My Science School

            The West African giraffe, or Niger giraffe, is a subspecies of Northern giraffe found predominantly in the Sahel regions of West African.

            Like many species that are declining in population, the West African giraffe is also facing the threat of being endangered. Experts note that these herbivorous were a common sight across the Sahel and Savanna regions of West Africa until the First World War. But as the human population increased, farming and hunting became widespread and this in turn, affected the giraffes.

            However, the main reason attributed to the decline in the giraffe population is the cutting down of trees. This destroys their habitat, forcing them to move out, and sometimes, separates them.

            The giraffes are also hunted for their tails, pelt, and meat. Their tails are highly prized symbols of authority in African culture. Their thick skin has been used for making clothing, shoes, bags, belts, hats and cover for drums, and their hair, for making bracelets, necklaces and other jewellery items among African tribes.

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            Asiatic lions are among the endangered animals that face the risk of extinction due to human activities. They are also known as Indian lions.

            Asiatic lions are found only in the Gir forests of Gujarat today and the approximate population here is between 400 - 600. The government and many animal welfare organisations have worked hard to conserve this dying species for the past two decades.

            As a result, the population of Asiatic lions in the Gir Forest National Park has increased. These animals are still vulnerable to epidemics. Yet another reason that contributed to their decline is poaching. Because some of the lions live outside the protected areas, they rarely enter nearby villages, causing conflicts with human beings.

            The lion is one of five big cat species in India, along with Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard.

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            The Bengal tiger or the royal Bengal tiger is a subspecies in the tiger family found predominantly in parts of India, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

            This wild cat is known for its power and strength. It mainly hunts animals like wild boars, deer, water buffaloes, and sometimes, rhino calves.

            However, despite their strength, Bengal tigers too, are close to being extinct. The main reasons are massive poaching and habitat loss. The tigers are killed for their skin and body parts, including bones and teeth for money and medicinal purposes. Habitat loss, which is a reason for the extinction of many animals, has caused tigers to come down to nearby villages in search of prey. This has increasingly led to a conflict between Man and tigers, as a result of which, the latter gets mostly killed.

            Bengal tigers in the Sundarbans are the only tigers that inhabit mangrove forests.

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            The Siberian or the Amur tiger is a tiger subspecies that lives mainly in the Southeast corner of Russia in the Sikhote-Alin mountain range, east of the Amur River. These were once found in Northern China, Mongolia, and the Korean peninsula too, but not much anymore. This is because of the sharp decline in their population, due to human activities.

            These tigers are characterized by their aggressive behaviour. They are powerful hunters that travel many kilometres to find preys like wild boars, or elk.

            The main reason for the decline in the population of Siberian tigers is poaching. They are primarily poached for their fur and body parts for money or to be used in traditional Chinese medicine. To control this, the Chinese government declared the use of tiger bone illegal in 1993.

            However, there are other reasons too, including habitat loss.

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            Tasmanian devils are small-sized carnivorous animals found in the state of Tasmania in the state of Tasmania in Australia. Like many other animals, these animals too presently face the threat of extinction.

            The uncommon name ‘devil’ is believed to have arisen from the animal’s ferocious screech, and tendency to eat carcass meat. A devil’s jaws are powerful enough to crush our bones! However, a large number of them are dying due to a contagious form of cancer that is affecting their species. Known as the devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), it is a rare tumour large in size, which forms on the face and neck of the animal. The disease was first seen in 1996. Experts have discovered that the cancer transmits from one devil to another through bites.

            There are many programmes being conducted by the government to reduce the impact and spread of the tumour. The famous one is the ‘Save the Tasmanian Devil Programme’.

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            The red panda is a mammal that lives mainly in the mountains of Nepal, Northern Myanmar and in Central China. They are also spotted in the North Eastern Indian states like Assam and Sikkim. Like many animals, red pandas are also endangered due to many reasons.

            Slightly larger than a domestic cat in size, red pandas have markings of both pandas and raccoons. They are known to be very solitary, but are skillful and stay most of the time on trees.

            The main reason for the decline in the red panda population is the loss of nesting trees and bamboo. The latter is their main diet, but red pandas also eat a variety of other foods like fruits, flowers, seeds etc.

            Apart from the destruction of their habitat, these animals are also trapped and killed in large numbers so that their fur can be used to make hats.

            With their population less than 10,000, red pandas have been listed as ‘endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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            The Eastern lowland gorilla is a subspecies of gorilla that can be found mainly in the rain forests of the Congo in Africa. They are also spotted in the Kahuzi-Biega and Maiko National Parks, and their adjacent forests, the Tayna Gorilla Reserve, the Usala forest, and on the Itombwe Massif.

            The other name of this subspecies is ‘Grauer’s gorilla’. It is the largest of the gorilla subspecies with a huge body weighing up to 250 kg. Until the mid 1990s, there were around 17,000 of these gorillas alive. But recent surveys show that the population has come down to around 4000.

            One of the main reasons for the decline in the population of the Eastern lowland gorilla is illegal poaching. This means hunting, capturing or killing of animals. Yet other reasons include the trade of their body parts, destruction of habitat due to mining, agricultural expansion, logging etc.

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            Endangered, in its simplest sense, means in danger, or threatened. An endangered species is one which has its population reducing at an alarming rate. The threat could be so serious that the animal or plant is likely to become extinct.

            However, if it’s lucky enough, it can be saved through conservationist activities. Mountain gorillas, Iberian lynx, North Atlantic right whales, and Siberian tigers are some of the best examples for endangered animals.

There are always many reasons for a species to become endangered. As we know, humans are the most vicious predators of non-humans. To satisfy his greed, Man makes changes in the environment, modifies its basic structure, and thus throws animals out of their habitats.

            Hence the most important factor contributing to a species’ endangered existence is habitat loss caused by human activities.

            Besides this, all animals are vulnerable to diseases, or predation by other animals. This sometimes results in the permanent disappearance of species.

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            The saiga antelope is a striking variety of antelope that originally inhabited large stretches of the steppes in Central Asia.

            They are animals that have evolved to survive in extreme temperatures. Physically, the antelopes have a distinctive appearance, with an enlarged nose that hangs down over the mouth. In summer, their coats are said to become cinnamon-buff in colour, but turn white, and become very thick in winters. Mature antelopes usually have vertical horns that are ringed in the bottom.

            At present, these uncommon animals can be spotted only in a few areas in Kazakhstan and Russia. They have become extinct in China and Mongolia. Due to their shrinking population, saiga antelopes were declared as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List.

            Habitat degradation, poaching, and human interference are some of the main threats the animals face.

            Besides, droughts, severe winters, predators and diseases too have worsened their fight for survival. Although measures were taken immediately, this is still a concern among conservationists.

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          Blue whales, as most of us know, are the largest animals that ever existed on Earth. They are incredibly huge and weigh as much as 150,000 kg, which is almost equivalent to the weight of 30  elephants!

          Blue whales are known to be found worldwide. Larger individuals grow up to 33.5 metres in length. Typically, they have long bodies with mottled gray colour patterns that appear to be light blue when seen through water. Krills, a kind of Small crustacean, form the major diet of blue whales. These marine animals can eat about four tonnes of krills every day.

          There are numerous other interesting facts about blue whales, but the saddest one is that they are endangered. The animals were almost extinct at a point, when the International Whaling Commission declared them a protected species in 1966.

          The main threat then was commercial whaling, but today, it is climatic changes. The changes in marine environment have badly affected krills, and this in turn, has led to a fall in the blue whale population too. The presence of toxic substances in waters is another factor contributing to this.

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            Fin whales are the second largest mammals in the world, after blue whales. They are also among the fastest of rorquals that can reach up to 37 kilometres in an hour. Hence, a fin whale is also called the greyhound of the sea.

            In physical appearance, fin whales are light grey to brown-black colour on the upper surface, and white on the lower.

            Another important feature is their dorsal fin which can be as long as 60 cms in length. It is said that these mammals that grow up to 26 metres in length and 114 tonnes in weight can dive to depths of 230 metres! Typically, females in this species are larger than their male counterparts.

            Fin whales are known to have a global distribution but they are mainly seen in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans. However, due to their slim population, these whales are classified as endangered. The major threat before the species is hunting.

            Besides that chemical pollution too largely contribute to the decline of their population.

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            By scientific classification, the African wild ass is a member of the horse family. But it can be best defined as an ancestor of domestic donkeys. These are animals that live in the deserts, and other arid areas of Africa, mainly Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.

            The most important characteristic of this wild animal is that it can survive water loss of up to 30 per cent of its body weight, and drink enough water to replace it in under 5 minutes! Typically, these animals have stocky bodies with smooth coats in light grey to fawn colours. Wild asses can eat hard and dry plants too. However, in spite of thou ability to survive tough conditions, these animals are reducing in their number. They have been classified as critically endangered. The main reasons for this situation are inter-breeding, poaching, hunting and competition for food.

            Another reason is poaching for food and traditional medicine, which is quite common in African countries. Then, there is the competition with domestic livestock for grazing, as well as water. This is caused by agricultural development, which poses further threats to the survival of these wild asses.

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            The addax is a critically endangered desert antelope found in the Sahara Desert in Africa. It is also known as a white antelope.

            This animal has many interesting features and one of them is the ability to change colour of its coat, depending on the season. It could be grey or brown in winter, and sandy or white in summer. The neck and head of these animals is mainly brown.

            The addax is a desert animal that can live in a very harsh climate where no other animals can survive. This also means they have no particular competition for food or water. Under such circumstances how could their population drop to levels as low as to become ‘critically’ endangered? Well, the only answer to this would be human activities.

            The biggest threat these animals face is from people who visit their ranges in vehicles. They kill these slow-moving antelopes. It is said that when a car follows a herd of addax, they desperately try to escape, and later run out of energy, only to get killed.

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               A radiated tortoise is one of the most attractive species in the family, native to Southern Madagascar. Typically, these groups of tortoises have bright yellow skin coloration with black markings on the head. They also have high-domed black to brown shells, covered with yellow or orange star like patterns. This is what particularly makes the animal stunning.

               Radiated tortoises generally lead solitary lives, but are sometimes found grazing together.

               To protect themselves from predators, the tortoises pull their soft limbs and head inside their hard shells. They also make loud screeching noises during times of crises.

               Another interesting characteristic is their lifespan. Radiated tortoises live for a very long time, sometimes up to the age of 188! However their lives are often cut short by merciless humans and their activities. As a result, this species have become critically endangered. The reasons for this are poaching and destruction of habitat. The commercial trade of these aquatic beings and their pet trade are illegal.

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            A numbat is a rare marsupial animal that is native to parts of Australia. Also known as banded anteaters, they have long sticky tongues that help them pick up termites which they eat exclusively. Usually, these animals make shelters out of old and fallen trees that have hollow logs.

            Numbats were once found across the Southern part of Australia, including Western Australia, South Australia and parts of New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory. But now they are restricted to isolated areas in South-Western Australia.

            The main reason for this sort of population fall is habitat loss. Their ranges have been cleared for agriculture, and destroyed by bush fires. Besides, these are slow-moving animals that can be easily caught by predators like cats, dogs and foxes.

            In recent decades conservation programmes were active and several numbats were reintroduced to a few sites including Yookamurra Sanctuary in South Australia, and Scotia Sanctuary in New South Wales as part of captive breeding and translocation programmes.

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