Endangered species: rare animals of which there are less than 100 individuals left (6 photos)

Climate change will affect not only humans, but also many animals. The planet's biodiversity could be greatly damaged in the event of severe global warming, but many species are already at risk of extinction.





There are populations that number less than 1000 individuals, and some are less than 100! Perhaps scientists will still be able to save some animals, but we should not forget that the responsibility for preserving the lives of animals lies with each of us.

If the number of people were sharply reduced to 100 people, it would be an apocalypse. But for some reason we rarely pay attention to those whose populations are going through such times

We invite you to find out which animals are the rarest at the moment, what has influenced the decline in their populations and how to prevent this in the future.

California porpoise, 30 in total



According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2016, this species is doomed and can no longer be saved. The California porpoise, or vaquita, has never been hunted. The existence of the species was confirmed only in 1985, after which scientists began to notice a significant decline in the population. The main reason for the slow decline of the species is bycatch in nets in the Gulf of California.

Far Eastern leopard, about 100 individuals in total





The Far Eastern leopard lives in China, and it has always been considered a small species, but in the 2000s there were only 35 individuals in the world! According to the latest data, 97 individuals live in the territory. Scientists consider the main threats to the species to be poaching and habitat destruction due to logging operations and the expansion of the network of roads and railways.

Blue macaw, more than 90 individuals in captivity



If you've ever watched the cartoon Rio, you know that the main characters, the blue macaws, have long since disappeared into the wild. In 2007, there were only 90 birds of this species in captivity (mostly among private individuals). Now the situation is improving, but it is impossible to know the exact number of parrots that live with people. The main reason for the extinction of the species was poaching.

Sumatran rhinoceros, less than 80 individuals



Last year, sad news spread throughout the world about the death of the last representative of this species in Malaysia. The female Iman died of cancer. For many years, employees of the reserve, where Iman and another male Tama lived, tried to obtain offspring using IVF. However, the attempts were unsuccessful. As of 2015, fewer than 80 Sumatran rhinoceroses remain in the wild; the species was previously found in Burma, eastern India, the Malay Peninsula and Bangladesh. Now it is found only on the island of Sumatra. The main reason for the population decline is poaching, which is due to the popularity of rhino horns in Chinese folk medicine.

Snow leopard, less than 90 individuals



Despite the fact that the snow leopard (irbis) was excluded from the list of endangered species in 2017, we decided to remind about this fabulous animal, which may disappear from the territory. According to WWF, there are less than 90 individuals of this species left. If previously the cause of the snow leopard's extinction was poaching, now experts say that the predator often gets caught in snares placed on other animals.