon. Mountain gorillas usually live on the slopes of volcanoes in active volcanic areas such as Karisimbi, Mikeno, and Visoke, Democratic Republic of the Congo. They inhabit at altitudes of 2200-4000 meters, where the climate is cloudy, misty, cold with dense vegetation at the foot of the mountain and gradually sparse at higher elevations. According to reports from national parks where Mountain gorillas live, the leading causes of facing the risk of extinction are poaching – Mountain gorillas are often permanently injured by traps set by poachers or captured as cubs to zoos. Habitat loss – The rapid expansion of settlements of people around the buffer zone of the national park. Disease outbreaks – Mountain gorillas frequently come into contact with tourist groups from around the world, making them vulnerable to diseases transmitted from humans. Warfare, political instability – Refugees flock to mountainous forest areas, cutting down trees and hunting gorillas for meat to support their temporary lives.

Over the past 60 years, the population of the uniquely shaped Bornean orangutan has decreased by up to 50%. Inhabiting Borneo, the largest island in Asia, Bornean orangutans have larger faces and much shorter beards compared to their other family members. The Bornean orangutan consists of three branches, distributed in the Northwest, Northeast, and central regions. However, the majority of individuals living in the middle of the island number around 35,000. Until now, the population of this species has dwindled to only about 1,500 due to severe habitat destruction caused by logging, hunting, etc. Scientists predict that by 2025, 22% of Bornean orangutans will continue to decline.

The Bornean orangutan, an Asian pig-nosed primate, is expected to be received and conserved by Vinpearl Safari, Phu Quoc. The Conservation Conference for the Asian pig-nosed primate and Bornean orangutan, organized by the Southeast Asian Zoos Association (SEAZA) at Vinpearl Safari on May 4-5, is of great significance for the management and conservation of two endangered animal species in the World Red List. Among the species on the red alert list, Bornean orangutans and Asian pig-nosed primates are classified in Appendix I, meaning the list of endangered wild animals and plants under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Therefore, these are considered two rare and valuable animal species experiencing a serious decline in population and urgently requiring conservation programs on a global scale.

Hawksbill turtles, scientifically known as hawksbill turtles, primarily inhabit tropical seas worldwide. Currently, this wild animal species is on the brink of extinction due to human hunting. In just a century, the number of hawksbill turtles has decreased by 80%. Conservation organizations have been tirelessly protecting this species from extinction, but humans continue to consume their eggs as food, kill them for meat, or harvest their shells.

The hawksbill turtle is a species of sea turtle. It is the only species in the genus Eretmochelys. This species is distributed worldwide, with two subspecies in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Hawksbill turtles resemble other sea turtle species in appearance. They have relatively flat bodies, large shells to protect their bodies, and paddle-like limbs. Human hunting threatens endangered E. imbricata populations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies hawksbill turtles as critically endangered. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) prohibits hunting and trading products from hawksbill turtles for any purpose. Sea turtle populations along the coast of Vietnam have been heavily impacted by human activities for decades. Sea turtles and their eggs have been exploited as food, medicine, traded, and used to make turtle shell ornaments, models, and handicrafts... The rarest species are the hawksbill turtle and the leatherback turtle.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the hawksbill turtle species (Eretmochelys imbricata) was once very common in the waters of Vietnam, although there are no accurate records of their numbers at that time, based on estimated survey results. There were about 500 individuals nesting on islands in the Gulf of Tonkin, Gulf of Thailand, and Con Dao. Currently, the number of hawksbill turtles nesting and foraging in the waters of Vietnam is very low. Without active measures to prohibit hunting or trading them, hawksbill turtles may become extinct in the waters of Vietnam in the near future.