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Learn more about this endangered species and how you can help.

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texas wildlife facts fact sheets wild animals mammals birds fish native plants reptiles amphibians

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Information about the Whooping Crane (Grus americana), a species found in the State of Texas

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The red wolf ( Canis rufus) is one of the world's most endangered wild canids. Once common throughout the southeastern United States, red wolf populations were decimated by the 1960s due to intensive predator control programs and loss of habitat. A remnant population of red wolves was found along the Gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana. After being declared an endangered species in 1973, efforts were initiated to locate and capture as many wild red wolves as possible. Of the 17 remaining wolves captured by biologists, 14 became the founders of a successful captive breeding program. Consequently, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)declared red wolves extinct in the wild in 1980.

By 1987, enough red wolves were bred in captivity to begin a restoration program to return the species to a portion of their traditional range in the southeast United States. For over two decades the USFWS has been restoring red wolves to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern North Carolina. And in 2004, the WCC joined the recovery effort via its acceptance into the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan and has played a critical role in preserving and protecting these imperiled species through carefully managed breeding and reintroduction. To date, the WCC has welcomed two red wolf litters (2010 and 2014) and a single red wolf from the WCC has been given the extraordinary opportunity to resume his rightful place on the wild landscape. At of theclose of 2017, the WCC is home to 12 red wolves, most of whom reside in the WCC's Endangered Species Facility. These enclosures are private and secluded, and the wolves are not on exhibit for the public.

In September 2014, the USFWS announced that it would be conducting a review of the red wolf recovery program in eastern North Carolina, per request of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), to determine if USFWS should continue, modify, or terminate the program that manages the last remaining wild red wolves on our planet. Two years later o September 12, 2016, USFWS published it recommended decisions in response to the red wolf recovery program evaluation. The agency's new rule proposes to significantly change the size, scope and management of the current red wolf recovery program. The rule includes USFWS's plan to pull the last wild red wolves from most of their range in North Carolina to put them in captivity. Ironically, the federal agency claimed its decision was "based on the best and latest scientific information" from the red wolf Population Viability Analysis (PVA). However, the team of scientists who drafted the PVA stated in an October letter that USFWS's recovery recomendations were based on "many alarming misinterpretations" of their scientific analysis. While the review/recomendation process continues, all captive-to-wild releases remain on hold. Also on hold is another key management activity-the release of sterilized coyotes to prevent hybridization. Today red wolves remain among the world's most endangered species. The current estimate puts the only wild population of red wolves at their lowest level (45) since the late 1990s.

" Read the history of the Red Wolf

" Learn about the ongoing Review and Evaluation of the Red Wolf Recovery Program

" What is the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan (RWSSP)?

" View Red Wolf Species Survival Plan Population Analysis and Breeding and Transfer Recommendations.

" Red Wolf Online Resources and Research.

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The red wolf (Canis rufus) is one of the world's most endangered wild canids. Once common throughout the southeastern United States, red wolf populations were decimated by the 1960s due to intensive predator control programs and loss of habitat. A remnant population of red wolves was found along the...

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In 1987, red wolves were released back into the wild in northeastern North Carolina at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. The endangered red wolves had been pulled out of the wild and entered into a captive breeding program in an attempt to save the species.

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But in North Dakota, where wolves east of U.S. Highway 83 are part of the Great Lakes population, that plan wasn't required because the state isn't critical in terms of wolf recovery, said Jeb Williams, wildlife chief for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in Bismarck.

"We were lumped in still with some of these regulations," Williams said. "It made things confusing, it made things challenging and it made things difficult for everyone involved-our agency and people in general."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to delist Great Lakes wolves on three occasions between 2004 and 2009 because recovery goals had been met, only to have the proposals scuttled in the courts.

In December 2011, the Obama administration again removed western Great Lakes wolves from Endangered Species Act protection.

Western Great Lakes wolves remained under states' control until Dec. 19, 2014, when a federal judge siding with wolf advocacy groups reinstated the species' protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.

That returned management to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where it remains to this day.

"I know the Fish and Wildlife Service was frustrated by some of the things, too-they were in and out of court," Williams said. "Wolves were not protected in the eastern part of the state and protected in the western part of the state and now we're back to being protected again. And so, it gets very confusing to keep up with."

North Dakota likely would have been required to develop a state management plan if the Game and Fish Department had planned to offer a wolf season, Williams said. Wolves are considered a furbearer in North Dakota with a closed season.

Historical view

In his book, "The Mammals of North Dakota," Robert Seabloom, a University of North Dakota professor emeritus of biology, writes that gray wolves historically occurred throughout North Dakota but were wiped out by the late 1800s.

Scattered sightings are reported, which is no surprise, since gray wolves in northwest Minnesota have been confirmed all the way to the Red River, but there are no recent breeding records of wolves in North Dakota, according to Seabloom.

Williams said the department gets occasional wolf reports, including some unconfirmed sightings in the past year in the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge area of north-central North Dakota.

In 2012, hunters in McKenzie County killed what proved to be a wolf. More recently, a large canine shot in February 2017 west of Edinburg, N.D., in Walsh County initially was thought to be a wolf, but genetic testing determined the male animal, which weighed about 80 pounds, was a wolf-dog hybrid.

And in January 2011, a hunter near Hillsboro, N.D., shot a wolf thinking it was a coyote. The female wolf weighed about 80 pounds.

Wolves that wander into North Dakota most likely come from Canada or Minnesota, Williams said.

"It seems like if we have reports and confirmations of wolves in North Dakota, that it's usually in the eastern or northern portions of the state," he said. "And like this one up in Walsh County, when we are able to get our hands on a wolf that is killed in North Dakota, we do genetic testing, and obviously looking at whether it's a true wolf or a hybrid."

In the case of wolf-dog hybrids, where they originate is anyone's guess, he said.

"We wonder the same thing," Williams said. "We just don't talk about wolves very much. They don't rank very high in priority just simply because we don't have very many of them other than knowing we get a wolf from time to time in various parts of the state."

Despite those occasional reports, North Dakota isn't likely to ever have a breeding population of gray wolves, he said.

"I've said this to a lot of folks; with the number of wolves in Minnesota now and in Canada-not saying they're all over the prairie provinces of Canada because they're not-but there is a certain portion of Canada with bush country that does have a good population," Williams said. "They're certainly close enough to us where if our habitat was suitable for wolves, they would be here."

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Wolves remain incidental species in North Dakota

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North Dakota doesn't have a resident gray wolf population, but the eastern half of the state falls within the boundaries of what's known as the Western Great Lakes Distinct Population Segment, which includes gray wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.Fringe states that partially fall within the...

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Near the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the heart of the five county Albemarle Peninsula, there is a federal wildlife refuge called Alligator River.

With more than 152,000 square acres, the wetland refuge is home to countless species, but one in particular attracts visitors from all over the world-the red wolf. These travelers come a long way for something they are unlikely to even see at all in the wild. Instead on Wednesday nights from June through August visitor services staff will take guests on "howling" tours. Unless there is heavy rain or lightening, visitors will soon hear the howls pierce the night.

Alligator River Refuge and the surrounding peninsula is the only place in the world where the howls can be heard in the wild. The wolves' presence is the result of decades of conservation work that has restored about 100 red wolves to three national wildlife refuges and the surrounding lands. Unfortunately, this beautiful and unique animal is at risk of being lost forever due to a recent spate of illegal shootings.

More on this in a moment-first, some context is needed.

Recovering from Extinction

That the red wolf is roaming in the wild today is itself a remarkable story. Though the species once ranged from eastern Texas to the Atlantic Coast and north into southern Pennsylvania, by 1970 uncontrolled hunting, habitat loss and predator control programs had removed the red wolf from all but the remotest parts of Texas and Louisiana coast.

After the species was listed as Endangered in 1967, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) initiated a plan to capture as many genetically pure red wolves as possible. Capturing almost 400 animals, a team of researchers carefully removed any coyotes and hybrids, leaving just 14 breeding red wolves. In 1980, FWS declared the species extinct in the wild. The approximately 300 red wolves alive today are all descended from these few individuals.

Under the recovery plan, the first four pairs of red wolves were released in Alligator River National Refuge in 1987. Today the wild population stands at around 100 individuals. As many as 200 more are spread across 44 U.S. captive-breeding facilities. At facilities like Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, education programs are held where guests can learn more about these amazing animals.

Within the 1.7 million acres over which red wolves now roam, these nocturnal predators stand at the top of their food chain, playing a valuable role in keeping numbers of prey, such as deer, raccoons and the invasive nutria in check, thus protecting the habitat of all species living there. Unfortunately, as wolf range has grown, the dangers threatening red wolf survival have become more pronounced.

Not Out of the Woods

While the red wolf's return to the wild is a conservation triumph, the species' long-term success requires constant monitoring and support. Two key problems still imperil the red wolf:

Following the red wolf's extermination in the region, coyotes (native to central North America) moved into much of the red wolf's former range, including the Albemarle Peninsula. Capable of adapting to human presence, the coyote may compete with red wolves for prey. An even greater threat is the risk of interbreeding between the more numerous coyote and the scarce red wolf

Nor are coyotes the only threat. Human interactions with red wolves often end in tragedy. While the red wolf is a shy creature and unlikely to seek a confrontation, humans pose several risks as our own range continues to expand. Constant development and new suburban housing fragments potential habitat for the wolves, and increases the likelihood of an encounter. Sometimes this can mean automobile accidents, but more recent encounters have a more sinister nature. Poachers have set their sights on this fragile population.

Poachers Target Red Wolves

Within the past few years the number of red wolves shot and killed has spiked upward. Last year, between October 28 and November 19, six red wolves were found shot. Earlier this month FWS staff found another red wolf that had been shot and killed. The radio-tracking collars on the dead wolves had been tampered with, suggesting that whoever killed them was trying to cover up the shooting.

Combined with accidents, the species lost more than 10 percent of its wild population in just one year. This loss of adults, including breeding animals, will likely reduce the production of cubs during the next few years, creating a major obstacle for the red wolf's long-term survival.

NWF Puts the Target on Poachers

The red wolf is protected by the federal Endangered Species Act, and a poacher who targets any of the remaining animals in the wild not only imperils the decades-long recovery effort but also faces federal criminal and civil charges. The National Wildlife Federation and its state affiliate, the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, are committed to ensuring that those responsible for illegal shootings are brought to justice. In addition to supporting outreach and education to help build public support for red wolf conservation, the two federations and their conservation partners are offering a reward for anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of a red wolf poacher. Taken together, combined pledges of the conservation groups amount to $33,000.

"The National Wildlife Federation, as one of the organizations that helped to bring the red wolf back into the wild in the 1980s, is proud to join the coalition of groups that is working to tackle the latest challenges to its survival and recovery," said John Kostyack, NWF's Vice President for Wildlife Conservation. "It is truly a national treasure, and we hope that with the National Wildlife Federation's pledge, someone with knowledge of these attacks will finally come forward and break the silence."

Tim Gestwicki, CEO of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, agrees. "Against the longest of odds, the red wolf still roams the wildlands of eastern North Carolina," he said. "If the wolf is to survive and have even a chance to thrive, it will be because Americans everywhere refuse to stand for the illegal and despicable killing of an endangered species."

The howl of the red wolf is an ethereal call of the wild, almost unearthly in its beauty. The music of the wolf lingers in the mind and haunts the heart. Those of us who are committed to conservation cannot stand by and let poachers silence the night skies of the Albemarle Peninsula.
Please donate to save endangered red wolves from poachers and protect America's most at-risk wildlife.
If you have information regarding an illegal red wolf kill, contact Wildlife Refuge Officer Frank Simms at 252-216-7504 or North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Officer Robert Wayne at 252-216-8225. To report an accidental red wolf death, call FWS at 855-496-5837 or the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at 800-662-7137.

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Red Wolves: an Endangered Species in Peril

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Near the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the heart of the five county Albemarle Peninsula, there is a federal wildlife refuge called Alligator River. With more than 152,000 square acres, the wetland refuge is home to countless species, but one in particular attracts visitors from all over the world-the red wolf.

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The red wolf is a smaller, thinner cousin of the gray wolf. It is gray-black in color, but has a distinctive reddish cast for which it is named.

The red wolf is the world's most endangered canid, and the Southeast's native wolf. Uniquely "All-American," the red wolf's entire historical range is confined within what is now the United States. Once roaming as far west as Texas, down into Florida, and up into the Midwest, the red wolf now persists in only a fraction of its range. It has lost more of its historical territory-99.7 percent-than any other large carnivore, including lions, tigers and snow leopards.
Diet
The red wolf's diet primarily consists of deer and small mammals such as rabbits and rodents; however, they have been known to eat insects and berries.
Population
Hunted to the brink of extinction, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) rounded up fewer than 20 red wolves to be bred in captivity in 1980. In 1987, the FWS reintroduced red wolves into the wild, but years of political attacks, popular misconceptions and insufficient recovery plans continue to plague recovery efforts. As a result, their numbers continue to decline and red wolves are once again facing extinction in the wild.
Range
Historically, red wolves ranged throughout the southeastern U.S. from Pennsylvania to Florida and as far west as Texas. Today, wild populations roam just over 1.7 million acres throughout northeastern North Carolina, including Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
Behavior
Red wolves are primarily nocturnal and communicate by scent marking, vocalizations (including howling), facial expressions and body postures.

Shy and secretive, red wolves hunt alone or in small packs - complex social structures that include the breeding adult pair (the alpha male and female) and their offspring. Red wolves tend to form pair-bonds for life.

Pack size varies with the size of available prey populations. A hierarchy of dominant and subordinate animals within the pack helps it to function as a unit.
Reproduction
Only the alpha male and female in the pack mate. Other pack members will help care for the young and bring food to the breeding female. Red wolf dens are often located in hollow trees, stream banks and sand knolls.

Mating season: Late winter.

Gestation: 60-63 days.

Litter size: 2-8 pups.

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The red wolf is a smaller, thinner cousin of the gray wolf. It is gray-black in color, but has a distinctive reddish cast for which it is named. The red wolf is the world's most endangered canid, and the Southeast's native wolf.

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Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. Without sea otters, sea urchins can overpopulate the sea floor and devour the kelp forests that provide cover and food for many other marine animals. By maintaining healthy kelp forests, sea otters also indirectly help to reduce levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a prevalent greenhouse gas, as kelp absorbs and sequesters carbon.

Hunted to near extinction in the 18th and 19th centuries, sea otters finally gained protections with the signing of the International Fur Seal Treaty of 1911. In the 1970s, they received additional safeguarding under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. Worldwide, sea otters have slowly recovered but still stand far below their historical population numbers. While sea otters are vulnerable to natural environmental changes, their populations are significantly impacted by several human factors as well.

In 2006, Defenders of Wildlife worked with California lawmakers on legislation that established the California Sea Otter Fund, a voluntary contribution option on the state tax forms. The fund pays for important scientific research, public education and law enforcement that benefits sea otters.

Defenders helped pass a state law that mandated warning signs on containers of "flushable" kitty litter. This became necessary when researchers discovered that a protozoal parasite from flushed cat feces, Toxoplasma gondii, could pass through wastewater treatment facilities and harm sea otters.

We also worked to end to the translocation program, which moved sea otters to San Nicolas Island, and the associated No-Otter Zone.

We supported a bill to phase out the use of drift gillnets in California waters to protect sea otters and many other marine species.

To protect sea otters that were crossing roads in Moss Landing, CA, Defenders helped make the case for placing crossing signs and establishing slow speed zones, and we worked with local sea otter protection organizations to install wildlife monitoring cameras.

Finally, we are working with state and federal agencies and other groups to maintain, increase and broaden the current protections for sea otters so they can expand their population along more of California's coastal waters.

Humans are the biggest threat to sea otter populations. Direct conflict with humans, through shootings, fishing gear entanglements and boat strikes, take a toll on sea otters, but oil spills, pollution, disease and loss of kelp pose major threats.

Southern sea otters weigh 45 to 65 pounds; northern sea otters can reach up to 100 pounds.

Sea otters live in shallow coastal waters in the northern Pacific. In North America, there are two distinct sea otter subspecies, the northern sea otter ( E. l. kenyoni) and the southern sea otter ( E. l. nereis). Northern sea otters are found in the Aleutian Islands, South Central and Southeast Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington. Southern sea otters, also called California sea otters, live in waters along the California coastline, ranging from San Mateo County in the north to Santa Barbara County in the south.

Historically, sea otters numbered between 150,000 and 300,000 animals throughout the Pacific Rim. The southern sea otter population, which once numbered about 16,000 animals, is hovering around 3,000 today.

Sea otters spend much of their lives in the water and can dive up to 330 feet when foraging for food, though most dives are much shallower. They often rest in coastal kelp forests, draping the kelp over their bodies to keep from drifting away.

Sea otters are one of the few mammals, other than primates, known to use tools. They use small rocks or other objects to pry shellfish from rocks and to hammer them open.

Mating Season: Throughout the year
Gestation: 6 to 8 months
Litter Size: Generally one pup, but sea otters can give birth to twins

Sea otters eat urchins, abalone, mussels, clams, crabs, snails and about 40 other marine species. Sea otters must eat approximately 25% of their weight in food each day to support their high metabolism.

Your adoption supports our work to educate people about the need to protect sea otters, continue our efforts to protect sea otters from the threat of oil spills, and help local communities and the fishing industry live in harmony with these animals.

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Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries.

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Sea Otters in Elkhorn Slough: A Conservation Success Story

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Sea Otters Need Our Help!
California's southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. 39 years later and counting, their conservation status remains unchanged and their future remains uncertain. Despite decades of protection, the southern sea otter population's growth has stalled and the species shows few signs of recovery.

Why are Sea Otters Important?
Sea otters are an iconic species, representing the beauty and diversity of marine life found along California's coastline. They're also considered a keystone species because of their critical importance to the health and stability of the nearshore marine ecosystem. They eat sea urchins and other invertebrates that graze on giant kelp. Without sea otters, these grazing animals can destroy kelp forests and consequently the wide diversity of animals that depend upon kelp habitat for survival. Additionally, kelp forests protect coastlines from storm surge and absorb vast amounts of harmful carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Sea otters are also considered a sentinel species because their health reflects that of California's coastal waters.

Why Aren't They Recovering?
Recent studies have shown that high mortality rates among prime-aged adult animals are the underlying cause for the population's stagnant growth and disturbingly low numbers. Scientists attribute up to 40 percent of southern sea otter mortality to infectious diseases alone, many of which are known to have anthropogenic (human) causes and land-sea linkages. White shark attacks, pathogens and parasites, food limitation, nutritional deficiencies, habitat degradation, coastal pollutants and contaminant exposure are among many of the contributing factors threatening the recovery of the species. And the risk of a major oil spill remains a serious threat.

What's Being Done About It?
Researchers are working hard to gain a better understanding of what's threatening sea otters so we can find ways to help them recover. Determining precisely how all of the factors driving elevated mortality are impacting the overall health of the southern sea otter population and the nearshore marine ecosystem on which they and other species depend is critical. The goal is development and implementation of effective, long-term management and mitigation strategies that can lead to the recovery of the species.

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Sea Otters Need Our Help! California's southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. 39 years later and counting, their conservation status remains unchanged and their future remains uncertain. Despite decades of protection, the southern sea otter population's growth has stalled and the species shows few signs of recovery.

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The Sea Otter's Enchanted Forest | America's National Parks

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These marine mammals spend most of their time in the water heated by their thick oily fur. Learn more about sea otters in our Wild Animal Safari!

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IUCN RED LIST: Critically Endangered
Intensive anti-poaching efforts have had encouraging results since 1996, and the population now numbering between 5,042 - 5,455 in the wild.
During the last century, the black rhino has suffered the most drastic decline in total numbers of all rhino species. Between 1970 and 1992, the population of this species decreased by 96%. In 1970, it was estimated that there were approximately 65,000 black rhinos in Africa - but, by 1993, there were only 2,300 surviving in the wild. The black rhino population is recovering and increasing very slowly, but the poaching threat remains great.

Biology

The black rhino lives in Africa, primarily in grasslands, savannahs and tropical bush lands.

There are four black rhino sub-species.

Black rhinos are browsers. Their prehensile upper lip is adapted for grasping and holding leaves and branches of shrubs and trees.

Black rhinos can live to be 30 - 35 years in the wild.

Gestation lasts approximately 15 - 16 months, and mothers give birth to one calf every 2.5 - 3 years.

Females and sub-adults generally are social, but bulls are typically solitary.

Adult female black rhinos have overlapping ranges and are not really as solitary as often portrayed. Males are generally solitary and may be territorial.

Current Black Rhino Numbers and Distribution

There are currently between 5,042 - 5,455 black rhinos surviving (IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group, 2016).
CITES: Appendix I
Common Names

Black rhinoceros. Black rhinos are not black. The species probably derives its name as a distinction from the white rhino and/or from the dark-colored local soil that covers its skin after wallowing in mud.

Prehensile or hook-lipped rhinoceros. The upper lip of the black rhino is adapted for feeding from trees and shrubs.

Scientific Name and Origin
Diceros bicornis
Dicero from the Greek "di", meaning "two" and "ceros", meaning "horn" and "bicornis" from the Latin "bi", meaning "two" and "cornis", meaning "horn."

Physical Characteristics
SIZE

Weight: 1,750 - 3,000 lbs (800 - 1,350 kg)

Height: 4.5 - 5.5 ft (1.4 - 1.7 m) tall at shoulder

Length: 10- 12.5 ft (3.0-3.8m) length of head and body

HORN
Black rhinos have two horns. The front horn is larger and measures 20 - 55 inches (0.5 - 1.3 m). The rear horn is smaller and measures up to 22 inches (55 cm) long.

Other Features

Relatively broad snout with a prehensile lip adapted for grasping branches and leaves.

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Black Rhino - International Rhino Foundation

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Black rhinos face continued risk from the African poaching crisis, particularly in South Africa. But thanks to intensive anti-poaching efforts, black rhino numbers remain relatively stable or are slowly increasing as reproduction slightly offsets both natural mortality and poaching losses.

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One of the last northern white rhinos in the world died in Kenya this weekend, leaving the species on the brink of extinction, with only six animals left.

While other species of rhinoceros, such as the southern white rhino, still roam, all five species currently sit on the endangered list. If the entire population disappears from the globe, the result could spell catastrophe for African savannas - and potentially the whole world.

Poaching and habitat loss seriously threaten the rhino population. In 2013, 1,004 rhinos were poached in South Africa. That's a terrible number considering only about 20,000 Southern white rhinos and 5,000 black rhinos still inhabit South Africa. Other species of rhino fare even worse:

Rhinos, considered a "megaherbivore," are a keystone species and play a pivotal role in ecosystems.

Removal of a keystone species has huge downstream effect in the ecosystem and can throw an entire community out of whack, as Jason G. Goldman explains in Conservation Magazine. For example, when agriculture and hunting decimated the Yellowstone wolves, the deer population exploded, leading to decline in plant species as well.

While we know less about how megaherbivores fit into ecosystems, a 2009 paper in the journal Science found that extinction of Pleistocene megaherbivores caused similar large-scale damage in North America - one of most fundamental questions in modern ecology.

Taking that a step further, rhinos' grazing specifically helps maintain the savanna grasslands, and those grasslands sustain numerous other species, whether directly or through predation, according to a May 2014 study in the Journal of Ecology.

The study focused on Kruger National Park in South Africa, where the rhinos' decline has already started to affect the structure and composition of grasslands. In areas with a high density of rhinos, the researchers found more short grasses - an important metric for biodiversity, Goldman explains. Although seemingly counterintuitive, grazers, like rhinos, increase biodiversity by selecting certain plants over others, giving other species more ability to grow.

"Not only is rhino poaching threatening the species conservation status, but also the potentially key role of this apex consumer for savanna ecosystem dynamics and functioning," the authors wrote.

Aside from providing food for numerous species, grasslands, like the savannas, serve an important global role, as well. They act as natural " carbon sinks" - essentially storage lockers for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a cause of global warming. Because of industrialization, Africa's carbon emissions will likely increase substantially throughout the 21st century.

The savannas, where rhino live, are an important ecosystem, and it seems that conservation of the species is essential to preserving them.

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Why The Extinction Of All Rhinos Could Be Catastrophic

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One of the last northern white rhinos in the world died in Kenya this weekend, leaving the species on the brink of extinction, with only six animals left. While other species of rhinoceros, such as the southern white rhino, still roam, all five species currently sit on the endangered list.

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Saving the Black Rhino | National Geographic

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16x9 - Jungle Survivors: Saving Orangutans in Borneo

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360° Orangutan School | National Geographic

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Average Life Span In The Wild:

30 to 40 years

Size:

Standing height: 4 to 5 feet

Size relative to a 6-ft man:

The Malay word orangutan means "person of the forest." These long-haired, orangish primates, found only in Sumatra and Borneo, are highly intelligent and are close relatives of humans.

Size

Orangutans have an enormous arm span. A male may stretch his arms some 7 feet from fingertip to fingertip-a reach considerably longer than his standing height of about 5 feet. When orangutans do stand, their hands nearly touch the ground.

Life in the Trees

Orangutans' arms are well suited to their lifestyle because they spend much of their time (some 90 percent) in the trees of their tropical rain forest home. They even sleep aloft in nests of leafy branches. They use large leaves as umbrellas and shelters to protect themselves from the common rains.

Diet

These cerebral primates forage for food during daylight hours. Most of their diet consists of fruit and leaves gathered from rain forest trees. They also eat bark, insects and, on rare occasions, meat.

Solitary Behavior

Orangutans are more solitary than other apes. Males are loners. As they move through the forest they make plenty of rumbling, howling calls to ensure that they stay out of each other's way. The "long call" can be heard 1.2 miles away.

Reproduction

Mothers and their young, however, share a strong bond. Infants will stay with their mothers for some six or seven years until they develop the skills to survive on their own. Female orangutans give birth only once every eight years-the longest time period of any animal. The animals are long-lived and have survived as long as 60 years in captivity.

Threats to Survival

Because orangutans live in only a few places, and because they are so dependent upon trees, they are particularly susceptible to logging in these areas. Unfortunately, deforestation and other human activities, such as hunting, have placed the orangutan in danger of extinction.

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Average Life Span In The Wild: 30 to 40 years Size: Standing height: 4 to 5 feet Size relative to a 6-ft man: The Malay word orangutan means "person of the forest." These long-haired, orangish primates, found only in Sumatra and Borneo, are highly intelligent and are close relatives of humans.

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Protect endangered species, including the orangutan, at World Wildlife Fund. Learn about the ways WWF works to conserve a future where people live in harmony with nature.

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Orangutans are extremely patient and intelligent mammals. They are very observant and inquisitive, and there are many stories of orangutans escaping from zoos after having watched their keepers unlock and lock doors.

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Wildlife Is Under Threat From Palm Oil Plantations In Indonesia

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IT'S A PANDAFUL LIFE! How China is saving the giant panda from extinction

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Efforts to save the giant panda, a worldwide symbol of wildlife conservation for half a century, are paying off: The iconic black-and-white bear is no longer endangered, the international body for species protection said on Sunday.

Native to Chinese bamboo forests, the panda was upgraded from endangered to vulnerable on the Red List of Threatened Species, managed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The newest update to the list includes 82,954 species, 23,928 of which are threatened with extinction. (Also see " 20,000 Species Are Near Extinction: Is it Time to Rethink How We Decide Which to Save?")

Giant panda populations in the wild have risen steadily by 17 percent in the decade up to 2014, when a nationwide census found 1,850 giant pandas in the wild in China. That's up from the last census of 1,600 animals in 2003.

"It's a good day to be a panda," said Ginette Hemley, senior vice president for wildlife conservation at WWF, a nonprofit whose logo is the giant panda. "We're thrilled."

Success for the giant panda, endangered since 1990, is thanks to two factors: A marked decrease in poaching, which was rampant in the 1980s; and a huge expansion of the animal's protected habitat. (Also read " Pandas Get to Know Their Wild Side.")

China now has 67 panda reserves, which are similar to U.S. national parks, says Hemley. She also noted that the Tibetan antelope, an endangered species slaughtered in past decades for its fine fur, is also recovering. The mountain species is now listed as near-threatened, according to the Red List.

"This is a deserved status," says M. Sanjayan, senior scientist at the nonprofit Conservation International. "The Chinese government has put in 30 years of hard work in pandas-[they are] not going to let the panda go extinct."

However, Marc Brody, senior adviser for conservation and sustainable development at China's Wolong Nature Reserve, says "it is too early to conclude that pandas are actually increasing in the wild-perhaps we are simply getting better at counting wild pandas."

"While the Chinese government deserves credit and support for recent progress in management of both captive and wild giant pandas ... there is no justifiable reason to downgrade the listing from endangered to threatened," he says.

"In fact, 'suitable' or quality panda habitat is in fact decreasing from ongoing fragmentation from highway construction, active tourism development in Sichuan Province, and other human economic activities."

However, the announcement had sobering developments for some of our kin: The largest living primate, Africa's eastern gorilla, is now critically endangered, having declined 70 percent over the past 20 years.

"We are the only one species of great ape that is not threatened with extinction," says Carlo Rondinini, who coordinates the IUCN's Global Mammal Assessment Program.

Poaching for wildlife trade and bush meat, as well as massive habitat destruction, has devastated most populations.

"We are eating our closest living relatives into oblivion," says Sanjayan.

Hunting is the biggest problem for the Grauer's gorilla, a subspecies that has fallen from nearly 17,000 in 1994 to fewer than 4,000 in 2015.

"Critical endangered status will raise the profile of this gorilla subspecies and bring attention to its plight," Andrew Plumptre, lead author of the revised Grauer's listing and senior conservationist in the Uganda Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, said in a statement. "It has tended to be the neglected ape in Africa, despite being the largest ape in the world."

The report also highlighted "devastating impacts of invasive species"-87 percent of the 415 plants native to Hawaii are threatened with extinction, according to the Red List. "When we lose plants, we lose irreplaceable cultural treasures," says Matt Keir, a member of the IUCN's Hawaiian Plant Specialist Group.

One bright spot is the mountain gorilla, a subspecies of the eastern gorilla whose population is not decreasing largely due to ecotourism in the Democractic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda, WWF's Hemley says.

However, Hemley notes that the mountain gorilla population is still very small, under a thousand animals.

Likewise, the giant panda, at fewer than 2,000 individuals, is not out of the woods yet, she cautions. Several models predict climate change will wipe out more than 30 percent of the panda's bamboo habitat in the next 80 years. (Read " Who Discovered the Panda? ")

So no one is resting on their laurels: Conservation is a "long-term endeavor," Hemley says. ( Get an exclusive look into how keepers raise a baby panda.)

Conservation International's Sanjayan agrees: "You celebrate the small victories, but you keep track of the war."

Overall, the panda's recent growth is a reminder "that conservation works," adds Inger Andersen, IUCN's director general.

"We can move the dial on that barometer of life."
Join the conversation at the #IUCNCongress with #BoldSteps

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Giant Pandas, Symbol of Conservation, Are No Longer Endangered

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Efforts to save the giant panda, a worldwide symbol of wildlife conservation for half a century, are paying off: The iconic black-and-white bear is no longer endangered, the international body for species protection said on Sunday.

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In a welcome piece of good news for the world's threatened wildlife, the giant panda has just been downgraded from 'Endangered' to 'Vulnerable' on the global list of species at risk of extinction, demonstrating how an integrated approach can help save our planet's vanishing biodiversity.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced the positive change to the giant panda's official status in the Red List of Threatened Species, pointing to the 17% rise in the population in the decade up to 2014, when a nationwide census found 1,864 giant pandas in the wild in China.

"For over 50 years, the giant panda has been the globe's most beloved conservation icon as well as the symbol of WWF. Knowing that the panda is now a step further from extinction is an exciting moment for everyone committed to conserving the world's wildlife and their habitats," said Marco Lambertini, WWF Director General.

"The recovery of the panda shows that when science, political will and engagement of local communities come together, we can save wildlife and also improve biodiversity," added Lambertini.

While the panda's status has improved, other species are under increasing threat, including the Eastern gorilla that is now listed as critically endangered, just one step away from extinction, due primarily to poaching.

WWF's panda logo was designed by the organisation's founding chairman, the naturalist and painter Sir Peter Scott in 1961. Twenty years later, WWF became the first international organisation to work in China.

Ever since, WWF has been working with the government on initiatives to save giant pandas and their habitat, including helping to establish an integrated network of giant panda reserves and wildlife corridors to connect isolated panda populations as well as working with local communities to develop sustainable livelihoods and minimise their impact on the forests.

These efforts have seen the number of panda reserves jump to 67, which now protect nearly two-thirds of all wild pandas. They have also helped to safeguard large swathes of mountainous bamboo forests, which shelter countless other species and provide natural services to vast numbers of people, including tens of millions who live alongside rivers downstream of panda habitat.

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Giant panda no longer Endangered | Stories | WWF

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In a welcome piece of good news for the world's threatened wildlife, the giant panda has just been downgraded from 'Endangered' to 'Vulnerable' on the global list of species at risk of extinction, demonstrating how an integrated approach can help save our planet's vanishing biodiversity.

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One year after giant pandas graduated from endangered to " vulnerable," a welcome designation after 28 years, Chinese scientists have sobering news: The animal's natural habitat in China is in serious danger.

In a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution on Monday, researchers report that suitable panda habitats have significantly and steadily declined since 1990, the year the International Union for the Conservation of Nature first classified the animals as endangered. That could make any gain in China's wild panda population a short-lived conservation victory.

Logging, human encroachment, road construction and agriculture have conspired to divide panda habitats into tiny sections, a process known as fragmentation, the study said.

Ouyang Zhiyun, a professor of environmental science at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and his colleagues studied 40 years of satellite data to reach their conclusions, and are urging the Chinese government to take specific steps to restore panda-friendly environments.

Giant pandas are a national icon of China, the only place in the world where they live outside of captivity. Years of Chinese government efforts to reverse their dwindling numbers, such as the restoration of bamboo forests and establishment of national habitat reserves, helped bring the animals back from the brink. They were declared no longer endangered in September 2016 after population estimates reached 1,864 - not counting cubs. That's up from a low of about 1,200 in the 1980s.

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Pandas Are No Longer Endangered. But Their Habitat Is in Trouble.

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One year after giant pandas graduated from endangered to " vulnerable," a welcome designation after 28 years, Chinese scientists have sobering news: The animal's natural habitat in China is in serious danger.

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Learn about the Malayan Tiger, as well as the threats it faces, what WWF is doing to conserve its future, and how you can help.

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Malayan tiger population plunges to just 250-340 individuals

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Malayan tiger. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. Malaysia is on the edge of losing its tigers, and the world is one step nearer to losing another tiger subspecies: the Malayan...

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The Malayan Tiger - A Malaysian Pride To Protect

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Malayan Tiger Conservation at the Palm Beach Zoo

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Tiger Conservation Challenges - Malayan Tiger Foundation

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Tiger Conservation Challenges - Malayan Tiger Foundation

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The Federal Government of Malaysia has two plans in place for helping to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services. The CFS Master Plan (CFSMP), formulated following the first National Physical Plan (NPP) in 2005 aims to increase the integrity of the CFS through conserving and rehabilitating critical linkages in between each complex.

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The elephant is Earth's largest land animal, although the Asian elephant is slightly smaller than its African cousin. Asian elephants can be identified by their smaller, rounded ears. (An African elephant's ears resemble the continent of Africa.). They live in forested regions of India and throughout Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. About a third of Asian elephants live in captivity.

The Asian elephant is classified as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Its population has declined by an estimated 50 percent over the past 75 years, and there are an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 Asian elephants left in the wild.

Threats to wild Asian elephant populations include habitat loss from deforestation and agricultural development, as well as conflict with humans as elephants seek space and raid crops grown close to their forest habitats.

Most illegal ivory today comes from African elephants, with some 30,000 poached each year. Asian elephants, nonetheless, do still face the threat of poaching for the ivory trade. Only males have tusks, and females have been largely spared. However, a growing trade in elephant skin, used for jewelry, threatens both males and females alike. Young wild elephants are also trafficked from Myanmar into Thailand for the tourism trade. In 2012 the Thai government began cracking down on smuggling.

An elephant's trunk is actually a long nose with many functions. It's used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and grabbing things-especially a potential meal. Elephants are fond of water and enjoy showering by sucking water into their trunks and spraying it over their bodies. The trunk alone contains about 100,000 different muscles. Asian elephants have a fingerlike feature on the end of their trunk that they can use to grab small items. (African elephants have two.)

Elephants eat roots, grasses, fruit, and bark-and they eat a lot of them. An adult elephant can consume up to 300 pounds of food in a single day.

Elephants are crepuscular-they typically sleep during the day and are most active at dawn and dusk.

Elephants are widely viewed as one of Earth's most intelligent animals. They have a highly evolved neocortex, similar to humans, great apes, and some dolphin species. They demonstrate a wide variety of behaviors associated with high intelligence, including compassion, mimicry, grief, altruism, use of tools, and self-awareness.

In the wild, female elephants, called cows, live in close-knit family herds with their young, but adult males, known as bulls, tend to roam on their own. Elephants have a longer pregnancy than any other mammal-almost 22 months. Cows usually give birth to one calf every two to four years. At birth, elephants weigh about 200 pounds and stand about three feet tall.

Asian elephants in captivity

Almost a third of Asian elephants live in captivity, largely in Thailand, India, and Myanmar. Historically, elephants were used in the logging industry, as well as in agriculture and occasionally warfare. Increasingly, they're used in the tourism industry, where many are trained to perform in shows, gives rides, and interact up-close with tourists. The majority are tamed using fear-based methods, including with an instrument called a bullhook-a wooden stick with a sharp metal hook at the end.

Phajaan is the traditional-and brutal- days- or weeks-long process of breaking a young elephant's spirit. It has long been used in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia to tame wild elephants. Under phajaan, elephants are bound with ropes, confined in tight wooden structures, starved, and beaten repeatedly with bullhooks and other tools until their will is crushed. Elephants born in captivity are still widely trained using bullhooks, but methods vary from handler to handler.using fear-based methods, although severity of training will vary from handler to handler.

The welfare of captive elephants is also difficult to regulate in many parts of the world. Thailand's 3,800 captive elephants are classified as domestic animals, akin to farmed animals like horses and donkeys. Although welfare issues such as tight confinement and isolation, malnutrition, bodily harm, and symptoms of psychological distress have been widely documented among captive elephants in the country, captive elephants in Thailand are classified property, and protections are scant.

Captive Asian elephants are often misinterpreted as domesticated, because they have been kept and trained by humans for thousands of years. However, the majority have historically been captured from the wild and tamed for use by humans. Although then can breed in captivity, like big cats and other wild animals, they are not selectively bred, largely because of their long reproductive cycle. For this reason, there are no domesticated breeds of Asian elephants: They remain wild animals.

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The elephant is Earth's largest land animal, although the Asian elephant is slightly smaller than its African cousin. Asian elephants can be identified by their smaller, rounded ears. (An African elephant's ears resemble the continent of Africa.). They live in forested regions of India and throughout Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.

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YUNNAN, Southwest China - Yin Shuangquan vividly recalls the chaos on the highway near his home in Mengwang Township last November. A male elephant stomped onto the road and pushed against seven cars after flipping over one vehicle and shattering the windshield of a minibus with its head. "There were passengers on the bus," Yin recalls. "They were screaming and shouting in terror when the windshield was smashed."

Elephant sightings and attacks have become more frequent in Yunnan province in recent years. Two years ago, a herd of elephants instilled fear in residents of Guanping Village, 90 kilometers from Mengwang. Bordering Guanping is Wild Elephant Valley, a scenic area located within the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve.

On a summer night in 2015, seven wild Asian elephants charged onto the property of Wang Chaogui and his wife, Hu Yuzhi. When the elderly couple heard tiles falling from the roof of their kitchen, which is detached from the house, Hu ran out to see several elephants as tall as her front door eating the maize piled up outside the kitchen - the couple's food supply. In the darkness, the two tried to scare the elephants away, Wang shining his flashlight into their eyes and Hu clanging metal plates together. "I shouted at the elephants, 'Leave some for me!'" recalls 73-year-old Hu, but to no avail. The elephants knocked down three cypress trees in the courtyard and ate all the maize before finally leaving around midnight.

Weighing an average of 4 tons - the heaviest can weigh up to 5 tons - and measuring around 2.7 meters tall, Asian elephants roamed China in ancient times. But illegal poaching and damage to their habitats by humans led to a sharp decline in their population to just over 100 in the 1980s, all living in Yunnan. In 1986, the International Union for Conservation of Nature added the Asian elephant to its Red List as an endangered species. In 1989, China declared it a first-grade nationally protected animal.

But for residents of Xishuangbanna, the elephants' existence has cast an unshakable shadow over their lives.

For centuries, Asian elephants have made their home in this subtropical part of the country. But farming and encroaching development have forced them out of their natural habitat. In recent years, Asian elephants have frequently been seen wandering into villages, stirring up chaos and causing destruction. Conflicts between humans and elephants have intensified as the animals have become immune to human tactics to keep them away.

Lighting torches, banging cymbals and drums, and setting off firecrackers used to be enough to scare away the elephants, says Guanping villager Wang. But now, these methods have no effect. Generally speaking, Asian elephants don't attack humans unless provoked, according to Wang Qiaoyan, a senior engineer at the scientific research institute under the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve's management and protection bureau. Yet the animals' temperament can change dramatically if they are chased or scared by people. "They'll be fine if they've just been frightened once, since they will have time to recover," says Wang Qiaoyan. "But if they are frightened frequently, then the elephants will become hostile."

A group of elephants walk into a village in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, Feb. 16, 2013. Dai Zhenhua/VCG

The wild elephants' repeated attacks have taken a heavy toll on both the lives and incomes of villagers. The management and protection bureau has confirmed that a compensation mechanism is in place but did not elaborate. However, one local, Zhou Meiying, says that if an elephant tramples 1 mu (around 666 square meters) of maize, the management and protection bureau will pay the farmer 400 yuan ($60) in compensation - 500 yuan if it's one mu of paddy field, though the harvest from the paddy is worth 1,500 yuan. If the elephants trample someone to death, the family will receive 200,000 yuan, according to Zhou. But the compensation scheme does nothing to prevent the animals from returning. "When elephants damage [the crops] for the first time, the people from the nature reserve will just take a look and leave - the elephants will come back soon afterward and eat [the crops] again," says Zhou.

Because of the dangers the elephants pose, villagers are reluctant to plant crops. "It's dangerous to work in the fields up on the mountains," says Zhou. "You're scared of elephants coming out in the afternoon, so you can only work for half a day. We can only plant a few things in nearby fields. Some very good land has gone to waste." What worries the villagers even more is the possibility of running into a wild elephant while taking their children to and from school.

"Life was good before the wild elephants started coming into the village [in 2014]," says Yang Guoping, who lives in Menghai County. "With the elephants here, we have to live in the shadows."

Official records of the area's elephant population only date back to 1991, though the animals have been there for decades. Some locals have encountered elephants while working in the mountains. "If you run downhill, an elephant won't dare pursue you because it's too heavy," says Li Jianhua, a resident of Menghai who has been chased up the mountain by one. "It would end up falling head over heels."

Because of the elephants' status as a protected species, anyone who injures a wild elephant - even in self-defense - may face arrest and possible jail time of more than 10 years. In July 2015, the seven elephants that entered Wang Chaogui's home later tried to wreck the outhouse at fellow villager Wang Pingkang's home. Using a homemade nail gun, Wang Pingkang fired at the head of a female elephant, which then died next to a pond on his property. An autopsy discovered that the elephant was pregnant. When Wang Pingkang turned himself in to the authorities, he was detained on the spot and later sentenced to one year in prison and a year of probation for the possession of a nail gun, which is illegal in China. Because he gave himself up, the court pardoned him for the killing.

Anti-elephant barriers are installed around the houses of Wang Pingkang and four other families in Guanping Village, Yunnan province, Jan. 11, 2018. Wang Wanchun for Sixth Tone

The elephants' frequent troublemaking has created many challenges for the management and protection bureau, local forest police, and forestry department. Flaws in the monetary compensation system - including insufficient amounts and payment delays - have contributed to chipping away at the reverence and protectiveness locals traditionally held toward the elephants. Some residents have even put up banners: "Get rid of the elephants; give back our homeland."

Villagers in Mengwang Township tell Sixth Tone's sister publication, The Paper, that the disturbances in the area around their home are caused by individual elephants traveling alone. The elephants tend to leave their habitat in the afternoon and enter the village in the evening. "Lone elephants - especially males during mating season - are often the most dangerous and aggressive," says Wang Qiaoyan. On top of that, food scarcity in the winter, when there are no crops in the field, can force elephants into a village in search of something to eat.

As a result, some villages have relocated their entire population. But it's impossible to completely escape the elephants. According to Feng Guanglin, a village official in Guanping, there used to be on average 35 to 40 cases of disturbances caused by wild elephants each year. For the past few years, that made it nearly impossible to plant rice or maize. After the village was relocated in May 2015, there were two instances where the elephants damaged houses. "Children in the village are normally only allowed to play indoors," says Feng.

The Xishuangbanna reserve has put in place several measures to protect the villagers from elephants, but most have had little effect. In 2015, researchers from the reserve installed 15 surveillance cameras and an advance warning system in a village of several hundred people. But the system could only warn villagers about elephants entering their residential area, not prevent them from doing so. Some villages dug trenches; others put up electric fences. But neither protection measure lasted long: The trenches were damaged by heavy rain, and the elephants got used to the electric shocks.

To avert further clashes between elephants and humans, the nature reserve's management and protection bureau launched an elephant-proof fence project last July - the first of its kind in China. Guanping was chosen to host a trial. "Since it was installed in October 2017, the fence has prevented elephants from entering the village on around 12 occasions," says Feng.

The nature reserve invested 1.72 million yuan into building 1,350 meters of fencing encircling the villagers' houses, which were situated close to elephant habitats. Standing at 2.2 meters tall and made of metal pipes and wires, the fence is like the barriers built for elephant enclosures in zoos - the animals can neither shake it down nor step over it.

But due to the high construction costs, the fencing could not be extended to other villages. According to the nature reserve, the fence cost the equivalent of 130,000 yuan per household - more than the total value of a local family's property and possessions, if villagers were to pay for it. With limited funding for the fence from the management and protection bureau, expanding the project would be extremely difficult.

A surveyor inspects the feces left by a group of wild elephants on the trampled corn field in Jiangcheng County, Yunnan province, June 24, 2014. VCG

Aside from addressing the clashes between elephants and their human neighbors, researchers at the nature reserve are working to bolster the population of this endangered species.

Figures from the forest police in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture show that guns used by poachers in the ivory trade are major threats to the survival of the Asian elephant. Since 2010, a total of 42.62 kilograms of ivory were seized from smugglers. Between 2010 and 2015, authorities confiscated 3,525 guns and destroyed 10 gun-making dens.

China's national ban on ivory sales came into effect this year. In December 2016, the State Council - China's cabinet - issued a document stipulating that from New Year's Day, 2018, the purchasing of ivory and derivative products at street markets or through other commercial channels like the internet would constitute illegal behavior.

Today, China's Asian elephant population numbers over 300 - up from 170 in the 1980s. Having followed the elephants for almost 20 years, Wang Qiaoyan knows their habits like the back of her hand. "In many ways, elephants are just like humans," she says. "Elephants won't proactively attack a person. If you encounter one, take cover as best and fast as you can. Don't drive them away - agitating an elephant will only lead to greater danger."
A Chinese version of this article first appeared in Sixth Tone's sister publication, The Paper. Contributions: Zhang Ruixue and Zheng Qiangwei; translator: Owen Churchill; editors: Doris Wang and Wang Yiwei. (Header image: An elephant interacts with its keeper after rescued by local police in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, Oct. 14, 2007. VCG)

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YUNNAN, Southwest China - Yin Shuangquan vividly recalls the chaos on the highway near his home in Mengwang Township last November. A male elephant stomped onto the road and pushed against seven cars after flipping over one vehicle and shattering the windshield of a minibus with its head.

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Asian elephants, already endangered in Indonesia and Thailand,are threatened further by human encroachment and illegal trade. In Indonesia, just 2,500 Sumatran elephants remain. As their last great forest habitat is being logged to make way for palm oil plantations, elephants are pushed into conflict with local people. In Thailand and Myanmar, an illegal and brutal trade in wild baby elephants is contributing to declining elephant populations. On the Thai-Myanmar border, at least 50-100 elephant calves and young females are removed from their forest homes every year and are traded illegally to supply tourist camps. Countless elephants die in the process, threatening the remaining populations of this endangered species.

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Asian elephants, already endangered in Indonesia and Thailand,are threatened further by human encroachment and illegal trade. In Indonesia, just 2,500 Sumatran elephants remain. As their last great forest habitat is being logged to make way for palm oil plantations, elephants are pushed into conflict with local people.

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The continually growing human population of tropical Asia has encroached on the elephant's dense but dwindling forest habitat. About 20% of the world's human population lives in or near the present range of the Asian elephant.
Habitat loss and conflict with communities
In the face of rapidly growing human populations, the Asian elephants' habitat is shrinking fast and wild elephant populations are mostly small, isolated, and unable to mingle as ancient migratory routes are cut off by human settlements.

Large development projects (such as dams, roads, mines and industrial complexes), plantations and spreading human settlements have fragmented what was once contiguous elephant habitat into small fragments.

Incidents of elephants raiding crops and villages are on the rise. This causes losses to human property and, sometimes, human lives. Retaliation by villagers often results in killings of these elephants. Experts already consider such confrontations to be the leading cause of elephant deaths in Asia.

In some countries, the government provides compensation for crop damage or deaths caused by elephants, but there is still often strong political pressure on wildlife authorities to eliminate elephants near populated regions. As human populations increase, human-elephant conflicts are likely to increase.

Illegal hunting and trade

In Asian elephants, only males carry tusks and therefore poaching is aimed exclusively at males. Selective removal of tuskers for their ivory may lead to an increase in the proportion of tuskless males in the population.

Poaching of Asian elephants for ivory remains a threat in some countries. However, most illegal ivory currently come from African sources, rather than from Asian elephants.

Elephants are also taken from the wild for the live elephant trade - primarily going to Thailand for the tourism industry.

India, Vietnam, and Myanmar have banned capture in order to conserve their wild herds, but in Myanmar elephants are still caught each year for the timber industry or the illegal wildlife trade.

Unfortunately, crude capture methods have led to a high mortality level. Efforts are being made not only to improve methods but also to encourage captive breeding rather than taking from the wild.

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The continually growing human population of tropical Asia has encroached on the elephant's dense but dwindling forest habitat. About 20% of the world's human population lives in or near the present range of the Asian elephant.

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tasmanian devils named endangered species

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Tasmanian Devils Named Endangered Species

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The feisty marsupial's new status comes in response to its decline from a mysterious cancer, the Tasmanian state government announced recently.

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The island's most famous inhabitant is under attack by a diabolical disease

Tasmanian devils are named for their chilling nocturnal shrieks, which reminded early colonists of hellhounds. Perhaps more than any other sound, the screams give a lone bush walker "this feeling of being in the wilderness," says Elizabeth Murchison, a Tasmanian-born geneticist who studies the animals.

"But," she adds, "it's quite rare to hear them now."

The squat black creatures are in the throes of an epidemic that has reduced their numbers by more than 80 percent across the island since the disease was detected in 1996. Once common, the world's largest carnivorous marsupial is now endangered. The culprit is a contagious cancer that kills every animal it infects.

"I am concerned that we are documenting an extinction here," says Vanessa Hayes, a geneticist from the J. Craig Venter Institute in San Diego, who has investigated the Devil Facial Tumor Disease. "No devil survives this."

Flesh-and-blood devils bear little resemblance to Taz, the spasmodic Looney Tunes cartoon character. The size of small dogs, they look like a cross between black bears and weasels. When they are upset, their ears blush a furious crimson, resembling red horns and adding to their diabolical image. (Baby devils, packed four to a pouch, are known as imps.)

But the devils are actually shy rather than demonic, and they provide valuable custodial services, gobbling putrefied sheep, rotting wombat and whatever else is lying around. A devil has an outsize head, neck and jaw that together account for up to a quarter of its body weight, the better to crunch bones.

The animals are beloved on the island, the go-to mascot for sports teams and a symbol of all things Tasmanian. They were once scattered throughout mainland Australia, but dingoes, a type of domestic dog introduced by seafaring people, edged them out hundreds of years ago. Luckily, dingoes never made it to Tasmania. Yet living exclusively on this island refuge has limited the devils' genetic diversity, making them vulnerable to disease.

When the disfiguring lumps and lesions on the devils' heads first appeared, scientists thought the disease must be caused by a virus. But it is actually an aggressive cancer, and the contagious agents are the tumor cells themselves. An animal transmits the disease cells to another one by biting. Huge tumors quickly bloom in the new host, making eating impossible; some animals starve before the cancer starts shutting down their vital organs.

"It is undoubtedly one of the most successful cancer lineages that we know of," says Murchison, of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, England. Her team recently reported that the disease originated at least 16 years ago in a female devil; descendants of cells in her tumor live on in victims today.

The cancer doesn't respond to chemotherapy, and even surgical removal of the tumors isn't effective. Biologists have abandoned efforts to cull sick individuals from wild populations because the disease travels too fast. The government may fence off the one unscathed part of the island to protect the devils there, and uninfected "insurance populations" have been established on mainland Australia in case all the wild animals die.

The bedeviled animals' best hope may be vaccines or genetic medicine.If scientists can learn which mutated genes are behind the cancer, they may be able to develop drugs to inhibit the activity of the tumor cells. But such a cure is years away, and if nothing changes the devils could go extinct within a few decades. "Will we make it in time?" says Janine Deakin, an Australian National University geneticist. "I don't know."

The disease may also add to biologists' understanding of extinctions, which are typically blamed on factors such as hunting and habitat loss. Kristofer Helgen, a zoologist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, is studying an outbreak that may have struck the devils and an even bigger carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian tiger, a century ago.The tiger, inbred and overhunted, soon disappeared for good. That malady is probably unrelated to the modern cancer. But "in the span of a single century, we've seen two disease episodes severe enough to result in major declines," Helgen says. "Disease may explain extinctions that would otherwise go unexplained. It may be one of the important things that causes the final blink-out."

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Tasmanian devils are named for their chilling nocturnal shrieks, which reminded early colonists of hellhounds. Perhaps more than any other sound, the screams give a lone bush walker "this feeling of being in the wilderness," says Elizabeth Murchison, a Tasmanian-born geneticist who studies the animals. "But," she adds, "it's quite rare to hear them now."

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There's new hope for the Tasmanian devil, the endangered marsupial that's been decimated by a deadly disease. Scientists have found a hidden colony that could add much-needed diversity to the animal's gene pool.

Tests on samples of devil poo found in a remote part of Tasmania revealed nine new genetic variants, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

" For us this is massive," Sydney University geneticist Kathy Belov told the newspaper. "For years we have been calling devils clones because there's so little diversity and now we find that there is diversity out there, it's just in remote areas."

That diversity could prove key to the survival of the species, which is being wiped out by devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), a cancer that develops around the face and neck and kills the animal within three to five months.

While cancer is not usually passed between animals, this case is different and the lack of genetic diversity in the population may be the reason.

"When a healthy devil is infected with DFTD from another animal, the infected devil's immune system assumes that the new cancer cells are the same as its own cells and fails to reject them," the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program explained on its website.
(Story continues below image.)

Belov told ABC Australia that new genetic variants could add diversity to the animals in captivity, which were being carefully bred to act as an insurance population to protect the devils from extinction.

The Tasmanian devil was listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List after the population dropped from between 130,000 and 150,000 in the 1990s to an estimated 10,000 to 25,000 mature animals today.

Although small, devils are known for their powerful jaws and sour disposition. When fighting or eating, they make growling and snarling noises not unlike the cartoon character that bears their name.

Although scientists asked for funding to study the devil population and were turned down, a collaborator was able to collect the poo samples while on a hike through the region.

Since the animals themselves haven't been seen yet, researchers aren't sure if this hidden population has been affected by the cancer.

Belov hopes scientists will eventually travel to the area and see for themselves.

"We want to capture all the variants that are out there and make sure that we maintain them in the captive population," Belov said. "And then we can release them into the wild."

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Secret Tasmanian Devil Colony May Save Species From Extinction

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There's new hope for the Tasmanian devil, the endangered marsupial that's been decimated by a deadly disease. Scientists have found a hidden colony that could add much-needed diversity to the animal's gene pool. Tests on samples of devil poo found in a remote part of Tasmania revealed nine new genetic variants, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

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San Diego Zoo Helps Endangered Tasmanian Devils

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National Geographic contributing editor Andrew Evans learns about (and cuddles with) endangered Tasmanian Devils while traveling through Australia. To read more from Andrew's journey, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/wheresandrew.

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Blue Whale - A vulnerable underwater heavyweight. Protect endangered species at World Wildlife Fund. Learn about the various wild animal protection programs we have.

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As technology, boats, and hunting equipment continued to evolve throughout the centuries the rate at which whales were being killed greatly increased and continued to shrink the existing whale populations, especially those of the blue whale and because blue whales were so large and whalers got paid top dollar for these mammals they were continually hunted by competitors until near extinction.

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Learn about this endangered species and what you can do to help.

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Rescue Mission in California to Save 70-Foot Endangered Blue Whale

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A rescue mission is underway to save an endangered blue whale - first spotted three days ago - entangled in a fishing line off the coast of Southern California.

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The large increase in capital caused by the creation the whale watching industry has also led some experts to believe that countries involved in commercial whaling should stop their whaling activities and focus on tourism and whale watching to improve their country's financial capital and world image.

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balaenoptera musculus blue whale: federally endangered listing information state of alaska special status listing species information

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Blue Whale: Federally Endangered Listing Information, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

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Summary of the reasons/process by which the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) became listed as Federally Endangered.

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Learn about the snow leopard, as well as the threats it faces, what WWF is doing to conserve its future, and how you can help.

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Snow leopards no longer 'endangered,' but still in decline and in need of urgent conservation measures

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The latest update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species had bad news about the conservation status of many species, including some that were previously so abundant that their...

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Snow leopards 'no longer endangered, but still threatened'

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One of the world's rarest big cats has been downgraded on the international list of threatened species.

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Snow Leopard Questions Answered (Why are snow leopards considered endangered?)

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The Snow Leopard Conservancy's mission includes educating youth about the endangered snow leopard.

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Snow leopards are facing a distinct threat from climate change. Their typical habitat range is between where the tree line stops and the snow line begins on the mountains. As climate change causes temperatures to ruse, snow lines are receding, which means that snow leopards must move further up the mountain slopes as well. As snow leopards get to higher elevations, the vegetation becomes more scarce, which means that the herbivores that they prey on are in limited supply as well, and the leopards are having trouble finding enough food.

Due to the high demand for their coats, snow leopards are also illegally hunted for the fur trade. The pelts are a sought-after commodity in places like Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Russia where they are turned into coats and other garments. Snow leopard bones and body parts are also used for traditional Asian medicine. As humans expand their farm and grazing areas for livestock herds they are encroaching more into the snow leopards territories resulting in increased conflict with humans when snow leopards attack livestock during times when their natural prey is scarce.

Reasons For Hope

The snow leopard was placed on the endangered species list in 1972 to help protect its dwindling numbers. Similar to Defenders work with predator species in the United States, conservation groups near snow leopard habitats are working with local farmers and herders to help foster a better understanding of how to co-exist with these animals and minimize conflicts between them.

The farmers are taught how to secure their barns and livestock holding areas against snow leopards and reimbursement programs have been set up to give the farmer fair market value for animals they have lost in return for allowing the snow leopards to live.

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Snow leopards are facing a distinct threat from climate change. Their typical habitat range is between where the tree line stops and the snow line begins on the mountains. As climate change causes temperatures to ruse, snow lines are receding, which means that snow leopards must move further up the mountain slopes as well.

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As the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 40 feet or more, whale sharks have an enormous menu from which to choose. Fortunately for most sea-dwellers-and us!-their favorite meal is plankton. They scoop these tiny plants and animals up, along with any small fish that happen to be around, with their colossal gaping mouths while swimming close to the water's surface.

The whale shark, like the world's second largest fish, the basking shark, is a filter feeder. In order to eat, the beast juts out its formidably sized jaws and passively filters everything in its path. The mechanism is theorized to be a technique called "cross-flow filtration," similar to some bony fish and baleen whales.

The whale shark's flattened head

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As the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 40 feet or more, whale sharks have an enormous menu from which to choose. Fortunately for most sea-dwellers-and us!-their favorite meal is plankton. They scoop these tiny plants and animals up, along with any small fish that happen to be around, with their colossal gaping mouths while swimming close to the water's surface.

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Protect endangered species, including the whale shark, at World Wildlife Fund. Learn about the ways WWF works to conserve a future where people live in harmony with nature. When you travel with WWF, you support our conservation work

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The iconic whale shark, the largest fish in the sea, was reclassified as an endangered species earlier this month, due to recent declines in its population.

The number of whale sharks ( Rhincodon typus)has more than halved over the last 75 years, with legal and illegal fishing, entrapment in fishing gear, and collisions with boats responsible for the most deaths, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

No one knows how many whale sharks are left, but rough estimates put their numbers somewhere in the tens of thousands worldwide.

Fishing for the large, slow-moving sharks is particularly prevalent in China and Oman, though the species is showing some recovery in the Western Hemisphere and in India, the Philippines and Taiwan, thanks to legal protections.

"While international whale shark trade is regulated through the species' listing on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), more needs to be done domestically to protect whale sharks at a national level," Simon Pierce, who led IUCN's assessment, said in a statement.

Whale sharks can reach a length of 40 feet (12 meters). They feed by scooping huge amounts of tiny plankton and small fish from the water, particularly near the surface and in warm water. The huge but docile fish-sometimes called gentle giants-have long thrilled divers and are the stars of growing ecotourism operations around the world. (Learn about how they move in mysterious ways.)

To learn more about whale sharks, we spoke with Greg Stone, an executive vice president and marine biologist with Conservation International (l earn more about the group's efforts with whale sharks).
What is the prognosis for whale sharks?
They are struggling, particularly where they live near people. In parts of Asia there is quite a demand for products made out of them. They are considered a gold mine for fishermen because there is so much shark there. They are harvested for their meat, fins, and other parts used in traditional medicinal products.

Whale sharks are doing better in the Gulf of Mexico because there's not a lot of demand for the dead animal there. It's not the kind of product you can easily ship half way across the world, thanks to practical and legal restrictions.

Here's another way to look at it: Are whale sharks threatened in a variety of ways? Yes. Are people doing things to help them? Yes.
What protections for whale sharks are making an impact?
People aren't allowed to catch them in any U.S. waters. Other countries have some protections as well, including Indonesia and in various marine sanctuaries. ( See how an investigation led to the rescue of whale sharks.)
What more should be done?
We need to apply pressure to try to stop the market for whale shark products. Making that easier, now there are portable kits that can tell you what a shipment of seafood actually contains. You can easily see if it is swordfish or shark, and even the species. There is a whole movement around improving the traceability of seafood now [thanks to past reports of fraud and mislabeling]. Ultimately, if fishermen can't ship whale shark products anywhere then there will be no incentive to catch it.

There are also efforts underway to improve tracking and security in ports and to catch illegal fishermen. There have been tremendous breakthroughs in integrating data sets and tracking suspicious vessels. It's an exciting time for conservation.
What about whale sharks caught as unwanted bycatch, by fishermen going for other species? How important is ecotourism to the survival of whale sharks?
That's a big problem, particularly with large gill nets. Better gear technology can help.
Can ecotourism operations also threaten the sharks, through crowding them or by people harassing them?
Some conservationists are also compensating fishermen when they do catch whale sharks, incentivizing them to donate the bodies to science instead of selling it on the market [where it can fetch tens of thousands of dollars]. We don't want them stimulating the market.

One study found that a live manta ray is worth more than a million dollars during its lifetime, based on revenue generated from ecotourism. Whale sharks would probably be similar. They're really fun to swim with. In the old days we used to catch rides by hanging onto their fins, though you probably shouldn't do that.

There's always that risk.

Part of my PhD research was studying how habituation to people affects dolphins. Marine mammals who get too friendly with people can approach boats, which can lead to collisions. Or they can spend more time interacting with people than other more natural activities, such as foraging.

You might find purists out there who feel strongly about the impact of tourism on whale sharks, but I don't think they are going to become habituated the way dolphins can. Whale sharks are not the brightest fish in the sea; they have a brain the size of a pack of cigarettes. They might be curious but they probably wouldn't be entertained by people. They probably don't pay them much attention.

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Hope Emerges for Whale Sharks, Despite New Endangered Status

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The iconic whale shark, the largest fish in the sea, was reclassified as an endangered species earlier this month, due to recent declines in its population. The number of whale sharks ( Rhincodon typus)has more than halved over the last 75 years, with legal and illegal fishing, entrapment in fishing gear, and collisions with boats responsible for the most deaths, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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THE WORLD'S BIGGEST fish is one step closer to extinction after having its conservation status updated from vulnerable to endangered on the IUCN Red List.

It comes after a recent assessment revealed significant population declines in whale shark numbers from ongoing human impacts including fishing and boat strike.

Dr Brad Norman, a whale shark scientist with ECOCEAN and Murdoch University in Western Australia has spent 23 years studying the animals, and co-authored the assessment with fellow whale shark scientist, Dr Simon Pierce.

"In our recent assessment, it was established that numbers have decreased more than 50 per cent in three generations - which we estimate to be about 75 years," Brad explained.

"The numbers on a global scale are really concerning."

The conservation status of whale sharks was recently updated from Vulnerable to Endangered. (Image: Warren Lynn / Flickr)

Whale sharks ( Rhincodon typus) are one of only three filter-feeding sharks in the world, and are highly migratory animals, widely distributed throughout warm temperate and tropical waters, with many congregating each year in Western Australia.

"We protect them in Australia - which is fantastic," said Brad. "Ningaloo Reef is one of the best places in the world to see them - and in a non-consumptive manner."

However, hundreds continue to be fished every year in countries including southern China and Oman - often for shark fin soup, where the fin is used and the remainder of the fish goes uneaten.

Brad says the Australian Government needs to set an example and get other countries on board with protecting these animals and policing illegal activity.

"It's really important to push regional protection and our government to drive other countries to try to save this species for the future," he said, adding, "because it's looking pretty bleak at the moment."

"It's going to take a national and global effort to bring them back from the brink."

Due to their cryptic nature, prior to 2000 whale sharks were listed as "indeterminate," on the IUCN Red List - and there is still a lot of information researchers are yet to find out.

"Whales and dolphins, dugongs and trutles - they come to the surface to breathe and we get to see them," Brad said. "But whale sharks can dive to the depths so it's harder to follow them."

But with ground-breaking new technology, Brad and his team are now able to track the 20-tonne creatures - uncovering information previously unattainable.

"If our research helps in ensuring their long-term conservation, then that's a legacy we'd like to leave," Brad said. "A legacy I'd be proud of."
READ MORE:

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Vulnerable to endangered: whale sharks one step closer to extinction

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THE WORLD'S BIGGEST fish is one step closer to extinction after having its conservation status updated from vulnerable to endangered on the IUCN Red List. It comes after a recent assessment revealed significant population declines in whale shark numbers from ongoing human impacts including fishing and boat strike.

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Hear the remarkable tale of the bird that came within a hair's breadth of extinction. Find out how the whooping crane's success story could continue.

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Oct 01, 2015 02:48 PM EDT

Tasmanian devils have been close to extinction several times over the 10 years due to a rare kind of cancer first discovered in 1996. Now, researchers have increased their efforts to save the aggressive marsupials. After being treated with a new vaccine, 20 captive-bred Tasmanian devils were returned to the wild in hopes that their population and diversity will rebound.

The communicable cancer, known as devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), causes tumors to form in and around the mouth, making it difficult for them to eat and ultimately lead leading to death from starvation. It's spread through bites, sharing food or eating infected carcasses. As a result, Tasmanian devil populations declined by more than 60 percent in the last 10 years, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's "red list" of endangered species.

To stop it from wiping out the entire species, conservationists captured hundreds of disease-free wild devils. They were placed in captive-breeding programs and kept far from their infected relatives. And recently, 20 immunized devils - 11 males and 9 females - were released back into the wild within northern Tasmania's Narawntapu National Park.

"This field trial is a tangible step in the journey to bring the devil back into the Tasmanian wild," Bob Wiese, chief life sciences officer for San Diego Zoo Global, said in a news release. "The next milestone will be to see them start breeding in the wild and thus further ensuring their chances of survival into the future."

The release was carried out by members of the Wild Devil Recovery Project. The recently-released devils will be able to interact with other non-vaccinated devils living in the park but they will be monitored closely in order to determine the vaccine's effectiveness.

Watch the Tasmanian devils take their first steps into the wild.
For more great nature science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN). -Follow Samantha on Twitter @Sam_Ashley13

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Endangered Tasmanian Devils Return To the Wild in Test of New Cancer Vaccine

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A contagious cancer known as devil facial tumor disease nearly wiped out Tasmanian devils over the last twenty years. After being treated with a new vaccine, 20 captive-bred devils were recently returned to the wild in hopes that their population and diversity will rebound.

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Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) - In danger of disappearing

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Level 1 ($25): Receive certificate of adoption, 8×10 photo, wolf bio & newsletterLevel 2 ($50): Receive certificate of adoption, 8×10 photo, wolf bio, newslette

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Securing a Future for Tigers

A POPULATION ON THE BRINK

In the past 150 years tigers have lost over 95% of their habitat and over 95% of their population. They face tremendous pressure from poaching for the illegal wildlife trade and other threats including habitat loss, logging and other human developments. However, after bottoming out at only perhaps 3,200 tigers left in the wild, concentrated conservation efforts have seen populations begin to bounce back. Currently there are estimated to be about 4,500 tigers in the wild, a considerable increase from just 20 years ago -- a real conservation success story!

The Malayan tiger is one of six subspecies of tigers and lives only on the Malay Peninsula and in the southern tip of Thailand. The population for Malayan tigers is dangerously low-fewer than -300 survive in their natural range.

In an effort to save these iconic big cats from extinction, in 2012 Woodland Park Zoo created a partnership with Panthera and Rimba, an in-country field partner of the zoo, to launch the Malayan Tiger Conservation Project. This project is now entering its second 10-year initiative with the Terengganu State Government to protect tigers in and around Taman Negara National Park in peninsular Malaysia.

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Woodland Park Zoo Partners

This Malayan Tiger Program builds partnerships and works with The Malaysian Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) and other government agencies and non-profit organizations to save wild tigers by stopping illegal poaching, monitoring tigers and prey species, alleviating tiger-human conflict, building indigenous capacity to manage resources, and working to protect more tiger habitat. Our original on-ground partner, Rimba, has recently split its staff into two national non-profit organizations. Panthera-Malaysia continues the monitoring, anti-poaching patrols, and tiger conflict alleviation efforts, while Nature Based Solutions will continue to focus on protecting more tiger habitat in the region through innovative green financing mechanisms.

Good News for Tigers

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Habitat loss and poaching are among the biggest threats to all tiger species, including those found in Malaysia. The worldwide demand for palm oil, used in many foods and household products, has led to a landscape dominated by palm plantations-fragmenting what little habitat is left for tigers. One of the most important thing you can do to protect tigers and all wildlife that shares their habitat is to choose foods and products made by companies committed to certified sustainable palm oil. Read labels and look for certification from the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), or download the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo app.

ABOUT MALAYAN TIGERS

MORE WAYS TO HELP

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Woodland Park Zoo and Panthera, the leading wild cat conservation organization, have established a 10-year, $1 million partnership to enhance tiger conservation in Peninsular Malaysia.

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Great news! Giant pandas are no longer classified as 'endangered'. They've been downgraded to 'vulnerable' on the global list of species at risk of extinction after their population increased by 17% in a decade. It shows that conservation efforts are working and provides hope for the world's other threatened wildlife.
Help secure their future
It's official. The panda is on the road to recovery. For fifty years, it has been the world's most beloved conservation icon and WWF's symbol. And decades of dedicated effort are now paying off.

Back in the 1980s, there were as few as 1,114 pandas in China. But the most recent survey in 2014 estimated that there were 1,864 pandas living in the wild.

After 30 years of slow but steady progress, the IUCN has now changed the panda's status on the Red List of Threatened Species. The decision is a recognition of the hard work of the Chinese government, local communities, nature reserve staff and WWF over many years. But the panda's long term future is not yet secure.

It has taken a huge effort to halt the decline in panda numbers. WWF has been working with the government since 1981 on initiatives to save the world's most famous bears and their unique habitat. We've helped to establish an integrated network of giant panda reserves and wildlife corridors as well as working with local communities to develop sustainable livelihoods and minimise their impact on the forests.

The number of panda reserves has jumped to 67. They now protect nearly two-thirds of all wild pandas as well as large swathes of mountainous bamboo forests. These reserves shelter countless other species and provide natural services to vast numbers of people, including tens of millions who live alongside rivers downstream of panda habitat.

It is an achievement to celebrate. But pandas remain scattered and vulnerable, and much of their habitat is threatened by poorly-planned infrastructure projects. And remember: there are still only 1,864 left in the wild.

After decades of work, it is clear that the future of pandas and their forest home depends on even greater efforts, especially with the increasing impact of climate change. It will require even more government investment, stronger partnerships with local communities and a wider understanding of the importance for people of conserving wildlife and the landscapes in which they live. And it will certainly need your continued support.

Help save the panda

WWF's focus was solely on panda conservation when we began our work in China in 1981. Our approach evolved with decades of monitoring and research. You can help by donating to our conservation work today.
Donate now

© naturepl.com / Edwin Giesbers / WWF

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Great news! Giant pandas are no longer classified as 'endangered'. They've been downgraded to 'vulnerable' on the global list of species at risk of extinction after their population increased by 17% in a decade. It shows that conservation efforts are working and provides hope for the world's other threatened wildlife.

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Giant pandas face very few predators

A fully grown panda is far too formidable a foe for most predators, but some animals can prey on cubs.

Potential predators include jackals, snow leopards and yellow-throated martens, all of which are capable of killing and eating panda cubs.

Indeed, the 2008 animated blockbuster Kung Fu Panda tells the story of Po, a panda who is an apprentice noodle-maker and kung-fu fanatic, and whose greatest enemy is Tai Lung: a fierce kung-fu fighting snow leopard.

In real life, snow leopards, which are also endangered, share some of the same habitats as the black and white bears and pose a threat to young pandas.

Can pandas fight back?

Giant pandas are solitary and peaceful animals, which will usually avoid confrontation, but i f escape is impossible, they will certainly fight back.

And as cuddly as they may look, pandas can protect themselves as well as most other bears by using their physical strength, and powerful jaws and teeth.

Pandas can grow up to 1.5m long and weigh as much as 150kg.

And while their large molar teeth and strong jaw muscles are designed for crushing bamboo, they can deliver a very nasty bite.

In addition, giant panda are excellent climbers, with cubs able to clamber up trees when they are just 6 months old.

They can also swim and, unlike most other bears, do not hibernate for months at time during winter.

With all these attributes in their arsenal, fully grown giant pandas can defend themselves against most predators.

So why are pandas so endangered?

The biggest threats to pandas are not their age-old enemies in the wild, but every day human actions. Predators might take the odd cub but humans are the greatest threat to pandas.

In particular, pandas are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and by people hunting other animals and harvesting plants in the forests.

That's the bad news.

The good news is that humans are also the greatest hope for pandas because we can do something about it.

No matter where you live, if we all treat our planet better, we can guarantee a brighter future for the giant pandas, the bamboo forests they depend on, and even for ourselves.

Virtual Gifts

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A fully grown panda is far too formidable a foe for most predators, but some animals can prey on cubs. Potential predators include jackals, snow leopards and yellow-throated martens, all of which are capable of killing and eating panda cubs.

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Find out more about this crocodilian creature known for its long, thin, tubular snout lined with razor-sharp teeth.

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Wild Kingdom  Gharials vs  Mugger Crocodile

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[New Documentary] - National Geographic -.  How Big Can It Get;  Crocodile. -   Nat Geo Wild  Full D

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Discover the red panda, far smaller creature than its famous black-and-white cousin. Find out how demand for wood is threatening this forest-dweller with extinction.

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Red foxes live around the world in many diverse habitats including forests, grasslands, mountains, and deserts. They also adapt well to human environments such as farms, suburban areas, and even large communities. The red fox's resourcefulness has earned it a legendary reputation for intelligence and cunning.

Red foxes are solitary hunters who feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game-but their diet can be as flexible as their home habitat. Foxes will eat fruit and vegetables, fish, frogs, and even worms. If living among humans, foxes will opportunistically dine on garbage and pet food.

Like a cat's, the fox's thick tail aids its balance, but it has other uses as well. A fox uses its tail (or "brush") as a warm

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Red foxes live around the world in many diverse habitats including forests, grasslands, mountains, and deserts. They also adapt well to human environments such as farms, suburban areas, and even large communities. The red fox's resourcefulness has earned it a legendary reputation for intelligence and cunning.

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The Nature´s Amazing! Series Fun Red Fox Facts For Kids

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Scientific Name:

Ambystoma mexicanum

Average Life Span In The Wild:

10 to 15 years

Size relative to a teacup:

What is an axolotl?

As legend has it, the axolotl is the Aztec god of fire and lightning, Xolotl, which disguised himself as a salamander to avoid being sacrificed. But these Mexican amphibians are impressive enough on their own, with the ability to regenerate lost limbs and stay "young" throughout their lives.

Unlike other salamanders that undergo metamorphosis, axolotls (pronounced ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl) never outgrow their larval, juvenile stage, a phenomenon called neoteny.

Their youthful traits include feathery gills sprouting from their heads like a mane, webbed feet, a dorsal fin that runs down the length of their body, and a tail. Though they keep their gills, adult axolotls also have functional lungs and can breathe through their skin. And as if being forever-babies didn't make them cute enough, their mouths are upturned in a permanent Mona Lisa smile.

Those sweet little smiles can quickly turn into vacuum cleaners when it's time to eat. Axolotls suck in their prey, which includes crustaceans, mollusks, insect eggs and small fish.

A popular oddity

Axolotls have long fascinated the public, even more so when they were first brought from Mexico to Paris in 1864. Europeans across the continent began breeding the salamanders, the beginning of a robust pet trade in the animals, which breed easily in captivity.

In the wild, they're mostly grayish brown in color. Lighter colored axolotls, especially those with white bodies and pink gills, are usually bred as pets.

Yet in most countries, the species cannot be traded across international borders, in part due to the concern that they'll be poached from the wild. Axolotls are illegal to own in some U.S. states for the same reason.

Yet axolotls are illegal to own in some U.S. states due in part to the risk of them escaping captivity and interbreeding with native salamanders.

Axolotls are also a common research subject for biologists, thanks to their capacity to regenerate lost or damaged limbs, hearts, spinal cords, and even parts of their brains -all without permanent scarring.

Since scarring prevents tissue from regenerating, finding out how and why axolotls don't scar could unlock human's ability to regenerate tissue. An April 2021 study, for instance, deciphered how the axolotl's molecules communicate to promote regeneration.

Despite their ubiquitous captive population, wild axolotls are critically endangered. The amphibians once inhabited the high-altitude lakes around Mexico City, but habitat degradation has limited them to only in a few inland canals in the area. (Learn how Mexican nuns are helping save axolotls.)

Reproduction

Axolotls, which are solitary creatures, reach sexual maturity at a year old, and their spawning season in the wild is in February. Males seek out females, possibly using pheromones, and perform a courtship "hula" dance, shaking his tail and lower body. She responds by nudging him with her snout.

The male then deposits spermatophores, or sperm packets, on the lake floor, which the female picks up with her cloaca, a body cavity, which then fertilizes her eggs.

Females can lay up to a thousand eggs (though the average is about 300) on plant material or rocks, which protects them from predators. After two weeks they hatch and, with no parental care, the larvae are off and swimming on their own.

There's a theory for why axolotls don't change appearance as adults. Because their native lakes never dry up, as is the case for many other water bodies, axolotls didn't have to trade in their aquatic traits-such as a tadpole-like tail-for terrestrial ones, such as legs.

Conservation

A 2019 assessment by the International Union for the Conservation of Species found only between 50 and a thousand axolotls are left in the wild- and their populations are dropping.

Development for tourism and residential housing, in addition to agricultural and industrial pollution, has drastically reduced the species' population.

So has the introduction of tilapia and other invasive fish, which eat baby salamanders and compete with adults for food.

The Mexican government, as well as many nonprofits, are trying to save axolotls, in part by restoring parts of their freshwater habitat and offering ecotourism for people to see the quirky salamanders in the wild.

For instance, scientists and farmers are working together to create chinampas, floating islands made of water plants, logs, and lake mud that help filter the polluted water. (Read how traditional Mexican farmers and scientists are teaming up to save the axolotl in Mexico City.)

Some travel companies offer tours of these gardens, whose proceeds support axolotl conservation efforts in the area.

DID YOU KNOW

The axolotl genome is the second longest in the animal kingdom, with 32 billion base pairs. That's 10 times as long as the human genome.

-Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Newly hatched axolotls, hungry for their first meal, will sometimes snack on their siblings' limbs. They grow back, after all.

- Northeastern University

The word "axolotl" is thought to roughly translate to "water monster" in the ancient Aztec language Nahuatl.

- American Museum of Natural History

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Get to know this endangered salamander, found only in one place on Earth. Discover what sets this species apart from its relatives.

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In contrast to what some believe, the White Tiger is neither a subspecies in its own right, nor an albino form of a 'normal tiger. Rather, it is simply a rare form of Bengal Tiger that possesses a specific gene, giving it a lighter appearance.

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These Indian wild dogs ride together and die together. Thriving on team spirit, they only hunt in packs of up to 30 members, each with a specific role in their deadly hunting strategy.

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Scientific Name-Cuon Alpinus

Conservation Status-Endangered
Appearance
The dhole is most commonly red with a pale underside and white feet. The tip of their tail is black. In some areas dholes have adapted to their habitat becoming a sandy beige or a charcoal grey.

Dholes measure 70cm-110cm. The tail is 40 cm of this length.Males can attain a weight of 15 to 20 kg while females are generally smaller at 10 to 13 kg.
Lifespan
Dholes can attain lifespans of up to 10 years in the wild. In captivity they can make it to 16 years of age.
Diet
Dholes are carnivorous. They feed on deer, mice, birds, lizards, frogs, wild pigs and goats, buffalo, gaur, banteng, sheep and reindeer. The dhole's diet changes across its range. They can eat incredibly fast with some eating 1kg of meat in under 4 minutes.
Habitat
The dhole is found throughout Asia. Currently they live in China, Laos, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Previously populations existed in Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and the Korean Peninsula.

They live in dense forests, thick scrub, open grasslands, rainforests, alpine zones and steppe regions. In these alpine areas they survive at altitudes of above 3,000m.
Reproduction
The dhole breeds between November and December. The male will spend 2 weeks courting the female and then 2 weeks mating with her.

In dhole packs only one dominant pair will breed with each other. The rest of the group assists in caring for the mother and pups.

The gestation period for the dhole is 2 months. After this a group of 5 to 12 pups is born. Dholes may have 16 teats to feed the young.

The dhole pups begin to join the hunt at a few months of age. While they are young they are allowed to eat first after a kill. This lasts until 1 years of age when they are fully grown. At 3 years of age they are sexually mature. Females leave the pack at this time an unusual trait for most pack animals.
Behaviour
Dholes are pack animals. They live in groups of 5 to 12 animals. These packs hunt together and work together to protect each other. Sometimes packs merge together for hunting into super packs of 30 animals. This allows them to bring down larger prey. Once the hunt is over they separate again.

Due to their pack nature they are only threatened by large cats such as leopards and tigers. Man has been a big threat for them as well. Introduced dogs and cats have introduced diseases to the area which have affected the dhole.

Each dhole has a call so distinctive that it can be used to identify each animal.

The territory of each dhole pack is about 88 square kilometres (34 square miles).

Dholes are fast runners and incredibly athletic on land jumping large distances. These dogs are also excellent swimmers.
Quick facts
There are 10 subspecies of the dhole.

The dhole is also known as the Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog and the red dog.
Photo Credits
Top- © Hans Hillewaert / CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Map- By Jürgen at nl.wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], from Wikimedia Commons

Bottom- By Sumeet Moghe (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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Scientific Name-Cuon Alpinus Conservation Status-Endangered Appearance The dhole is most commonly red with a pale underside and white feet. The tip of their tail is black. In some areas dholes have adapted to their habitat becoming a sandy beige or a charcoal grey. Dholes measure 70cm-110cm.

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Skittish, high-strung, and sensitive, dholes are tricky to breed and maintain in zoos. There are only three facilities in the US that have them. The Minnesota Zoo, The Wilds in Ohio, and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park are the only North American facilities that have breeding pairs.

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Common Name:

Bengal Tiger

Scientific Name:

Panthera tigris tigris

Average Life Span In The Wild:

8 to 10 years

Size:

Head and body: 5 to 6 feet; tail: 2 to 3 feet

Weight:

240 to 500 pounds

Size relative to a 6-ft man:

Tigers are the largest members of the cat family and are renowned for their power and strength.

Tiger Populations

There were eight tiger subspecies at one time, but three became extinct during the 20th century. Over the last 100 years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced tiger populations from hundreds of thousands of animals to perhaps fewer than 2,500. Tigers are hunted as trophies, and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. All five remaining tiger subspecies are at-risk, and many protection programs are in place.

Bengal tigers live in India and are sometimes called Indian tigers. They are the most common tiger and number about half of all wild tigers. Over many centuries they have become an important part of Indian tradition and lore. (To learn more, watch this video about what's driving tigers to extinction.)

Behavior

Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. They are powerful nocturnal hunters that travel many miles to find buffalo, deer, wild pigs, and other large mammals. Tigers use their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same stripes). They lie in wait and creep close enough to attack their victims with a quick spring and a fatal pounce. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds in one night, though they usually eat less.

Despite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans; however, a few do become dangerous maneaters. These animals are often sick and unable to hunt normally, or live in an area where their traditional prey has vanished.

Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old and remain with their mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to find their own territory.

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Find out how far a tiger's roar travels. And learn how much the world's biggest cat can eat at a sitting.

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All about Tigers - Interesting Facts for Kids and Educational Animal Video for Schools

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Bengal Tiger - Tiger Facts and Information

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Common Name:

Galápagos Tortoise

Scientific Name:

Chelonoidis

Size relative to a 6-ft man:

What is a Galápagos tortoise?

There are 13 living species of Galápagos tortoises, which are also sometimes called giant tortoises. These reptiles are among the longest-lived of all land vertebrates, averaging more than a hundred years. The oldest on record lived to be 175. They are also the world's largest tortoises, with some specimens exceeding five feet in length and reaching more than 500 pounds.

Giant tortoises were once so abundant on the Galápagos archipelago off Ecuador that the Spanish sailors who explored the region in 1535 named the string of islands for them. (The Spanish word for tortoise is galápago.) Although the islands were once thought to be home to at least 250,000 tortoises, only about 15,000 remain in the wild today.

Many of the tortoise's subspecies are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as endangered or critically endangered. In 2012, the death of a beloved hundred-year-old giant tortoise named Lonesome George became a global symbol of the need to protect endangered species. As the last of his kind, Lonesome George's death marked the extinction of the Pinta Island tortoise ( Chelonoidis abingdonii).

However, conservation efforts have renewed hope for the survival of other giant tortoise species.

Tortoise evolution and taxonomy

Scientists believe that Galápagos tortoises migrated from South America to the archipelago some two to three million years ago. By 1835, when Charles Darwin arrived for the expedition that would ultimately inspire his theory of natural selection, these tortoises had evolved into distinct yet closely related species. The similarities among the animals were so striking that scientists long debated whether they were actually different types of the same species.

Now, however, the scientific community generally accepts that there are 13 living species of Galápagos tortoise. One of them, Chelonoidis donfaustoi, was not identified until 2015, when researchers determined that the tortoises on the island of Santa Cruz are in fact two separate species. At least two species have gone extinct.

Appearance, diet, and behavior

Giant tortoises have thick legs and small air chambers inside their shells that help hold up their massive bodies. There are two main types: domed tortoises, which live in the cooler regions of the archipelago, and saddle-backed tortoises, which live in dry, coastal environments. Saddleback shells have a flared front opening that allows the animals to extend their necks to reach tall cacti.

Galápagos tortoises lead an uncomplicated life, grazing on grass, leaves, and cactus, basking in the sun, and resting for nearly 16 hours per day. A slow metabolism and an ability to store large amounts of water mean they can survive up to a year without eating or drinking. Galápagos tortoises play a key role in shaping their ecosystem by dispersing plant seeds in their dung.

Reproduction

Giant tortoises reach maturity at about 20 or 25 years old. They typically breed during the hot season, which occurs from January to May. Mating can take several hours, after which the female migrates to an area with dry, sandy ground. There, she digs a hole in which she lays two to 16 eggs. The eggs hatch after around 130 days, after which the young tortoises must dig their way up to the surface.

The temperature of the nest determines the young tortoise's sex, with warmer nests tending to yield more females.

Threats to survival

Hunted as food by pirates, whalers, and traders from the 17th through the 19th centuries, between 100,000 and 200,000 Galápagos tortoises are estimated to have been killed off. Tortoises were also hunted for their oil, which was used to power lamps.

Today, non-native species that settlers introduced to the islands-including feral pigs, dogs, cats, rats, goats, and donkeys -are a persistent threat, preying on tortoise eggs and hatchlings and competing with giant tortoises for food.

Conservation

Galápagos tortoises are protected by Ecuadorian law and under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which prohibits all international trade. In 1959, the Ecuadorian government created Galápagos National Park to protect the tortoises' habitat.

Captive breeding efforts in the Galápagos are yielding positive results. The Galápagos Conservancy has raised more than 7,000 tortoises of various species in captivity and released all of them into the wild. Chelonoidis hoodensis,a species from Española Island, has grown from a population of just 14 tortoises to more than a thousand.

In 2021, scientists confirmed the 2019 discovery of a Fernandina giant tortoise ( Chelonoidis phantastica), a species previously thought to be extinct. The single female tortoise, found on its namesake Fernandina Island, has been taken to a breeding center. Researchers have also found tortoise tracks that could signal the presence of more C. phantastica individuals.

- San Diego Zoo

- Galápagos Conservancy

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Common Name: Galápagos Tortoise Scientific Name: Chelonoidis Size relative to a 6-ft man: There are 13 living species of Galápagos tortoises, which are also sometimes called giant tortoises. These reptiles are among the longest-lived of all land vertebrates, averaging more than a hundred years. The oldest on record lived to be 175.

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Lonesome George: The Last Tortoise of His Kind  - Equator - BBC