On the Brink of Extinction (Coming Up)

· by · in Africa, Arctic, Asia, Australia, Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered species, Europe, Extinction, Latin America, Wildlife. ·
Tusker Satao, in his prime at Tsavo East National Park, Kenya, felled by poachers in May 2014. Photo courtesy of Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone. www.markdeeble.wordpress.com

Tusker Satao, in his prime at Tsavo East National Park, Kenya, felled by poachers in May 2014. Photo courtesy of Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone. http://www.markdeeble.wordpress.com

Do these numbers mean anything to you?  30, 45, 60, 200, 7100

Can you match up any of the numbers to critically endangered species? These are animals that may not survive in the wild to the end of the 21st century – or anything close to it.

Vaquita face. The most critically endangered whale

Vaquita face. The most critically endangered whale

Lovely little Mexican vaquitas (see the video) , red wolves, Asiatic  cheetahs, koalas, Grauer’s gorillas, giraffes, tuskers (elephants so mature their coveted tusks drag on the ground).

Iranian cheetah at Khar Turan National Park in Iran, the last of the Asiatic cheetahs live here.

Cheetah at Khar Turan National Park in Iran, the last of the Asiatic cheetahs live here.

Jimmy an orphan koala (mother hit by a car in an increasingly urban area). Photo courtesy of Susanne Kelly.

Jimmy an orphan koala (mother run down by a car in an increasingly urban area). Photo courtesy of Susanne Kelly.

Come back for our ongoing story series on animals on the brink of extinction – and what you can do to help them, and many thousands more species, from going to “0” in the wild.