Meet the rarest animals in the world, which are either found only in captivity or are endangered. Fortunately, some of these seemingly extinct species have been rediscovered.
1 Sumatran Rhinoceros
Based on the latest data, there are no more than 100 individuals of this ancient species in the world. The main reason for the extinction of the Sumatran rhinoceros is human activity: deforestation and poaching.
2. Kaputar
A giant ground slug with a characteristic bright pink hue lives in an isolated eco-zone on the top of Mount Kaputar. This endangered species can be met on a cool foggy morning at an altitude of about 1500 meters, among the snow-covered trees.
3. Loggerhead
A lover of tropical waters is the only representative of the genus of long-headed sea turtles. This vulnerable species is listed on the IUCN Red List and is protected by national laws in the United States, Cyprus, Turkey, Italy, and Greece.
4 California Condor
Because of their beauty and majestic wingspan, the birds turned out to be easy prey for poachers, who brought this species to the brink of extinction. It is interesting to see the almost extinct birds from the vulture family on the 2005 US 25 cent coin, issued in honor of the state of California.
5. Ayolot
An amazing animal resembling a hybrid of a lizard and a worm is extremely rare. This Mexican inhabitant loves sandy soils and spends most of his life digging underground passages and burrows.
6. Attenborough's long-beaked echidna
The tiny rainforest dweller is known from a single specimen found during Dutch colonial rule and is named after British naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough.
7 Bushman Hare
Incredibly fast and agile African hare lives in the river valley. He is able to jump to a height of over one meter, easily overcoming any obstacles on the way. The number of these animals is noticeably declining due to the constant hunting of predators and farming in the habitual habitats of the eared.
8. New Zealand bat
This is the only species of bats that leads a terrestrial lifestyle. The population of New Zealand bats has decreased by 98% with the resettlement of Europeans, lovers of cats, martens, and other animals to New Zealand.
9. Helmeted cassowary
A true fruit lover plays an important role in dispersing plant seeds. Translated from the Indonesian language, its name means "horned head". After all, the head of a cassowary is notable for growth similar to a helmet, the purpose of which is still not clear.
10 Gharial
These unique animals feed on fish, so they often die entangled in fishing nets. One more reason for their death is the lack of fish stocks in deep waters - a typical habitat for them. Gharials often become victims of poachers, because their eggs are used for medical purposes, and the growth on the nose of males is considered to be an aphrodisiac.
11. Florida cougar
The reason for the extinction of this inhabitant of South Florida was a drainage of swamps, sport hunting, and poisoning. Do not forget about natural enemies in the wild - large alligators that attacks cougars near water. Fortunately, scientists are developing a strategy to crossbreed the Florida cougar with other subspecies.
12. Manul
This is the most clumsy wild cat, a lover of a nomadic lifestyle. Hiding from danger, the predator sits in stones and gorges of rocks. Significant factors in its death are long snowy winters and ice, a decrease in the number of rodents on which the predator feeds, poaching, and the large-scale use of traps to catch hares and foxes.
13. Gray whale
The gray whale makes the longest seasonal migrations among mammals. Relatively speaking, in 40 years of life, he swims a path equal to the length of the distance from the Earth to the Moon and back. Fleeing from killer whales and sharks, whales swim close to the shore, in shallow water, and most of them die. A significant role in the extermination of the species is played by intensive fishing and the ingestion of heavy oil fractions by whales at the bottom of reservoirs.
14. Far Eastern leopard
Far Eastern leopards are on the verge of extinction. The main threat to them is humans, namely: the destruction of those who feed on leopards and the deforestation in which they live. Although hunting of the Amur leopard is prohibited, poachers are attracted by the demand for animal skins, which can be sold at a profit of $ 500 apiece, as well as the extraction of parts of their bodies used in oriental medicine.
15. Helmeted manakin-arirape
One of the rarest birds in Brazil. The main threats to birds are deforestation, the construction of asphalt roads and pools, as well as the planting of banana plantations in the habitat of these birds of paradise.
