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From the threat of man and deforestation, to the perils and gritty teeth of natural
selection, we count down the top 10 Animals on the Brink of Extinction.
#10 The Arakan Forest Turtle: This cute little Pokemon inspiring critter hails from Myanmar
in Asia, but this species is so rare that it can only be found in very specific sections
of the Arakan hills of western Myanmar—hence it’s name. It’s so rare that humanity
thought it went extinct around the turn of the 20th century, but several more of the
creatures emerged from hiding in 1994. Right now it’s estimated that there are less than
100 left in the world. It’s too cute to go. But, when it comes to cute—if this little
guy bothers your adorable bone, wait until we get to the end of the list.
#9 The Iberian Lynx: If the Iberian Lynx suffers further and goes extinct—it will be the
first of all the feline species in the last 2,000 years. The current population is between
80 and about 140—which means this beautiful cat is considered to be critically endangered.
The species lives in Spain and Portugal, and is currently under threat from the swallowing
of its land by man. That means two other things are happening: first, a plummet in their food
supply means many of the young that give hope to the Lynx population go hungry, and, oddly,
many are being hit by cars. High speed roads and highways that have consumed their natural
habitat have caused many deaths.
#8 The Axolotl: Here’s a unique one. If Axolotl is a mouthful, you can just call it
by its nickname—the water monster. This species is a type of fish salamander that
is prey to a very specific kind of fishing. Research scientists are actually the ones
going after this fish due to its ability to regenerate. Scientists are trying to figure
out why in hope of pursuing medical science, but in turn, this species is running out of
time. I guess you can take your pick. Is it worth it?
#7 Spix’s Macaw: This slice of majesty is native to Brazil—and is so beautiful that
literally all 93 of the remaining birds are already in captivity and bred internally.
That’s good because at least there is some assurance that the species can continue. The
destruction of the Caraiba forest and other human deforestation over the last 500 are
cited as the main threat to the Spix Macaw population. However, illegal bird trade due
to the fact that it’s easier to steal a bird in captivity than in the wild has posed
as another threat for the species.
#6 The Javan Rhinoceros: The most threatened of the five remaining rhino species, there
are only sixty precious members of the Javan Rhinoceros left—and that count is declining.
Poaching is still a threat, with the last Javan Rhino in Vietnam succumbing to the punishment
of a poacher’s rifle in 2010. In addition to poaching, the reduced genetic diversity
across the species count has caused deformities when breeding takes place. Natural disasters
such as tsunamis and volcanic eruptions plague the remaining natural habitats that have not
been commandeered by humans, and recently, disease has spread from wild cattle, killing
several of the remaining rhinos. It’s tough out in the wild, and we’re not necessarily
helping.
#5 The Siamese Crocodile: Hunting, hunting, hunting. The skin of the Siamese Crocodile
is sought after like none other, even though it has been made completely illegal in most
places. Once inhabiting a large number of wild ecosystems, the only remaining populations
can be found in the Mekong River in Cambodia. The populations there are often separated
and put at risk to other predators due to hunting. One of the only hopes for the population
is that Cambodians are known to keep Siamese Crocodiles as pets—being seen as unthreatening
to people.
#4 The Brown Spider Monkey: This adorable monkey earned its name from its long legs,
which helped it to swing in the safety of trees within its natural rainforest habitat.
However, deforestation has reduced this population to sixty. Relentless hunting and animal trade
has greatly hurt the species as well, with populations in Colombia and Venezuela accounting
for the remaining population. The average lifespan of the Brown Spider Monkey is about
27 years, and when logging, hunting and trading doesn’t threaten its life, the remaining
habitats suitable for life are filled with jaguars, mountain lions and eagles that prey
upon this critically endangered species..
#3 The Mexican Wolf: This is a classic story of species extinction. The primary reason
for the decline in the Mexican Wolf population is not due to deforestation or contamination—but
the dwindling of its natural prey. The Mexican wolf was once the king of the land, and, despite
it’s name, was prevalent across larger parts of North America. Declining deer and elk populations
decimated the Mexican Wolf population in America, and now only few remain in Mexico. Hope is
alive where wolves that have been bred in captivity are now being reintroduced to the
wild. Today, there are only 100 surviving in natural ecosystems.
#2 The African Wild Ass: African Wild Asses have been captured by man for centuries to
be domesticated and used on farms and for other agricultural reasons. However, the massive,
massive amounts of inbreeding of the African Wild Ass has caused as steep decline in the
species’ population. Today, most only live in captivity and are protected by law. Those
that remain encounter heavy competition for grazing space and water, which further threatens
even those under human supervision.
#1 The Hawaiian Monk Seal: At number one on our list—we have a seal. This little guy
has tons of threats coming at it from all directions. Human encroachment, little to
no genetic variation, fishing nets, contamination of their natural habitat, a long history of
commercial hunting for its innocent skin, and natural predators are just a short list
of what the Hawaiian Monk Seal has to deal with on a daily basis. This species lives
on a thread and is classified as critically endangered. But there’s hope. Conservative
Biologists have focused their efforts on creating a new habitat for the seals, habitat cleanup,
extensive care for those in captivity, and a general education of the Hawaiian public
on how the can take care of this species. Like all the species on this list, there’s
hope—we just have to do something about it.
Hey guys fresh here and thanks for watching my video on the top 10 Animals on the Brink
of Extinction. For those of you on my channel that use twitter feel free to follow me @freshjiivetv,
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