14 Endangered Animals And Where To Find Them
Humans have always been fascinated with animals – there are few we haven’t hunted, feared, bred, domesticated, drawn on cave walls or composed songs and poetry about. But nothing compares with the thrill you get when you see an animal for the first time. Just seeing the brute majestic rhino or the effete elegance of a tiger can be a life-changing experience.
Even Stephen Fry, famous international clever chap, couldn’t help but giggle like schoolgirl when he swam with a manatee for the first time. ‘Last Chance To See’, BBC2 production, sees Fry travel in search of endangered animals, and goes to show that we don’t just need animals to do practical stuff like regulate our ecosystems – when we’re communicating with an animal, we humans feel less alone too. Watching Fry, heart caught in his throat, shaking hands with a gorilla is a joyous thing in itself.
But many of the rare creatures we dream about one day meeting and forging life-long bonds with are being threatened by extinction. For some it is only so much time before the only place we’ll get to see them is in specimen jars in a zoological museum, bottled, labelled and vanished for good.
Climate change is a contributing factor, of course, but used intelligently and in moderation, our holidays can have immense benefits. Relatively few threatened species have been directly effected as a result of climate change, with poaching, overfishing, deforestation, overpopulation, disease, the effect of introduced species and civil war far more likely to precipitate collapse.
Lend your support when traveling by visiting some of the many national parks, zoos, nature reserves and conservation projects around the globe who rely on visitors not only for income, but also to spread knowledge and awareness of their cause.
Below we present 14 of the rarest animals to see.
1. Seychelles Giant Tortoise
Conservation Status: Extinct in the wild
How Many: 12
Where: Schönbrunn Zoo, Vienna, Austria
Seychelles Giant Tortoise
2. California Condor
Conservation Status: Critically endangered
How Many: 336
Where: San Diego Zoo, California, USA
California Condor
3. Grizzly Bear
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
How Many: 1,500 (aprox.)
Where: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
Grizzly Bear
4. Whooping Crane
Conservation Status: Endangered
How Many: 538
Where: Calgary Zoo, Alberta, Canada
Whooping Crane
5. Cross River Gorilla
Conservation Status: Critically endangered
How Many: 280
Where: Cross River National Park, Nigeria
Cross River Gorilla
6. Chinese Alligator
Conservation Status: Critically endangered
How Many: 10,000 (aprox.)
Where: Madras Crocodile Bank, India
Chinese Alligator
7. Mexican Spotted Owl
Conservation Status: Endangered
How Many: 2,000 (aprox.)
Where: Wildlife Centre, Espanola, New Mexico, USA
Mexican Spotted Owl
8. Black Rhino
Conservation Status: Critically endangered
How Many: 3,600 (aprox.)
Where: Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania
Black Rhino
9. Sumatran Tiger
Conservation Status: Critically endangered
How Many: 100-140
Where: Gunung Leuser National Park, Indonesia
Sumatran Tiger
10. Barbary Lion
Conservation Status: Extinct in the wild
How Many: Less than 40
Where: Belfast Zoo, Northern Ireland
Barbary Lion
11. Giant Panda
Conservation Status: Endangered
How Many: 2,000-3,000 (aprox.)
Where: Smithsonian National Geological Park, Washington, USA
Giant Panda
12. Amazonian Manatee
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
How Many: Unknown (10,000 in 1977)
Where: Yasuni National Park and Biosphere Reserve, Ecuador
Amazonian Manatee
13. Blue Whale
Conservation Status: Endangered
How Many: 5,000-12,000
Where: Reykjavik Harbour, Iceland
Blue Whale surfacing to breathe
14. Komodo Dragon
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
How Many: 4,000-5,000
Where: Komodo Island, Indonesia
Komodo Dragon
