Several animal species in Greece are endangered due to factors such as climate change, loss of habitat, and human activity. This includes the silver pelican, lynx, brown bear, wild goat, red deer, otter, Mediterranean seal, jackal, gray wolf, turtle, dolphins, and ibex. Their populations have declined and some, like the lynx, have almost disappeared from Greece. Conservation organizations are working to protect endangered species and their habitats but continued threats like hunting, pollution, and habitat degradation remain.

1. Endangered Species in Greece
In recent years many species of animals are threatened with extinction. Cause, climate
change, bad human habits and uncontrolled shrinkage of their habitats.

2. The gradual reduction of their food along with the destruction of the
ecosystems where they live forces them to migrate and often lose
their lives. However, many organizations have been set up (Arcturus,
Green Peace, WWF) to protect endangered animals and their habitats.

3. The silver pelican is one of the largest bird
species in the world, with a height of up to
1.20 m, with wingspan of up to 3.20 m and a
weight of 6 to 10 kg.
It has a total population of 10,400-13,900, in
19 colonies from Greece to China. In Greece,
silver pelicans nest in Mikri Prespa, in the lake
of Kastoria, in the Amvrakikos gulf, in the
lagoon of Messolonghi etc.
The silver pelican is a bird that feeds on fish.
Silver pelican

4. The lynx is another endangered
species. In fact, it has almost
disappeared in Greece. It can reach 1.3
meters in length and weighs from 12 to
35 kg
It can reach 1.3 meters in length and weighs
from 12 to 35 kg In total around the world
their number is about 7,000
The lynx
So in Greece, the few people that exist, are
located mainly north near the border (North
Pindos and Mount Bora)

5. The brown bear is the largest species of bear after the polar bear. The male
can reach up to 200 kg with an average length of 2 meters. The number of
brown bears in Greece is 450 animals according to the latest survey of 2019.
Most animals live in the Pindos mountain range and the Rhodope mountain
range as they prefer oak, beech and coniferous forests. It is an omnivorous
animal but mainly feeds on plant foods. Sometimes she adds insects and
animals to her diet.
The brown bear

6. This vegetarian mammal is not only endangered in Greece but also
in the Balkans in general. In Greece, the wild goat lives mainly in
Pindos, Rodopi, Central Greece and Olympus. The total number of
wild goats in the country is about 700 people. Its weight ranges
from 28 to 45 kg. Threat: poaching (hunting) and degradation of
its habitats by overgrazing.
The wild goat

7. In Greece, the red deer will unfortunately be found only in
Parnitha and a few people in Epirus and Rodopi. It is the
largest herbivorous mammal in Greece and now the people
living in our country are about 600. Illegal hunting is the main
threat to the red deer as well as fires and the reduction of its
habitats due to human interference in them.
The red deer

8. The otter is a small mammal, which in our country is found
mainly in Central Greece in Corfu and Evvoia. It lives on the
banks of rivers and lakes, provided that the waters are very
clear. It feeds mainly on fish but can also feed on amphibians,
water snakes, birds and other small mammals. The main
threats, of course, come from humans again. Water pollution,
drainage of lakes and rivers.
The otter

9. The Mediterranean seal Monachus monachus is a marine mammal, which
feeds mainly on fish, octopuses, squid, etc. About 250 to 300 seals live in
Greece and it is another species that is threatened with extinction
The Mediterranean seal Monachus monachus
In the Aegean Sea, Greece has allocated a large area for the preservation of
the Mediterranean monk seal and its habitat. The Greek Alonissos Marine
Park, that extends around the Northern Sporades islands, is the main
action ground of the Greek MOm organisation.

10. The jackal feeds mainly on plants and fruits or on dead animals. Its
hunting will be limited to fish, amphibians, insects, birds, rodents and
possibly sheep and goats. In Greece, there are an estimated 1,500
jackals scattered in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, the Peloponnese,
Halkidiki, Fokida and Samos. Apart from the destruction of the areas
inhabited by man, his mortality is also due to his hunting.
The jackal

11. When there is not enough natural prey the wolf is usually found in areas
where there is livestock of ungulates (sheep, goats, etc.). It has now
evolved and can hunt other small animals or even feed on garbage near
human settlements.
In Greece we find it in almost the entire mainland, north of Boeotia.
There are an estimated 700 people divided into small herds. The
Mediterranean wolf can reach 1.5 meters in length and weight from 20
to 40 kg.
The gray wolf

12. It weighs an average of 135 kg. and the length reaches 1 meter. It feeds
on warblers, squid, octopuses and marine plants. It lives in the
Mediterranean, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the only
species of Mediterranean sea turtle that breeds in Greece. We find it in
Zakynthos, Crete, Rhodes and the Peloponnese. It lays its eggs on the
beach. Zakynthos, and especially the gulf of Laganas, is one of the most
important shelters of the protected loggerhead turtle in Greece.
The females, after maturing, return every two years to the place
where they were born to lay their eggs. They give birth to the
summer.
The turtle Caretta Caretta

13. Dolphins weigh 75-110 kg, length 1.5-2.0 meters (maximum
3.5 m). They have a slender body, a protruding and pointed
snout, a high dorsal fin in the shape of a crescent, in the
middle of the body.
Tens of thousands of dolphins are killed every year in the Mediterranean
seas. Although these popular species have no natural enemies, their lack of
food due to overfishing, pollution of the sea, their killing by fishermen and,
above all, their capture by various fishing gear, such as invertebrates,
dramatically reduce their population each time
The dolphins

14. Its length is up to 1.40 meters and the male reaches 40 kg. They
have a big beard. The savage can jump over 8 meters. They feed on
tree leaves and shrubs, fresh and dry grass. It used to live almost all
over the island, but the incessant hunting drove it from many areas
and dramatically reduced its population. Their total population
today is estimated at less than 1,000 ibex.
Kri kri

15. All of the above are animals that are protected by law and their hunting or killing
is prohibited.
We must finally respect the other animals on the planet.
We must think in our daily life about the effects of our actions. If this is done,
then there will surely be a better future, not only for the animals but also for
ourselves.