Ecology
animals in the world
, the population of which is either falling rapidly or is improving, but is still catastrophically small.
Natural phenomena and human factors are among the main reasons for the decline in the numbers of some rare animals.
The rarest animals on Earth are included in the International Red Book.
Here is just a small part of these unique representatives of the animal world.
saola: The rarest animal
Photo: David Hulse / WWF
Where it lives: Vietnam, Laos.
Saola was discovered in 1992, but is already on the verge of extinction. According to rough estimates, the population ranges from several tens to two hundred individuals. Scientists cannot say more precisely, because these animals of this rare species lead a secretive lifestyle. Based on genetic analyses, it was only possible to establish for sure that the saola belongs to the bovid family.
Manul
A representative of the cat family, living in the steppe and semi-steppe in Eurasia. The mammal is protected. Human activity is contributing to the rapid decline in the number of Pallas' cats. Mammals often become victims of poachers. In Russia, Pallas' cats live in Altai, the Republic of Tuva, Buryatia, and the Trans-Baikal Territory.
Javan rhinoceros: the rarest rhinoceros
Where it lives: Indonesia.
The Javan rhinoceros was once widespread in Southeast Asia, but is now one of the top 10 rarest. The main reason was poaching - its horn is used to prepare traditional Chinese potions.
As of September 2022, the number of animals in the world was 74 individuals, all of them live in Ujung Kulon National Park on the island of Java.
Far Eastern leopard
Far Eastern leopards are another endangered animal. The reason for this was human intervention in their natural ecosystem. This rarest subspecies of leopard is an inhabitant of Primorye. Also known as the Amur leopard. This species was once found in the northeastern region of China. Today, about 70 animals live in the wild.
Amur tiger: the northernmost tiger
Where it lives: Russia (Far East), China.
The Amur tiger is not only one of the rarest animals, but is also the largest tiger, occupying the northernmost part of its range.
This is also one of the few animals in the world where the father takes part in raising the offspring. (By the way, do you know how animals recognize their parents?) This was recorded by camera traps in the Lazovsky State Nature Reserve. L. G. Kaplanova in 2016. It turned out that the males communicate with the family visually and with the help of scent marks left on the trees.
From 1930 to 2022, the Amur tiger's population has grown from about 30 to 550 individuals, but it remains critically endangered and is one of the ten rarest animals.
California porpoise - Vaquita
The vaquita is one of the rarest marine mammals and the smallest of the porpoise family. Vaquita means little cow in Spanish. This name was given to the animal by fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico. The vaquita lives in an area of 4,000 square kilometers, off the western coast of the Gulf of California. The average length for a female is 1.40 meters. The male is slightly smaller.
The main reason that leads to the extinction of animals is that they get caught in fishing nets. The animal rescue campaign began 25 years ago. In 2015, the Mexican government took drastic action and banned large net fishing in the vaquita habitat in the northern Gulf of California for two years. But large nets - 3 to 10 times the size of a football field - have been spotted at sea every day.
Okapi: half zebra, half horse, half giraffe
Where it lives: Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This artiodactyl seems to be created from several animals: the legs are black and white, like a zebra, the size and structure of a horse, and on the forehead there are two short horns, like a giraffe.
Since okapi are very shy and secretive, and also live in a country where there has been a civil war for many years, there is little information about them. And the first photo was taken only in 2008 - 107 years after the message about the animals was received. And that’s thanks to a camera trap.
Musk deer
The animal inhabits Altai, Transbaikalia, and Primorye. Prefers to lead a secretive lifestyle. Musk deer are herbivores and lead a secretive lifestyle. They are the object of hunting. Poachers kill males because of their musk gland, which emits a specific aroma. Musk is a valuable component used in perfumery and medicine. Another factor influencing the extinction of the species is rapid economic and production activity. Deforestation leads to habitat loss.
Tarsier: a living fossil
Where it lives: islands of Southeast Asia.
Zoologists around the world call these very rare animals living fossils because they have remained virtually unchanged over the past 45 million years.
Due to their huge eyes against the background of a tiny body, tarsiers are considered one of the most unusual animals in the world: in a 12-centimeter individual they reach 1.5 cm in diameter. Such large organs of vision allow rare animals to see perfectly in the dark. And in 2012, Dartmouth College scientists discovered that unusual animals can also send and receive ultrasonic signals.
Big panda
We decided to mention the Big Panda first on the list of endangered animals. These cute “teddy” bears come from China. According to the latest estimates, there are less than 2000 individuals left on the Planet. The main reasons for the decline in the population of these animals are considered to be changes in the habitat (pandas feed exclusively on young bamboo) and predators. Adult pandas have few natural enemies; predators mainly threaten young cubs. It is also believed that pandas have weak immunity. The Chinese government has initiated many environmental projects aimed at preserving the habitat of pandas and their population.
Guanaco: highland camel
Where it lives: countries of South America.
The largest herbivore in South America and one of the rarest animals in the world, it belongs to the camelid family, although the proportions are similar to an antelope or deer.
Thanks to their highly developed respiratory system, guanacos live at altitudes of up to 5,500 m above sea level, where many others find it difficult to breathe due to the thin air. Moreover, below 3000 m these rare animals feel out of place.
Polar bear
Snow polar bears in the polar regions. These natives of the Arctic Circle are the first victims of climate change leading to habitat loss. These animals are often called marine mammals due to the fact that they spend most of their lives in the water. Compared to their counterpart, the brown bear, these animals have a longer body, longer nose and skull.
Found in Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland and Norway. In May 2008, the US government added the Alaska polar bear to the endangered species list. The world's oldest (known) polar bear died at the age of 42 in November 2008.
Pronghorn: one of the fastest-footed
Where it lives: prairies of North America.
Among the most interesting animals in the world is the most ancient representative of North American ungulates - the pronghorn.
Excellent vision allows him to notice predators at a distance of 6 km! To inform its relatives of approaching danger, the pronghorn ruffles the white six around its tail. Seeing the sign, the others flee, reaching speeds of up to 90 km/h. The pronghorn is one of the fastest animals in the world, second only to the cheetah in speed.
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Pygmy anteater: disgusting smelling
Photo: Quinten Questel
Where it lives: Central and South America.
The pygmy anteater is the smallest representative of the species: out of 36–45 cm of total length, 18 cm is in the tail, which helps it climb trees well. And a special secret allows these rare animals of the world to scare away enemies. The odor they emit is five to seven times stronger than that of a skunk, and was ranked in the top 6 most disgusting by scientists at the University of California at Berkeley.
Chatham petroica
The little bird lives only in the Chatham archipelago. Hence the name. Initially, there were only 7 individuals in nature. Scientists decided to increase the number artificially. They took eggs, transplanted them into nests with other birds, thereby stimulating female petroikas to hatch new offspring. As a result of the experiment, the number of birds was 200 individuals.
Red wolf: there is strength in the pack
Where it lives: Asian countries, Russia (Far East and Siberia).
Due to its red color, the red wolf is often confused with a fox. It also has characteristics of a coyote, which led scientists to think it was the result of an interspecies mating between a gray wolf and a coyote. But in 2022, Florida State University researchers determined that the red wolf is a separate species.
The animals live in packs of five to 30 individuals, thanks to which they manage to successfully hunt even buffalo.
Baiji - Chinese river dolphin
The Baiji is a freshwater dolphin found only in China's Yangtze River. Local fishermen and boatmen considered this dolphin a deity of protection. The baiji population has declined sharply over several decades. China embarked on a course of industrial development and intensively used the river for fishing, transport and hydroelectric power. Following research on the Yangtze River in the 1980s, it was announced that the baiji may be the first dolphin in history to be rendered endangered by humans.
See also: The strangest animals in the world
Continued water pollution, especially in the dam area, has increased algae growth and soil erosion in the dolphins' only habitat. In 2007, the Baiji were officially declared extinct. But in recent years, a few individuals have been sighted. This gives hope for the preservation of endangered animal species, but it is very weak, since there are very few dolphins found, and they are most likely already quite old.
Takin: the beast with the "golden fleece"
Where it lives: northeast India, Tibet, Nepal, China.
The takin is one of the most beautiful animals in the world. In terms of its systematic position, it is close to goats and rams, but is more like a small golden bull. It has a shaggy whitish skin with a golden tint, which is sometimes compared to the “golden fleece”.
There are about 25,000 individuals in the world, and despite protection, numbers continue to decline.
Blue whale
The world's largest mammal will also be on the endangered species list. The tongue of this two hundred ton giant alone can weigh approximately 2.7 tons. Unfortunately, commercial whaling has reduced blue whale numbers to less than 25,000.
Overfishing of krill, pollution, and habitat loss are the main threats to blue whales. To preserve the largest sea creatures, the International Whale Commission was created.
Russian muskrat: a glutton animal
Where it lives: Russia (the Volga, Don, Ural and Dnieper basins).
The animal, which survived the mammoths, is now endemic to Russia. In 1986, the Russian muskrat was included in the International Red Book, and later in the Red Book of Russia.
With a body length of about 20 cm, a tail of about the same and a weight of about 500 g, she needs to feed day and night - every three to four hours. In a day, the Russian muskrat eats about the same amount as it weighs!
Hirola: a harem of females
Where it lives: Kenya, Somalia.
Rare species of animals also include a representative of the bovid family - hirola, also known as Hunter's harble. This animal lives in groups, and for every male there are seven to eight females. To attract them during the mating period, which occurs in March-April, the male shuffles his hooves and... “cries” with special secretions that come from his preorbital glands. What lengths will you go to for the sake of a lady’s heart!
Black lemur
Relatives of monkeys, black lemurs are now endangered animals. There are only 10,000 of these medium-sized social creatures left in the northwestern part of Madagascar.
The main threats to the survival of lemurs are deforestation and poaching. To increase their population and save this precious species from extinction, reserves were created in which the natural habitat of black lemurs was recreated.
Aardwolf: the “wrong” hyena
Where it lives: countries of Eastern and Southern Africa.
Despite the name, this rare animal has nothing in common with wolves. It belongs to the hyena family, but is twice as small as real hyenas: its body length is only 55-95 cm, height - 45-50 cm.
During the day, the aardwolf usually hides in burrows, and at night comes out to “hunt”. Unlike the hyena, the basis of its diet is not carrion, but termites. It eats between 200,000 and 300,000 insects per night!
Sea otter
Sea otters belong to the mustelid family of mammals. Animals are highly intelligent. They use tools like primates. Its habitat includes the Pacific Ocean, the waters of which wash Russia, Japan, the USA, and Canada. Sea otters have been the object of hunting since ancient times. The reason for this is the valuable fur. Since 2009, hunting sea otters has been punishable by law. The exception is Alaska Natives, who use sea otters as food.
Peters's proboscis blenny: neither an elephant nor a dog
Photo: Joey Makalintal
Where it lives: Southeastern Kenya and Northeastern Tanzania.
A keen sense of smell is perhaps the only thing that an animal has in common with a dog. It has a branched family tree: it is related to rodents from the jumping family by its long hind legs, and it is related to elephants by the presence of a trunk. Only if the elephants use it as a hand, Peters's proboscis blenny uses it to find food: ants, beetles, spiders and other invertebrates hidden among the leaves.
