Black rhinos remain critically endangered because of demand for rhino horns on the illegal international
market, mainly in Asia, where rhino horn is used for traditional medicine, and increasingly as a status
symbol to display success and wealth. Between 2008 and 2021, around 11,000 rhinos were poached in
Africa.
Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List as the wild population
has declined by at least 50% since the 1930s to 1940s, i.e. three elephant generations. The Asian
elephant is threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation.
The last of the Sunda island tigers—estimated to be fewer than 400 today—are holding on for survival in
the remaining patches of forest on the island of Sumatra. Accelerating deforestation and rampant
poaching mean this noble creature could end up extinct like its Javan and Balinese counterparts.
Sloths are extremely vulnerable to deforestation. Most sloths are listed as least concern on the IUCN
redlist of threatened species. But threats in the form of some of the habitat loss and fragmentation and
the illegal wildlife trade still exist.
Declines in polar bear fat storage have already been seen resulting in stress to the bears and sometimes
death. As the sea ice continues to decline this may also push bears inland to human populated areas. The
polar bear was the first mammal to be listed as Threatened due primarily to global warming.
Penguins are sadly one of the most threatened groups of seabirds, with half of the 18 species listed by
Birdlife as either Vulnerable or Endangered. While penguins are well adapted to their environments,
human impacts are hitting their homes too hard and too fast for them to cope.
