Endangered, critically endangered, endemic, vulnerable species

A Report on
Endemic,
endangered ,
critically
endangered ,
& vulnerable
species
By:
Rohith

• The wildlife in India comprises a mix of species of
different types of organisms.
• Apart from a handful of the major farm animals such
as cows, buffaloes, goats, poultry, pigs & sheep, India
has an amazingly wide variety of animals native to the
country, it is home to Tigers, Lions, Leopards, Pythons,
Wolves, Foxes, Bears, Crocodiles, Rhinoceroses,
Camels , Wild dogs, Monkeys,
Snakes, Antelope species, Deer species, varieties
of bison and not to mention the mighty Asian elephant

• The region's rich and diverse wildlife is preserved in 89
national parks, 18 Bio reserves and 400+ wildlife
sanctuaries across the country.
• India has some of the most bio diverse regions of the
world and hosts three of the world’s 34 biodiversity
hotspots – or treasure-houses – that is the Western
Ghats, the Eastern Himalayas and Indo- Burma.
• Since India is home to a number of rare and threatened
animal species, wildlife management in the country is
essential to preserve these species. According to one
study, India along with 17 mega diverse countries is
home to about 60-70 % of the world's biodiversity

India has the largest wild population of tigers in the world.(1706
as of March 28, 2011)

Dhole (Indian wild dog)
The most endangered Indian top predator of 2010, the dhole is on edge
of extinction. Less than 2500 members of the species remain in the
world.

Snow leopard is an endangered species found along the
Himalayas

Golden Langur
One of the world's rarest monkeys,Gee's Golden Langur is the precarious
survival of much of India's mega fauna.

Black Buck
The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) is
an ungulate species of antelope native to the Indian Subcontinent that
has been classified as near threatened by IUCN since 2003

Asiatic lion
The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica), also known as the Indian lion, is
a lion subspecies that exists as a single isolated population in India's Gujarat
State. It is listed as Endangered by IUCN based on the small population size

Indian peacock
India’s national bird

Lion tailed macaque
The lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus), or the wanderoo, is an Old
World monkey endemic to the Western Ghats of South India.

Brown fish owl
This species is a part of the family known as typical owls, Strigidae, which
contains most living owls. It inhabits the
warm subtropical and humid tropical parts of continental Asia and some
offshore islands

Indian cobra
Indian cobra (Naja naja) also known as Asian cobra or spectacled cobra is
a species of the genus Naja found in the Indian subcontinent and a member of
the "big four", the four species which inflict the most snakebites in India

Clouded leopard
The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a cat found from
the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and
has been classified as Vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN

Indian elephant
The Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) is one of three
recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant and native to
mainland Asia. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as
Endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least
50% over the last 60 to 75 years or three generations

Indian vulture
The species breeds mainly on cliffs, but is known to use trees to nest in
Rajasthan. Like other vultures it is a scavenger, feeding mostly from carcasses
of dead animals which it finds by soaring over savannah and around human
habitation. They often move in flocks.

Red panda
The red panda (Ailurus fulgens), also called lesser
panda and red cat-bear, is a small arboreal mammal native to
the eastern Himalayas and south-western China that has been
classified as Vulnerable by IUCN as its wild population is
estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals

Olive ridley turtles
The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), also known as
the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a medium-sized species of sea turtle found
in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Oplismenus thwaitesii
Oplismenus thwaitesii is a flowering plant that is endemic to India

Gymnostachyum febrifugum
Gymnostachyum febrifugum is a herb endemic to the southern Western
Ghats of India. It has medicinal value

Impatiens sivarajanii
Impatiens sivarajanii is a species of flowering plant in the
family Balsaminaceae. It is endemic to Kerala in India. It was described
from Silent Valley National Park in 1996

Ornithochilus cacharensis
Ornithochilus cacharensis is a rare orchid native
to Cachar, Assam which has only one plant ever recorded. The
single plant was discovered by H. A. Barbhuiya of the Botanical
Survey of India while doing field work in the Borail Wildlife
Sanctuary. The specific epithet, cacharensis refers to the district
where it was found

Phalaenopsis speciosa
Phalaenopsis speciosa is a species of orchid endemic to
the Andaman and the Nicobar Islands.

OVERVIEW
STATUS: Critically Endangered
POPULATION: Around 30 individuals
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Panthera pardus orientalis
WEIGHT:70 -105 pounds
HABITATS: Temperate, Broadleaf, and Mixed Forests
People usually think of leopards in the savannas of Africa but in the Russian Far East, a rare
subspecies has adapted to life in the temperate forests that make up the northern-most part of the
species’ range. Similar to other leopards, the Amur leopard can run at speeds of up to 37 miles per
hour. This incredible animal has been reported to leap more than 19 feet horizontally and up to 10
feet vertically.
The Amur leopard is solitary. Nimble-footed and strong, it carries and hides unfinished kills so that
they are not taken by other predators. It has been reported that some males stay with females after
mating, and may even help with rearing the young. Several males sometimes follow and fight over a
female. They live for 10-15 years, and in captivity up to 20 years. The Amur leopard is also known as
the Far East leopard, the Manchurian leopard or the Korean leopard.

THREATS
ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
The Amur leopard is poached largely for its beautiful, spotted fur. In 1999, an
undercover investigation team recovered a female and a male Amur leopard skin,
which were being sold for $500 and $1,000 respectively in the village of Barabash,
not far from the Kedrovaya Pad reserve in Russia. Agriculture and villages surround
the forests where the leopards live. As a result the forests are relatively accessible,
making poaching a problem—not only for the leopards themselves, but also for
important prey species, such as roe deer, sika deer and hare, which are hunted by
the villagers both for food and cash.

OVERVIEW
• STATUS: Critically Endangered
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Eretmochelys imbricata
• WEIGHT: 90-150 pounds
• LENGTH: 30-35 inches
• HABITATS: Oceans
Hawksbills are named for their narrow, pointed beak. They also have a distinctive
pattern of overlapping scales on their shells that form a serrated-look on the
edges. These colored and patterned shells make them highly-valuable and
commonly sold as "tortoiseshell" in markets.
Hawksbills are found mainly throughout the world's tropical
oceans, predominantly in coral reefs. They feed mainly on sponges by using their
narrow pointed beaks to extract them from crevices on the reef, but also eat sea
anemones and jellyfish. Sea turtles are the living representatives of a group of
reptiles that has existed on Earth and travelled our seas for the last 100 million
years. They are a fundamental link in marine ecosystems and help maintain the
health of coral reefs and sea grass beds.

THREATS
ILLEGAL WILD LIFE TRADE:
Despite their current protection under the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and many national laws, there is still
a disturbingly large amount of illegal trade in hawksbill shells and products. They
are much sought after throughout the tropics for their beautiful brown and
yellow carapace plates that are manufactured into tortoiseshell items for jewelry
and ornaments. In recent decades, eastern Asia has provided an eager market for
tortoise shell.

OVERVIEW
STATUS:Critically Endangered
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Dermochelys coriacea
WEIGHT:600-1500 pounds
LENGTH:55-63 inches
HABITATS: Oceans
Leatherback turtles are named for their shell, which is leather-like rather than
hard, like other turtles.
They are the largest sea turtle species and also one of the most migratory, crossing
both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Pacific leatherbacks migrate from nesting
beaches in the Coral Triangle all the way to the California coast to feed on the
abundant jellyfish every summer and fall.
Although their distribution is wide, numbers of leatherback turtles have seriously
declined during the last century as a result of intense egg collection and fisheries
bycatch. Globally, leatherback status according to IUCN is listed as Vulnerable, but
many subpopulations (such as in the Pacific and Southwest Atlantic) are Critically
Endangered.

THREATS
FISHERIES BYCATCH
Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of sea turtles a year are accidentally caught in
shrimp trawl nets, on long line hooks and in fishing gillnets. Sea turtles need to
reach the surface to breathe, and therefore many drown once caught. Known as
bycatch, this is a serious threat to leatherback turtles. As fishing activity expands,
this threat is more of a problem.
HABITAT LOSS
Sea turtles are dependent on beaches for nesting. Sea level rise, uncontrolled
coastal development, vehicle traffic on beaches, and other human activities have
directly destroyed or disturbed sea turtle nesting beaches around the world. Turtle
feeding grounds such as coral reefs and sea grass beds are also damaged and
destroyed by activities onshore, such as sedimentation from clearing of land and
nutrient run-off from agriculture.

OVERVIEW
• POPULATION: 200 to 300 individuals
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Gorilla gorilla diehli
• HEIGHT: 4 to 5 ½ feet when standing on two feet
• WEIGHT: up to 440 pounds
• This subspecies of the western gorilla is very similar in appearance to the more
numerous western lowland gorilla, but subtle differences can be found in the skull
and tooth dimensions. Cross River gorillas live in a region populated by many
humans who have encroached upon the gorilla’s territory—clearing forests for
timber and to create fields for agriculture and livestock. Poaching occurs in the
forests as well, and the loss of even a few of these gorillas has a detrimental effect
on such a small population.
• Efforts to protect these animals are focused on securing the forests that house
them. WWF and partners have worked with the governments of Cameroon and
Nigeria to create a protected area for the Cross River gorilla that spans the border
of these two nations.

THREATS
HUNTING
The hunting and killing of gorillas is illegal in Cameroon
and Nigeria, but enforcement of wildlife laws is often
lax. Following conservation efforts, hunting has
declined to a low level, but any amount of gorilla killing
will have a significantly impact an already small
population.
INBREEDING
The population risks inbreeding and a loss of genetic
diversity because there are so few Cross River gorillas
and they live in groups that interact infrequently if at
all.

OVERVIEW
• POPULATION: less than 400
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Panthera tigris sumatrae
• WEIGHT: 165 – 308 pounds
• HABITATS: Tropical Broadleaf Evergreen, Forest, Peat Swamps, and Freshwater
Swamp Forests
• Today, the last of Indonesia’s tigers—now less than 400—are holding on for
survival in the remaining patches of forests on the island of Sumatra. Accelerating
deforestation and rampant poaching mean this noble creature could end up like its
extinct Javan and Balinese relatives.
• Sumatran tigers are the smallest surviving tiger subspecies and are distinguished
by heavy black stripes on their orange coats. They are protected by law in
Indonesia, with tough provisions for jail time and steep fines. But despite
increased efforts in tiger conservation—including law enforcement and
antipoaching capacity—a substantial market remains in Sumatra and the rest of
Asia for tiger parts and products. Sumatran tigers are losing their habitat and prey
fast, and poaching shows no sign of decline.

THREATS
• ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE: Most tigers in Sumatra are killed
deliberately for commercial gain. According to a survey from TRAFFIC, the global
wildlife trade monitoring network, poaching for trade is responsible for over 78%
of estimated Sumatran tiger deaths—consisting of at least 40 animals per year.
There is no evidence that tiger poaching has declined significantly since the early
1990s. This is despite intensified conservation and protection measures in
Sumatra, and the apparent success globally in curtailing markets for tiger bone.
• HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT: Habitat destruction forces
tigers into settled areas in search of food, where they are more likely to come into
conflict with people. Human-tiger conflict is a serious problem in Sumatra. People
have been killed or wounded, and livestock fall prey to tigers. Retaliatory action by
villagers can result in the killing of tigers.

OVERVIEW
• POPULATION: As few as 35
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rhinoceros sondaicus
• HEIGHT: 4.6–5.8 feet
• WEIGHT: 1,984 - 5,071 pounds
• LENGTH: 10–10.5 feet
• HABITATS: Tropical forests
• Javan rhinos are the most threatened of the five rhino species, with as few as 35
individuals surviving in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia. Vietnam’s last
Javan rhino was poached in 2010. The Javan rhino is a dusky grey color and has a
single horn of up to about 10 inches. Their skin has a number of loose folds giving
the appearance of armor plating. This species is very similar in appearance to the
closely-related greater-one rhinoceros, but has a much smaller head and less
apparent skin folds.

THREATS
• REDUCED GENETIC DIVERSITY: The small size of the Javan rhino
population is in itself a cause for concern. Low genetic diversity
could make it hard for the species to remain viable.
• NATURAL DISASTERS: Ujung Kulon National Park is highly
vulnerable to tsunamis and a major explosion of the Anak Krakatau
volcano could easily wipe out all life in the protected area.
• INVASIVE SPECIES: Nearly 50% of the park has been overrun by
Arenga palm, a native but invasive species that leaves the area
barren of food for rhinos.
• DISEASE: In recent years four rhinos, including one young adult
female, are thought to have died from disease, probably
transmitted to wild cattle in the park and subsequently to the
rhinos.

OVERVIEW
• POPULATION: Approximately 7,300
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pongo abelii
• LENGTH: 4 -5 feet
• HABITATS: Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
• The Sumatran orangutan is almost exclusively arboreal, living among the trees of tropical
rainforests. Females virtually never travel on the ground and adult males do so
rarely. Sumatran orangutans are reported to have closer social ties than their Bornean
cousins. This has been attributed to mass fruit on fig trees, where groups of Sumatran
orangutans can come together to feed. Adult males are typically solitary while females are
accompanied by offspring.
• Historically, the Sumatran orangutan was distributed over the entire island of Sumatra and
further south into Java. The species' range is now restricted to the north of the island with a
majority in the provinces of North Sumatra and Aceh. Of the nine existing populations of
Sumatran orangutans, only seven have prospects of long-term viability, each with an
estimated 250 or more individuals. Only three populations contain more than 1,000
orangutans. Orangutans that were confiscated from the illegal trade or as pets are being
reintroduced to Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. They number around 70 and are reproducing.

THREATS
• HABITAT LOSS: Orangutan habitat in north Sumatra is being lost at an
extremely high rate, mainly due to fire and conversion of forests to oil palm
plantations and other agricultural development. This species depends on high-
quality forests. Widespread forest fires, many set deliberately to clear land for
plantations, are becoming a regular disaster. Not only do fires destroy vast areas of
orangutan habitat, but thousands of these slow-moving apes are thought to have
burned to death, unable to escape the flames.
• A plan to build a major road in northern Sumatra threatens one of the largest-
remaining areas of the orangutan’s habitat. Not only will the road fragment the
forest, but it will also open up access for illegal logging activities and human
settlements. The project is progressing despite proof that conserving the region
will help long-term sustainable development.

OVERVIEW
• POPULATION: Unknown
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
• HEIGHT: Average 33 inches at the shoulder
• WEIGHT: 176-220 lbs
• HABITATS: Evergreen forests with little or no dry season
• The saola was discovered in May 1992 during a joint survey carried out by the Ministry
of Forestry of Vietnam and WWF in north-central Vietnam. The team found a skull with
unusual long, straight horns in a hunter's home and knew it was something
extraordinary. The find proved to be the first large mammal new to science in more
than 50 years and one of the most spectacular zoological discoveries of the 20th
century.
• Saola (pronounced: sow-la) are recognized by two parallel horns with sharp ends, which
can reach 20 inches in length and are found on both males and females. Meaning
“spindle horns” in Vietnamese, they are a cousin of cattle but resemble an antelope.
Saola have striking white markings on the face and large maxillary glands on the muzzle,
which could be used to mark territory or attract mates. They are found only in the
Annamite Mountains of Vietnam and Laos.

THREATS
With its unusually long horns and white markings on the
face, the saola is a strong symbol for biodiversity in Lao
and Vietnam.
• HUNTING: Saola are often caught in snares set in the forest for wild boar,
sambar or muntjac deer. Local villagers set some snares for subsistence
use and crop protection. Recent increases in lowland people hunting to
supply the illegal trade in wildlife has led to a massive increase in hunting,
driven by traditional medicine demand in China and restaurant and food
markets in Vietnam and Laos.
• HABITAT LOSS: As forests disappear under the chainsaw to make way for
agriculture, plantations and infrastructure, saola are being squeezed into
smaller spaces. The added pressure from rapid and large-scale
infrastructure in the region is also fragmenting saola habitat.
Conservationists are concerned that this is allowing hunters easy access to
the once untouched forest of the saola and may reduce genetic diversity
in the future.

OVERVIEW
• POPULATION: Likely fewer than 200 individuals
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Phocoena sinus
• HEIGHT: Up to 5 feet
• WEIGHT: Up to 120 pounds
• HABITATS: Marine (only in the northern Gulf of California)
• In the upper part of Mexico's Gulf of California lives the world's smallest porpoise,
the vaquita. Rare and elusive, this little porpoise wasn't discovered until 1958.
Today, little is known about them. Vaquitas are most often found close to shore in
the Gulf's shallow waters, although they quickly swim away if a boat approaches.
• The vaquita has a large dark ring around its eyes and dark patches on its lips that
form a thin line from the mouth to the pectoral fins. Its dorsal surface is dark gray,
sides pale gray and ventral surface white with long, light gray markings. Newborn
vaquita have darker coloration and a wide gray fringe of color that runs from the
head to the dorsal flukes, passing through the dorsal and pectoral fins.
• Vaquita are under threat from the fishing industry. They often die after being
caught in gillnets, a problem known as bycatch.

THREATS
The vaquita is the most endangered cetacean in the world. With
likely fewer than 200 left, the species may go extinct without
further protective measures. WWF works to ensure they can
live and thrive in their natural habitat.
 Vaquitas have natural predators such as sharks, but their
greatest threat comes from bycatch, in which they are
accidentally caught and drown in gillnets. Since even one
vaquita caught is too many, urgent measures must be
taken to protect them from this type of fishing gear.
Bycatch must be eliminated completely for the species to
recover.

OVERVIEW
STATUS: Endangered
POPULATION: 1,200–1,800
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Platanista gangetica gangetica
WEIGHT: 330-374 pounds
LENGTH: 7-8.9 feet
HABITATS:Freshwater rivers
Dolphins are one of the oldest creatures in the world along with some species of
turtles, crocodiles and sharks. The Ganges river dolphin was officially discovered in
1801. Ganges river dolphins once lived in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and
Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. But the species is
extinct from most of its early distribution ranges.
The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater and is essentially blind. They
hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds, which bounces off of fish and other prey,
enabling them to “see” an image in their mind. They are frequently found alone or
in small groups, and generally a mother and calf travel together. Calves are
chocolate brown at birth and then have grey-brown smooth, hairless skin as
adults. Females are larger than males and give birth once every two to three years
to only one calf.
PLACES: EASTERN HIMALAYAS
HABITATS: FRESHWATERS

THREATS
BYCATCH
The habitat of the Ganges river dolphin is within one of the most densely
populated areas of the world. Ganges river dolphins and people both favor areas
of the river where fish are plentiful and the water current is slower. This has led to
fewer fish for people and more dolphins dying as a result of accidentally being
caught in fishing nets, also known as bycatch. The Ganges river dolphin is still
hunted for meat and oil, which are both used medicinally. The oil is also used to
attract catfish in net fishery.
POLLUTION
Industrial, agricultural, and human pollution is another serious cause of habitat
degradation. Each year, 9,000 tons of pesticides and 6 million tons of fertilizers are
used in the vicinity of the river. High levels of pollution can directly kill prey species
and dolphins, and completely destroy their habitat. As the top predator, river
dolphins have been known to have high levels of persistent toxic chemicals in their
bodies, which is likely to adversely affect their health.

OVERVIEW
• STATUS: Endangered
• POPULATION: around 400
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Panthera tigris altaica
• LENGTH: up to 10 feet
• HABITATS: Temperate forest
• Amur tigers were once found throughout the Russian Far East, northern China, and
the Korean peninsula. By the 1940s, hunting had driven the Amur tiger to the brink
of extinction—with no more than 40 individuals remaining in the wild. The
subspecies was saved when Russia became the first country in the world to grant
the tiger full protection.
• By the 1980s, the Amur tiger population had increased to around 500. Although
poaching increased after the collapse of the Soviet Union, continued conservation
and antipoaching efforts by many partners—including WWF—have helped keep
the population stable at around 450 individuals. The Amur tiger’s habitat is now
restricted to the Sikhote-Alin range in the Primorski and Khabarovski provinces of
the Russian Far East, and to small pockets in the border areas of China and possibly
North Korea. The high latitude means long winters where the sun does not rise far
above the horizon.
• Amur tigers have the largest home range of any tiger subspecies because low prey
densities means they have to search over large areas to find food. They represent
the largest unfragmented tiger population in the world.

THREATS
• ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE: The most immediate threat to the survival of Amur tigers is poaching to
supply demand for tiger parts on the black market. Experts say a new breed of poacher stalks the
tigers of the Russian Far East; they are better-armed, more organized and faster than their
predecessors and often have international links. In 2010, suspected members of a Chinese
poaching gang were captured by the Russian authorities after sneaking into a tiger sanctuary near
the border. One of the suspects was dragging two big bags behind him as he stumbled through the
snow. Inside the bags, said police, were two adult tiger skins and the bones of a tiger cub.
• HABITAT LOSS: Tiger forests are at risk from logging, conversion to agriculture, urban expansion,
road construction, mining, fires, and inadequate law enforcement. Illegal logging is widespread
throughout the Russian Far East, which has major impacts because Korean pine and Mongolian oak
provide critical food for the tiger’s prey during the snow season. When these trees are illegally
logged, the prey populations decrease and negatively impact tigers. At least 30 percent of all
Russian forest exports are tainted by illegal logging. The United States is the top importer of
hardwoods harvested in the Russian Far East and manufactured as furniture in China. In 2010, the
Russian government listed Korean Pine in Appendix III of CITES—requiring CITES permits for Korean
Pine timber exported from Russia and making it harder for the illegal timber trade to continue.
• Dark Forest, an undercover investigation of the timber mafia in Russia, put a spotlight on the high-
level corruption prevalent in the system, allowing for illegal deforestation in protected areas and
fake auctions in the Russian Far East. The documentary confirmed several WWF reports that
revealed much of the logging in the region is illegal.

OVERVIEW
• POPULATION: fewer than 2,500
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Panthera tigris
• WEIGHT: around 550 pounds
• LENGTH: nearly 10 feet
• HABITATS: Dry and wet deciduous forests, grassland and temperate
forests, mangrove forests
• The Bengal tiger is found primarily in India with smaller populations
in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar. It is the most
numerous of all tiger subspecies with fewer than 2,500 left in the
wild. The creation of India’s tiger reserves in the 1970s helped to
stabilize numbers, but poaching to meet a growing demand from
Asia in recent years has once again put the Bengal tiger at risk. The
mangroves of the Sundarbans—shared between Bangladesh and
India—are the only mangrove forests where tigers are found. The
Sundarbans are increasingly threatened by sea level rise as a result
of climate change.

THREATS
HABITAT LOSS: Less than a hundred years ago, tigers prowled all across the Indian
subcontinent. Exploding human populations, particularly since the 1940s, have resulted
in major loss of tiger habitat. Habitats are further fragmented because of agriculture
and the clearing of forests for developments like road networks. This forces tigers into
small and scattered habitat patches.
ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE: Before the international ban on tiger trade in 1993, tiger
populations were being decimated by poaching and trade. Despite the ban in the past
few decades, the illegal demand for tigers as status symbols, decorative items, and folk
cures has increased dramatically, leading to a new poaching crisis. Poaching driven by
the international illegal wildlife trade is the largest immediate threat to the remaining
tiger population.
PREY LOSS: Tigers suffer from a severe loss of natural prey like deer and antelopes.
Prey numbers decline because of direct poaching for meat and trade, competition with
livestock over food and habitat degradation because of excessive wood removal for
fires.
CONFLICT WITH HUMANS: As tigers continue to lose their habitat and prey species,
they are increasingly coming into conflict with humans as they attack domestic
animals—and sometimes people. In retaliation, tigers are often killed by angry
villagers.

OVERVIEW
• POPULATION: Approximately 1,000 in the wild
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Mustela nigripes
• WEIGHT: 1.5-2.5 pounds
• LENGTH: 18 -24 inches
• HABITATS: Grasslands
• Once thought to be globally extinct, black-footed ferrets are making
a comeback. For the last thirty years, concerted efforts from many
state and federal agencies, zoos, Native American tribes,
conservation organizations and private landowners have given
black-footed ferrets a second chance for survival. Today, recovery
efforts have helped restore the black-footed ferret population to
nearly 1,000 animals across North America. Although great strides
have been made to recover the black-footed ferret, habitat loss and
disease remain key threats to this highly endangered species.

THREATS
• Habitat loss, reduced prey populations, and non-native disease threaten
the recovery of the black-footed ferret. The ferret is entirely dependent on
the presence of prairie dogs and their colonies for food, shelter and raising
young. Without ample reintroduction sites and distribution of prairie dogs,
full black-footed ferret recovery remains difficult.

OVERVIEW
• POPULATION: 10,000-25,000 individuals
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Balaenoptera musculus
• WEIGHT: Close to 200 tons
• LENGTH: 80-100 feet
• The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet, weighing as much as
200 tons (approximately 33 elephants). The blue whale has a heart the
size of a Volkswagen Beetle. Its stomach can hold one ton of krill and it
needs to eat about four tons of krill each day. They are the loudest animals
on Earth and are even louder than a jet engine. Their calls reach 188
decibels, while a jet reaches 140 decibels. Their low frequency whistle can
be heard for hundreds of miles and is probably used to attract other blue
whales.

THREATS
Like other large whales, blue whales are threatened by environmental
change including habitat loss and toxics. Blue whales can also be harmed
by ship strikes and by becoming entangled in fishing gear. Although
commercial whaling no longer represents a threat, climate change and its
impact on krill (shrimp-like crustaceans), blue whales' major prey, makes
this cetacean particularly vulnerable.

OVERVIEW
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Thunnus spp
• WEIGHT: 1500 pounds
• LENGTH: 6 - 10 feet
• Blue fin are the largest tuna and can live up to 40 years. They migrate
across oceans and can dive more than 4,000 feet. Bluefin tuna are made
for speed: built like torpedoes, have retractable fins and their eyes are set
flush to their body. They are tremendous predators from the moment they
hatch, seeking out schools of fish like herring, mackerel and even eels.
They hunt by sight and have the sharpest vision of any bony fish. There are
three species of bluefin: Atlantic (the largest and most endangered),
Pacific, and Southern. Most catches of the Atlantic bluefin tuna are taken
from the Mediterranean Sea, which is the most important bluefin tuna
fishery in the world.

THREATS
• Lack of knowledge about the biology and migratory behavior of Atlantic
bluefin has hindered successful fishery management plans.
• OVERFISHING: Bluefin tuna populations have declined severely from
overfishing and illegal fishing over the past few decades –not just Atlantic
bluefin tuna, but also Pacific bluefin tuna and Southern bluefin tuna.
Population declines have been largely driven by the demand for this fish in
high end sushi markets.
• PIRATE FISHING: Illegal fishing of Atlantic bluefin is a big problem and the
fishery has been plagued by lack of enforcement and control.

OVERVIEW
• POPULATION: 1,600 in the wild (2004)
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ailuropoda melanoleuca
• HEIGHT: More than 4 feet long for adults
• WEIGHT: 220 to 330 pounds
• HABITATS: Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests of Southwest China
• This peaceful creature with a distinctive black and white coat is adored by
the world and considered a national treasure in China. The bear also has a
special significance for WWF. The panda has been WWF's logo since our
founding in 1961.
The rarest member of the bear family, pandas live mainly in bamboo
forests high in the mountains of western China, where they subsist almost
entirely on bamboo. They must eat from 26 to 84 pounds of it every day, a
formidable task for which they use their enlarged wrist bones that
function as opposable thumbs.
• Newborn pandas are about the size of a stick of butter—about 1/900th
the size of its mother—but can grow to up to 330 pounds as adults. These
bears are excellent tree-climbers despite their bulk.

THREATS
• HUNTING: Hunting remains an ever-present threat. Poaching the animals
for their fur has declined due to strict laws and greater public awareness
of the panda’s protected status. But hunters seeking other animals in
panda habitats continue to kill pandas accidentally.
• HABITAT LOSS: China’s Yangtze Basin region, which holds the panda’s
primary habitat, is the geographic and economic heart of this booming
country. Roads and railroads are increasingly fragmenting the forest,
which isolates panda populations and prevents mating. Forest destruction
also reduces pandas’ access to the bamboo they need to survive. The
Chinese government has established more than 50 panda reserves, but
only around 61% of the country’s panda population is protected by these
reserves.

OVERVIEW
Snow leopards have evolved to live in some of the harshest conditions on
Earth. Their white-gray coat spotted with large black rosettes blends in
perfectly with the steep and rocky mountains of Central Asia.
• POPULATION: total estimated 4,080-6,590
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Panthera uncia
• LENGTH: 2-5 ft.
• HABITATS: cold high mountains
• The snow leopard’s powerful build allows it to scale great steep slopes
with ease. Its hind legs give the snow leopard the ability to leap six times
the length of its body. A long tail provides balance and agility and also
wraps around the resting snow leopard as protection from the cold.
• For millennia, this magnificent cat was the king of the mountains. The
mountains were rich with their prey such as blue sheep, Argali wild sheep,
ibex, marmots, pikas and hares. Snow leopards are found in 12
countries—including China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Russia, and Mongolia—but their population is dropping.

THREATS
• The sole predator of snow leopards? Humans. Hunting, habitat loss and
retaliatory killings are the main reasons this big cat is now listed as an
endangered species.
• CLIMATE CHANGE: Climate change poses perhaps the greatest long-term
threat to snow leopards. Impacts from climate change could result in a loss of
up to 30 percent of the snow leopard habitat in the Himalayas alone.
• RETALIATORY KILLINGS: Snow leopards are often killed by local farmers
because they prey on livestock such as sheep, goats, horses, and yak calves.
The animals which snow leopards would typically hunt—such as the Argali
sheep—are also hunted by local communities. As their natural prey becomes
harder to find, snow leopards are forced to kill livestock for survival.
• HABITAT FRAGMENTATION: The snow leopard habitat range continues to
decline from human settlement and increased use of grazing space. This
development increasingly fragments the historic range of the species.

OVERVIEW
• STATUS: Vulnerable
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Dugong dugon
• WEIGHT: over 800 pounds
• LENGTH: nearly 10 feet
• Dugongs are cousins of manatees and share a similar plump appearance,
but have a dolphin fluke-like tail. And unlike manatees, which use
freshwater areas, the dugong is strictly a marine mammal. Commonly
known as "sea cows," dugongs graze peacefully on sea grasses in shallow
coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans

THREATS
Dugongs are threatened by sea grass habitat loss or
degradation because of coastal development or industrial
activities that cause water pollution. If there is not enough
sea grass to eat then the dugong does not breed normally.
This makes the conservation of their shallow water marine
habitat very important. They also often become victims of
bycatch, the accidental entanglement in fishing nets.

OVERVIEW
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Carcharodon carcharias
• WEIGHT: 4,000-7,000 pounds
• LENGTH: 16-20 feet
• The great white shark is the world's largest known predatory fish. It has
3,000 teeth, yet does not chew its food. Sharks rip their prey into mouth-
sized pieces which are swallowed whole. The shark’s heavy, torpedo-
shaped body allows it to cruise efficiently for long periods of time, and
then suddenly switch to high speed bursts in pursuit of prey—sometimes
leaping out of the water. It feeds on a broad spectrum of prey, from small
fish, such as halibut, to large seals and dolphins.

THREATS
Great white sharks are decreasing in numbers and are rare due to years of
being hunted by man for fins and teeth, and often as a trophy for sport
fishing. The white shark is often caught as bycatch by commercial fisheries
and can also become entangled in meshes that protect beaches.

OVERVIEW
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lepidochelys olivacea
• LENGTH: 24-28 inches
• The name for this sea turtle is tied to the color of its shell—an olive green
hue. They are the smallest of the sea turtles and currently the most
abundant. Their vulnerable status comes from the fact that they nest in a
very small number of places, and therefore any disturbance to even one
nest beach could have huge repercussions on the entire population.

THREATS
All stages of a sea turtle’s life are affected by environmental conditions
such as temperature—even the sex of offspring. The warmer the nest
beach conditions, the more female hatchlings that emerge from the eggs.
Unusually warm temperatures caused by climate change could be
disrupting normal sex ratios, resulting in fewer male baby turtles. Warmer
sea surface temperatures can also lead to the loss of important foraging
grounds for marine turtles, while increasingly severe storms and sea level
rise can destroy critical nesting beaches and damage nests.

OVERVIEW
• POPULATION: less than 10,000 individuals
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ailurus fulgens
• LENGTH: 2 feet
• HABITATS: Temperate forests
• The red panda is slightly larger than a domestic cat with a bear-like body
and thick russet fur. The belly and limbs are black, and there are white
markings on the side of the head and above its small eyes. Red pandas are
very skillful and acrobatic animals that predominantly stay in trees. Almost
50 percent of the red panda’s habitat is in the Eastern Himalayas. They use
their long, bushy tails for balance and to cover themselves in winter,
presumably for warmth. Primarily an herbivore, the name panda is said to
come from the Nepali word ‘ponya,’ which means bamboo or plant eating
animal.

THREATS
Red pandas are often killed when they get caught in traps meant for other
animals such as wild pigs and deer. They are also poached for their
distinctive pelts in China and Myanmar. Red panda fur caps or hats have
been found for sale in Bhutan.

OVERVIEW
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rhincodon typus
• WEIGHT: around 11 tons
• LENGTH: around 40 feet
• The whale shark is the biggest fish and shark in the world. These gentle
marine giants roam the oceans around the globe, generally alone.
However, large numbers of whale sharks often gather in areas with
abundant plankton food—making them prime tourist attractions. Its
enormous mouth (nearly five feet wide) engulfs large quantities of tiny
plankton that it filters through its gills as it swims.

THREATS
Whale sharks are highly valued on international markets. Demand for their
meat, fins and oil remains a threat to the species, particularly by
unregulated fisheries. They are victims of bycatch, the accidental capture
of non-target species in fishing gear. And whale shark tourism presents a
threat to the species as it can interrupt their feeding and sharks can be
injured by boat propellers.

OVERVIEW
• POPULATION: 20,000-25,000
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ursus maritimus
• WEIGHTL: 800-1300 pounds
• LENGTH: 6-9 ft.
• HABITATS: Arctic sea ice
• Polar bears are classified as marine mammals because they spend most of their
lives on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean. They have a thick layer of body fat and a
water-repellant coat that insulates them from the cold air and water. Considered
talented swimmers, they can sustain a pace of six miles per hour by paddling with
their front paws and holding their hind legs flat like a rudder.
• Polar bears spend over 50 percent of their time hunting for food, but less than two
percent of their hunts are successful. Their diet mainly consists of ringed and
bearded seals because they need large amounts of fat to survive.
• The total polar bear population is divided into 19 units or subpopulations. Of
those, the latest data from the IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group show that 8
subpopulations are in decline and there is a high estimated risk of future decline
due to climate change.
• Because of ongoing and potential loss of their sea ice habitat resulting from
climate change, polar bears were listed as a threatened species in the U.S., across
their range, under the Endangered Species Act in May 2008.
• The survival and the protection of polar bear’s habitat are urgent issues for WWF

THREATS
• POLAR BEAR- HUMAN CONFLICTS: As climate change forces polar bears to spend longer time onshore,
they come in contact more often with Arctic coastal communities and others working in the Arctic.
Unfortunately, these interactions sometimes end badly for both humans and bears.
• INDUSTRIAL IMPACTS: In the Arctic, most industrial development has been on relatively small pieces of
land. As summer sea ice retreats, a new ocean is emerging, which allows more opportunities for industrial
development at sea and on larger parcels of land. At the same time, the retreating ice is resulting in more
polar bears spending longer periods on land for denning. These factors combined are putting polar bears
and industrial activities on a potential collision course.
Offshore petroleum installations and operations in the Arctic are expected to increase in number. This
would likely affect polar bears and their habitat in many ways including:
• contact with spilled oil would be fatal
• an oil spill would affect the entire food chain
• noise generated from onshore and offshore oil operations would cause disturbance
• Increased Arctic shipping represents a risk to polar bears. As traffic by barges, oil tankers
and cargo ships in Arctic waters increases, so do the risk of oil spills and human
disturbance to polar bears.
• UNSUSTAINABLE HUNTING: Many Arctic areas have strong polar bear management and monitoring plans.
But there are a few places where unsustainable hunting appears to be happening, including unreported
and illegal hunting, and hunting in areas where the subpopulation status—stable or declining—is
uncertain.

OVERVIEW
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Orcaella brevirostris
• LENGTH: 5.9-9 feet
• HABITATS: Lakes, Rivers, Estuaries, and Coasts
• Irrawaddy dolphins are found in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia,
and in three rivers: the Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian
Borneo) and the Mekong. The Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphins inhabit a
118-mile stretch of the river between Cambodia and Lao PDR and are
scarce—between 78 and 91 individuals are estimated to still exist. These
dolphins have a bulging forehead, short beak, and 12-19 teeth on each
side of both jaws.

THREATS
Irrawaddy dolphins are primarily threatened by bycatch, the accidental
capture of aquatic animals in fishing gear

Endangered, critically endangered, endemic, vulnerable species

Endangered, critically endangered, endemic, vulnerable species

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