22 animals on the endangered species list

Across the board, elephants aren’t faring too well, and their tusks have a lot to do with that. Ivory poachers have done a number on the dwindling numbers of the following types of elephants: African forest elephant, Sumatran elephant, African savanna elephant, Asian elephant, Bornean elephant, and the Sri Lankan elephant.

The Amur leopard is already a rare species found in Russia, so it’s not great that it’s found on the endangered species list, with fewer than 100 in existence.

Way too much fishing has caused the bluefin tuna to wind up on the endangered species list.

Rhinos are sought after by poachers for their signature horns. This has left three different species of rhino in danger and endangered: the Black, Javan, and Sumatran rhino.

Saolas are so rare that only a handful of photographers have ever captured them on film. With none in captivity and very few in the wild, the saola is critically endangered.

Deforestation has decreased the number of gorillas in the wild, and it hasn’t just impacted the widely known Western lowland gorilla but also the Mountain gorillas, the Cross River gorillas, and the Eastern lowland gorillas.

The vaquita looks somewhat like a dolphin but isn’t as commonly seen in the Gulf of California. In fact, fewer than a dozen vaquitas are believed to exist in the wild.

The general orangutan is not alone on the list. Orangutans are joined by the Bornean and Sumatran species as well, with all three being on the critically endangered list.

While 2,000 Galápagos penguins might sound like a lot of penguins, that’s nothing compared to the almost 600,000 Emperor penguins that are out there.

Bonobos are a primate about which little is known due to their habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Poaching and the loss of their home, the forest, have caused many problems for them.

The Ganges River, Hector's, Indus River, and Irrawaddy dolphins are endangered for just as many reasons. Pollution, fishing where they get caught in netting, and loss of habitats have led to a decline in four types of dolphins.

A few factors have caused Monarch butterflies to become endangered, including the use of pesticides and climate change.

Whaling, pollution, and a change in the climate have led to a number of whales being close to the end of their run in Earth’s oceans, including the Blue whale, Fin whale, North Atlantic Right whale, and the Sei whale.

African wild dogs are a nuisance to farmers as they zero in on livestock for food, so many farmers wind up taking matters into their own hands. That’s not the only reason these wild dogs are endangered. Disease and habitat issues also harm their numbers.

Red pandas have lost much of their natural habitat, and they're also being hunted down for their fur by poachers who want to sell it.

Animals that call the various oceans home have faced some of humans’ worst, as pollution has led to a lot of loss in the sea creature kingdom, including the diminishing numbers of sea turtles, hawksbill turtles, and green turtles.

Sea lions face the same things as other aquatic animals, such as fishing nets and pollution.

The tiger and the sunda variety are both on this list. Indonesia made it illegal to hunt the Sunda tiger, and those caught will pay with their time in jail. As for the tiger, while the Sunda is critically endangered, the regular tiger’s numbers have increased to make it only endangered. Not great, but still a positive note.

The humphead wrasse is a wild-looking fish that is not faring well due to the continuous destruction of the coral reef and people fishing far more than necessary.

A rising interest in exotic animals as pets, as well as hunting and deforestation, made the cuties that are Chimpanzees endangered.

Things don't look good when an animal loses its main food source. A lack of prairie dogs is one of the reasons there are fewer than 500 black-footed ferrets in the wild.

Humans are to blame for the decrease in whale shark populations because they pollute their homes, use fishing nets, and pack their homes with tourists.