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![]() | 01 Green Turtle Area:Tropical - and warm waters Status:Endangered The green turtle is found on beaches in Italy and Greece but it may not nest there. Marine turtles - including the green turtle - live and breed in many parts of the tropics. They are all threatened with extinction because their meat - oil. shells and eggs are in such demand. In the Mediterranean green turtles get caught in traps laid for swordfish. Huge numbers of turtles are caught acciden-tally in fishing nets. |
![]() | 02 Mediterranean Monk Seat Area:Mainly Eastern and Southern Mediterran-ean Status:Endangered Aristotle was the first person to describe the monk seal - it is so called because a fold of skin makes it look as if it is wearing a monk's hood. There may be only 500 seals left in the Mediterranean and they are threatened by pollution - dis-turbance and superstition Algerian vine-yard owners believe seals eat grapes and thus kill them. Seals are protected in the waters of some Mediterranean countries but laws are difficult to enforce. |
![]() | 03 Pyrenean Ibex Area:Pyrenees Status:Endangered The ibex has been declining in numbers since the Middle Ages - but this particular race - found in the re-motest parts of the Pyrenees and now protected - is the rarest; under 100 are left. Perhaps because of their nimbleness - and great hardiness - in their high windy habitat - they had great mystical significance. Parts of their body were thought to have medi-cinal value; blood was believed to cure callouses - and heart tendons and hum rings to help other illnesses. |
![]() | 04 Natterjack Toad Status:Rare and local in Britain Area:West and Central Europe. This small amphibian is restricted to the sandy areas of coastal dunes and inland heaths in South and North-west Britain. Its habitat is being changed by urban development and drainage - and this has led to destruction of its breeding areas and a decline in its numbers and distribution. It is sometimes known as the running toad because. unlike most other frogs and toads - it rarely jumps but runs rather like a mouse. |
![]() | 05 Spanish Lynx Area:Southern Spain Status:Endangered This is one of the world's rarest mammals only t5 pairs may survive in the marshes and sand dunes of the Donana National Park. south-west Spain. where they are protected. It is a fearless - agile predator and can leap up and catch a low flying partridge. It has been killed on a wide scale as vermin. The lynx builds its lair in thorn bushes - hollow trees or burrows and has also used old storks' nests 40 feet above the ground. |
![]() | 06 Polar Bear Area:Arctic Status:Vulnerable Polar bears have been highly prized as trophies and were often hunted from helicopters. Since 1973 - however - an agreement signed by Norway - Canada - Denmark - USSR and USA has given protec-tion to this magnificent white bear of the North Pole. There may now be 20000 bears in the Arctic; some of them migrate long distances - while others stay more or less in the same area all year round. |
![]() | 07 Great Bustard Area:Europe and Asia Status:Under some threat The great bustard is one of Europe's biggest and most spectacular birds - and has a wide distribution. Much of the plains and marshes through which it silently stalks is now being drained and ploughed. In centuries past it was shot extensively - partly for food and partly because it was consider-ed a pest - settling in thousands on fields of com and rapeseed also its eggs were collected for eating. |
![]() | 08 Przewalski's Horse Area:Mongolia Status:Endangered This is the world's only truly wild horse. It is named after a colonel in the Polish cavalry who brought news of its existence to scientists. Numbers remaining are unknown but believed to be very low. It is protected in the remote valleys and semi-deserts of Mongolia where it is found. These are characterised by extremes of temperature - violent winds - and a limited supply of food and water. Domestic stock compete for scarce resources with Przewalski's horse. |
![]() | 09 Siberian Tiger Area:Eastern Asia Status:Endangered The Siber-ian tiger is found further north than any other race of tiger - in the mountains and forests of the southern comer of Siberia which borders on China and Korea. Probably only a few hundred Siberian tigers may now be left. The tiger - although now protected - has been killed extensively for its fur and for the alleged medicinal properties of its bones - flesh and blood. Clearing areas of habitat for human settlement also threatens it's survival. |
![]() | 10 Orang-Utan Area:Sunatra and Borneo Status:Endangered This is one of the best known and most appealing of the apes; it lives on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. It is the only represen-tative of the great apes outside Central Africa - and its numbers - believed to be between 10000 and 30000 are declining rapidly. Destruction of its forest home is the main threat to this 'man of the trees:as it is sometimes called. The orangutan is slow-moving - tree-living - solitary and in-dependent. |
![]() | 11 Monkey-eating Eagle Area:Philippines Status:Endangered This is one of the world's largest and most spectac-ular birds of prey but it is also one of the most threatened. Shooting for trophies has been one of the main causes of its decline as well' as the destruction of its tropical rain forest habitat. Numbers are extremely low - and legal protection has not - so far - done much to help the eagle's chances of survival. The monkey-eating eagle - as its name suggest - includes in its diet monkeys and other prey. |
![]() | 12 Asian Elephant Area:Asia Status:Vulnerable The Asian elephant is still found in all the countries where it originally lived - including India - Thailand - Laos - Borneo and Sumatra - but its numbers have been seriously depleted. It is now more widely scattered in smaller groups. There may be as few as 500 elephants in both western Malaysia and Thailand; over-all there may be under 20000 elephants left. The disappearance of the elephant's tropical forest and grassland home is the main reason for the decline in numbers. |
![]() | 13 Golden Takin Area:China Status:Rare This strange and little known animal is found in the inaccessible and precipitous forested mountains of China. Numbers are unknown although there may only be several hundred of them. The takin is protected by the Chinese government but does not yet have adequate reserves set aside for it. Although relatively unafraid of man - it is said that if it wants to avoid being seen it will lie with its thick heavy body flattened along the ground - rather like a huge dog. |
![]() | 14 Indus Dolphin Area:River Indus - Pakistan Status:Endangered This freshwater dolphin is found only in one part of the Indus River - and well under 1000 of them now remain. It was Once found throughout the length of the river - from the Himalayas to the estuary at Karachi. Irrigation barrages now divide the river at many points and so seasonal migration up and down the Indus is imposs-ible. Although fully protected - is still caught for meat and for the oil from its blubber which is used for cooking and by fishermen for boat maintenance. |
![]() | 15 Malayan Tapir Area:Thailand to Sumatra Status:Endangered The Malayan tapir depends for its survival on swampy low-lying forest with open banks on the edge of streams. This habitat is fast being destroyed in Asia. The tapir is rather solitary and unsociable - and cannot tolerate disturbance by man; as a result - its numbers are declining everywhere. This tapir is an excellent swimmer and is said to be able to walk along the bottom of a stream like a hippopotamus. |
![]() | 16 Bald Ibis Area:Turkey and Morocco Status:Vulnerable Only a few hundred bald ibises remain in the wild a small group breed - with in-creasing difficulty in a town in Turkey - while other birds live in Morocco. Disturbance and pollution of its marshy feeding areas in Turkey have badly affected this interesting and eccentric looking bird. The bald ibis was once found in the Alps and other parts of Europe the mayor of Salzburg took great pride in their presence in the town in the sixteenth century. |
![]() | 17 Javan Rhino Area:Java - Indonesia Status:Endangered The Javan rhino is one of the world's rarest animals. Its numbers - in the rain forest reserve of Ujung Kulon on the western tip of Java - have increased from the low twenties to about 50 individuals as a result of the World Wildlife Fund's work. The rhino was once found in many parts of Asia - but over-hunting for its blood and horn has drastically reduced its numbers. A few rhinos may occur in Laos and Kampuchea (once Cambodia). |
![]() | 18 Snow Leopard Area:Asia Status:Endangered This beautiful cat is one of the world's rarest mammals. Its magnificent fur has always been in great demand and this is one of the reasons why it has declined so much. It has also been persecuted for killing domestic stock in the Himalayas and Pamirs and other mountainous areas where it is found. The creation of well-defended reserves is one of the most important ways of protecting the snow leopard. |
![]() | 19 Pygmy Hippo Area:West Africa Status:Rare This animal is very unlike its bigger - better-known cousin found in many parts of Africa - It is much rarer and has been killed on a wide scale for meat. It is also threatened by destruction of its forest habitat - The pygmy hippo leads a solitary life deep in the forest eating grass and leaves - or feeding underwater on aquatic plants. If the remaining populations of pygmy hippos could be managed prop-erly - they could provide a valuable source of meat for local people. |
![]() | 20 Bearded Vulture (Lammergeir) Area: Europe - Africa and Asia Status:African race is in some danger The African race of the bearded vulture is rare in south and east Africa - but occurs in greater num-bers in Ethiopia. It flies at great heights in its mountainous habitat - staying in the same area all the year round. It nests on lofty ledges and constructs a huge pile of sticks - softened with piles of sheep's wool as a home for its young. One of its names - 'lammergeir' means 'lamb vulture' It feeds on a wide variety of live and dead animals. |
![]() | 21 West African Manatee Area:West Africa Status:Vulnerable This gentle animal is one of the sirenians or 'mermaids' They move very slowly - are shy of humans and can very easily be killed by them - The ample amount of edible flesh the manatee yields when dead is one of the reasons together with pollution - why they are increasingly threatened in rivers - lagoons and shallow estuaries. Never famous for its beauty - the manatee has been described as looking like a 'giant pregnant sausage' |
![]() | 22 Cheetah Area:Most of Africa - Asia Status:Vulnerable The cheetah has been one of the animals most heavily hunted for its beautiful skin - and very few remain in Asia. Even though it is protected in most coun-tries in Africa and is found in many national parks - its numbers continue to decline on that continent due to poaching and disturbance. The cheetah is found in grasslands and is the world's fastest land animal reaching 60 mph over short distances - There may be only 15000 cheetahs in the whole of Africa. |
![]() | 23 Grevy's Zebra Area:Ethiopia and Kenya Status:Vulnerable This is the largest member of the horse family. It lives in dry open country. It is now the rarest zebra - because of the demand for its handsome coat - which is made into many items - from telephone directory covers and wallets - to carpets. Grevy's zebra is distinguished from other zebras by its finer stripes - its big ears and its ass-like voice. It replaced the donkey standing by the crib in old French tapestries depicting the birth of Christ. |
![]() | 24 Nossi-Be Sportive Lemur Area:Madagascar Status:Rare The lemurs - which are distant relatives of the apes and monkeys - are found only on the islands of Madagascar and the Comores - in the Indian Ocean. This is one of the weasel lemurs - and has a restricted habitat on the tiny island of Nossi-Be. Weasel lemurs are nocturnal and are eaten by local people - but the destruction of their forest home is the greatest threat to their survival. Weasel lemurs gather in groups at dusk and leap from tree to tree in an upright position. |
![]() | 25 Scimitar-horned Oryx Area:North Africa Status:Vulnerable The graceful backward sweeping horns of this magnificent antelope - which is found in the vast semi-desert regions of Africa - have given it its name. It is declining rapidly because it is shot for its horns - is hunted by nomads for meat - and because of drought. One of the last remaining strongholds for the oryx is in the Ouadi Rime Ouadi Achim reserve in central Chad; 6000 oryx may be found there - the largest concentration in Africa. |
![]() | 26 Somali Wild Ass Area:Eastern Ethiopia and Somalia Status:Endangered The Somali wild ass is one of Africa's most threatened animals; only 2-3000 remain. Although they are legally protected - the asses are still hunted by nomads for food - and are chased into more inhospitable and arid regions by tourists trying to photograph them - which can lead to their death from exhaustion. Their hard hooves enable them to leap up steep rocks and even sheer walls in efforts to escape hunters. They can survive on sparse vegetation. |
![]() | 27 San Francisco Garter Snake Area:California - USA Status:Endangered This is one of the most beautifully marked and most seriously threatened snakes in the United States. Its numbers have de-clined rapidly because it has been caught by collectors - and the marshy areas near the city of San Francisco have been drained and intensively developed. This is one of many garter snakes found in the United States. They are ground-living and feed on earthworms or frogs amongst other things. |
![]() | 28 Wolf Area:North America - Europe and Asia Status:Vulnerable The wolf was once widely distributed in the Northern hemisphere - and although it is still found in many countries - its numbers have declined considerably. It was found in temperate forests - grasslands and plains but as human settlement increased rapidly - the wolf was pushed out by man to protect his domestic stock and himself. The wolf has generally been treated as vermin where -ever it is found. Although it is now protected in some countries. |
![]() | 29 Red Uakari Area:Brazil and Peru Status:Endangered This strange look-ing animal is found only in a small area in the Amazon river forests of western Brazil and eastern Peru. It has been hunted on a wide scale for meat and skins and for the pet trade. Although it is now legally protect-ed - hunting has intensified as human settle-ment in the Amazon has increased. Uakaris are very agile and well-adapted to their tree- living existence. They sometimes walk upright along branches holding up their arms to keep their balance. |
![]() | 30 Horned Guan Area:Central America Status:Endangered This curious bird has been seldom seen and little studied. It is a distant relative of the turkey and is found in high rain or 'cloud' forest in parts of Guatemala and southern Mexico. Its habitat is remote - inaccessible and wet. It is threatened by shooting and deforestation. The guan spends most of its time in the trees eating fruit but does come down to the ground to scratch about in the leaves. |
![]() | 31 Black Footed Ferret Area:North America Status:Endangered This is one of North America's most threatened mammals. It is now found only in the central United States - and Alberta in Canada. It lives in the prairies where its natural prey is the prairie dog - but as these grasslands were brought under cultivation - the dogs were poisoned on a large scale and the ferrets lost their natural prey. It is important that the ferret is legally protect-ed throughout it's range and that more sanctuaries are established. |
![]() | 32 Giant Otter Area:South America Status:Endangered The giant otter is one of the most threatened of South America's mammals. It's choc-olate and cream fur has been in great demand by the fur trade. It is a trusting animal and noisily sociable - and is thus easily detected and killed by hunters. The giant otter is found in the forest along streams and rivers in Brazil - Venezuela - Surinam and other countries. Although it is protected - laws are very difficult to enforce. |
![]() | 33 Giant Armadillo Area:Northern and Eastern South America Status:Vulnerable The giant armadillo is the world's largest armadillo and can weigh up to 100 lbs. It has a wide range in South America but it is depen-dent on low lying forest and undisturbed areas. It is still hunted for its shell and meat - although legally protected in some countries. The armadillo's armor plating inspired the Spanish to give it it's name. It's main means of escape is to dig a hole rapidly and go below ground. |
![]() | 34 Rabbit Bandicoot Area:Australia Status:Rare The rabbit bandicoot was once found in many parts of Australia - but its range is contract-ing to the arid and more central parts of the country. Although they dig deep burrows - partly to escape from the heat - bandicoots are easily caught by man for their meat and pelts - and by foxes. Bandicoots are very useful to man because they eat large quantities of insect larvae and mice. They are fully protected. |
![]() | 35 Kakapo Area:New Zealand Status:Endangered There may be only a few hundred of this strange parrot still alive; it has been declining for many years now. It is found in undisturbed beech forests in New Zealand. It is almost flightless and nests in burrows and rock crevices. Forest clearance and the introduction of predators like stoats - as well as hunting by man - have led to the kakapo's decline. The kakapo eats berries - leaves - shoots and occasionally lizards. |
![]() | 36 Golden-shouldered Parakeet Area: Australia Status:Endangered This beautiful parakeet is threatened with extinc-tion in northern Australia where it is found. It is one of the grass parakeets and has in the past been in great demand for the wild bird trade. It has probably always been rare and there may be no more than 1000 of these birds left now. Although legally protected - they are still caught for collec-tors. |
![]() | 37 Humpback Whale Area:North-ern and Southern Hemisphere Status:Endangered This whale is perhaps most famous for its 'songs' which can make the sea and air vibrate with sound. It has been heavily hunted by whalers in the past because it is slower and is found in shallower waters than other whales. It has been protected since 1966 - but there may be no more than 8000 humpback whales remain-ing. Humpback whales exist - in the north-ern and southern hemispheres and they mi-grate between feeding and breeding areas. |
![]() | 38 Estuarine Crocodile Area:From India - east to northern Australia Status:Vulnerable This wide-ranging crocodile was once much more abun-dant - but demand for its high quality hide has caused a serious decline in its numbers everywhere. It lives in estuaries and mangrove swamps and also rivers and freshwater ponds in land. It can travel long distances in the open sea and because of this - was able to extend its range over a large area. The crocodile is protected in some countries. |
![]() | 39 Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby Area:Australia Status:Vulnerable This animal was once found in many parts of Australia - usually in rocky or mountainous areas. It has been killed for its soft and attractively marked pelt on a wide scale - and now its numbers are much fewer - and very scattered. The rock wallabies are often referred to as 'Australian chamois' because of their jumping ability; their long tails help give them stability when leaping. Rock wallabies are generally nocturnal but often come out in daytime to sunbathe. |
![]() | 40 Thytacine Area:Tasmania - Australia Status:Endangered This striped 'wolf' may even be extinct. It was once found in the forests and mountains of this island but was killed on a wide scale - partic-ularly at the turn of this century - because it killed poultry and sheep. It was also accidentally caught in kangaroo traps and was generally considered vermin. The thy-lacine had a reputation for being blood-thirsty and vicious and was said to suck the blood from the veins of sheep and kangaroos. |