15 Endangered Species You Should Know About

The world is changing at a very quick speed. Overpopulation, deforestation, political strife, wildfires, dwindling sources of freshwater, and climate change are some of the many reasons behind this change. Even though scientists estimate that there could be more than 30 million animal breeds on the planet, a huge chunk of these are edging towards extinction due to man’s thirst for consumption and entertainment. These animals are hunted for meat, fur, and whatnot.

Here, we’ve compiled a list of animals that are on the verge of extinction. But remember, this list is not in any particular order because it is nearly impossible to know the exact population of all these animals.

1. Bengal Tiger

The Bengal Tiger is commonly found in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. The two main reasons for their decline are poaching and loss of habitat. Even though tigers are considered to be charismatic animals, they are on the verge of extinction throughout the world, including the Siberian tiger and the Sumantran tiger.

2. Gharial (Gavialus Gangeticus)

A fish-eating crocodile, named Gharial, is found in the northern reaches of Indian Subcontinent. It has suffered a drastic decline in numbers since the early 1930s. The human population explosion has created grave anthropogenic hazards for the Gharials, particularly habitat loss, pollution, poaching, and death by fishing nets.

3. Dhole (Cuon Alpinus)

The Dhole, or commonly known as the Asiatic wild dog, is found in the mountainous regions of Southeast Asia, China, and India. Habitat loss, fewer prey animals, death from farmers, and contagious diseases are the main reasons for their decline,

4. Brown Spider Monkey

It is found in Colombia and north-eastern Venezuela. It lives in growth-rain forests. Tragically, 80 percent of these creatures do not exist and it primarily feeds on vegetation and fruit.

5. Komodo Dragon

The Komodo dragon is a type of monitor lizard and is known to be the world’s largest lizard. The population of these creatures was assessed at about 3000 individuals. Interestingly, Komodo female dragons can produce offspring by parthenogenesis, meaning, they can produce without their egg being fertilized. Komodo dragons would be able to last only if the Indonesian islands are well-maintained and their prey doesn’t disappear.

6. Borneo Elephant

It is also known as Borneo pygmy elephant and due to widespread habitat loss on the island of Borneo, Malaysia, the number of Borneo elephants have drastically declined since the 1980s. Generally, it is smaller than the Asian elephant. It has become domesticated in many areas although its closeness to people has brought it to numerous conflicts.

7. Orangutan

The word Orangutan translates to “person of the forest”. It exists on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra and is considered to be very intelligent. They are studied because of their ability to make tools and use them in clever ways. They also know how to treat their own illnesses by eating certain plants, types of soil or other minerals. But because of habitat loss, poaching, ad illegal wildlife trade, orang-utans are on the verge of becoming extinct. They have declined by 80%  in the last 75 years.

8. Cotton-Top Tamarin

It is found in the tropical forests of North-Western Columbia and is also known as the New World Monkey. About 40,000 of them were used for biomedical research before 1976, though now they’re protected from such experimentations. About 6000 of them are known to be left in the wild.

Afterword

To conduct vital research on Australian wildlife, The Endangered Species Conservation facility manages a number of captive breeding programs and also partners with Government Authorities, universities, and zoological institutes. Interested students can volunteer from all over the world to learn about Australian wildlife and contribute to breeding and research programs.

Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers Cairns

              Marine Turtles and the Great Barrier Reef

There is nothing like seeing a graceful marine turtle in the wild. Boasting a variety such as the common Green, the small omnivorous Hawksbill, and the increasingly rare Loggerhead turtles, the Great Barrier Reef is home to 6 out of 7 species of marine turtles.

Turtles have been dying in alarmingly high numbers, with near-record stranding in the last few years. We know the Cyclones played their part. They wiped out vast areas of feeding ground. But what else is causing so many turtles to die? There is still so much we don’t know about these iconic creatures. If we want sea turtles to survive, we need to learn more about them. And its facilities like the Oceans 2 Earth Volunteer Cairns that can provide researchers with such an opportunity.

Turtles can be found throughout the year, but most activity is centred on the warmer months when they get ready to breed. The major nesting areas (known as rookeries) are situated within the southern and northern section of the great coral reef.

Breeding turtles don’t eat during the mating period, and the process can sometimes become frenzy, with several males attempting to mate with the same female. The females will keep the sperm from several different males for later use (this helps to increase genetic diversity and successful fertilization). After mating, the males will return to their feeding grounds while the female remains to start nesting.

Several weeks after the first mating, the females will drag their bodies ashore and start to dig a hole in the sand above the high water mark and lay their leathery eggs (Greens and Loggerheads will produce up to 100 eggs at a time). This process will be repeated throughout the season. The female does not keep any contact with her offspring once she covers up the eggs in the sand.

The eggs will incubate for up to 3 months. The interesting thing is that the temperature of the surrounding sand will determine the sex of the offspring (males result from cooler nests while females develop from warmer nests). This is natures’ way of ensuring that there are both viable male and females in the population. As soon as the eggs hatch, the young turtles will scramble madly to the water’s edge, hoping to gain safety, but there is always a danger. Some are eaten by ghost crabs, silver gulls, sharks, and other fish. The chances of survival are slim at best, with only 2-3% making it to reproductive age. Turtle tagging programs have been occurring in Australia for many years, and we are just starting to reap the benefits of this long term project. It has been estimated that some marine turtles, such as Greens, can live for up to 100 years.

The biggest danger to turtles these days are humans. All reptiles have been protected in Australia for more than 30 years, and during this time, Green turtle numbers have stabilized. However, many species, such as the Loggerhead, have a migration path that takes them away from these protected waters. Many countries historically hunt turtles for food and shell by-products. Also, they are vulnerable to litter, such as plastic bags, and the possibility of being caught in trawl nets.

In the pristine atmosphere of the outer coral reef, turtles are often discovered daily, gliding graciously through the blue waters and island cays like Low Isles. This amazing experience can continue if we all continue to treat the environment with respect where organisations like Oceans 2 Earth and Volunteers Cairns work to protect these species and ensure the survival of these ancient creatures.