“Do these species have a right to survive or do we have a right to drive them to extinction?” said Professor Jonathan Baillie of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) in a press statement.
8,000 scientists identified the 100 most endangered animals, plants and fungi.
“All the species listed are unique and irreplaceable. If they vanish, no amount of money can bring them back,” said the report’s co-author Ellen Butcher, who is also from the ZSL. “However, if we take immediate action we can give them a fighting chance for survival.”
1. Hanging on: Pygmy three-toed sloth
There are less than 500 individual pygmy three-toed sloths left in the wild and are only found in on the Isla Escude de Veraguas, Panama.
2. Hainan gibbon
Found on Hainan island, China, conservationists believe less than 20 mature Hainan gibbons are still alive. Hunting has been the main reason for their perilous status as critically endangered.
3. Luristan newt
The Luristan newt is only found in three fast-flowing streams in the southern Zagros mountains in Iran. Their illegal collection for the pet trade has led to less than 1,000 mature individuals being left in the wild.
4. Spoon-billed sandpiper
Trapping and reclamation of its winter grounds has left the spoon-billed sandpiper on the brink of extinction. The global population is thought to be less than 100 breeding pairs.
5. Willow blister
The limited availability of habitat in Pembrokshire, Wales has lead to this fungi being one of the world’s most endangered.
6. Archey’s frog
It is unknown how many Archey frogs are left in their natural habitat of the Coromandel peninsula and Whareorino Forest in New Zealand.
7. West Australian underground orchid
Around 95% of the West Australian underground orchid’s natural habitat has been destroyed leading to estimates than less than 100 exist in the wild.
8. Javan rhino
The Javan rhino was once found in forests across Southeast Asia, but today less than 100 remain in the Kulon National Park in Java. Their horns are prized in traditional medicine and can fetch up to $30,000 on the black market.
9. Hirola
Habitat loss, poaching and competition with livestock has left the wild Hirola population in dire straits. Less than 1,000 are left in southeast Kenya and southwest Somalia.
10. Dombeya mauritania
Found in Mauritius, destruction of its natural habitat and invasive species are pushing this plant to the brink of extinction.
11. Aci Gol toothcarp
A few hundred pairs of this small fish can be found only in small springs around Lake Aci in Turkey.
12. Seychelles sheath-tailed bat
Found in two small caves on Silhouette and Mahe, Seychelles, it is thought to be only up to 100 mature individuals of this rare bat species left.
13. Sumatran rhino
Less than 250 Sumatran rhino exist in the wild, and can be found in decreasing locations across Indonesia and Malaysia.