Which animals are in danger of extinction? Extinct and rare animals of Russia and the world

Over the past 500 years, more than 800 species of animals have become extinct on the planet. Fauna is adversely affected by various processes: human activity, environmental pollution, disappearance of the food supply due to irrational use of natural resources, climate change. As a result, many animals ended up in the Red Book, and some species completely disappeared.

Extinct species of animals

These species can no longer be found anywhere. Some of them disappeared many centuries ago, and some became extinct recently. 10 million years ago, the extinction of animals was a natural process, it occurred as a result of evolution, when the most adapted species survived. But these days, animals are disappearing from the face of the Earth mainly due to human activity, and such extinction is happening much faster than natural extinction. Some types to consider extinct animals to understand what caused their extinction.

First of all, they were exterminated land and sea mammals hunted for their meat and skins:

1. Koala lemur (megaladapis). It was a large animal, 150 cm tall and weighing 75 kg. It has nothing to do with modern small lemurs. The shape of the Megaladapis skull was similar to that of apes (gorillas, chimpanzees). The koala lemur lived on the island of Madagascar. Due to its large growth, the animal did not jump well and led a terrestrial lifestyle. The date of extinction of this animal was determined by radiocarbon dating to be around the early 1500s. The reason for the disappearance of this animal was the human factor. Due to deforestation for agricultural purposes, the habitat of this animal was destroyed. In addition, the lemur was hunted; megaladapis bones were found outside the forests, with traces of kitchen processing.
2. Zebra Quagga. Unlike ordinary zebras, the Quagga did not have stripes on the back of its body. From the front the animal looked like a zebra, and from the back it looked like an ordinary horse. The quagga lived in South Africa and was domesticated by humans. With its cry, the zebra warned people about the approach of predatory animals. But with the arrival of Europeans in South Africa, the zebra was exterminated. It was hunted for its tough skin and tasty meat. In the wild, the last Quagga was killed in 1878, and in the zoo, the last animal died in 1883. In 1987, breeding experiments began to revive the Quagga. To do this, they took zebras with a small number of stripes in the back of the body. As a result of these experiments, a foal was born in 2005, very similar in appearance to Quagga. However, genetically it was a completely different animal.
3. Thylacine or marsupial wolf. Outwardly, this animal resembled a striped dog. It lived in Tasmania and was a marsupial. After sheep were brought to Tasmania, the extermination of the thylacine began. It was assumed that this animal attacked herds. Modern scientists have concluded that the thylacine could not hunt sheep because its jaws were weak. Hunting was carried out uncontrollably, which led to a sharp decline in the population. In addition, there were rumors that the beast was aggressive and dangerous to people. In fact, the thylacine avoided human contact. Sometimes animals were hunted in order to get a warm skin. An epidemic of canine distemper led to the final disappearance of the animal. The last wild marsupial wolf was killed in 1930, and in 1934 the last thylacine in a private zoo died of old age.
4. Falkland fox. This animal lived on the Falkland Islands and was the only predator of the local fauna. Even at the beginning of the 19th century, nothing foreshadowed the disappearance of the fox. This animal had no natural enemies, and at the same time easily obtained food for itself, since it was the only predator on the islands. The fox was completely exterminated by humans. It was destroyed for its valuable fur and poisoned, as people believed that the animal was dangerous for sheep. The animal trustingly became an easy prey for hunters. The last individual was killed in 1876.
5. Steller's cow. This marine mammal of the sirenian order lived along the Asian coast of the Bering Sea. It looked like a huge seal with a small head, reached sizes of up to 10 m and weighed about 4 tons. The animal had no teeth and ate algae and small fish. People hunted the siren for its meat, skin and fat. Steller's cow was discovered in 1741 and exterminated within 27 years.
6. Tour. It was a large wild bull weighing about 800 kg. This animal was once widespread and lived throughout Europe. Mention of tours can be found in the folklore of different nations. The tur had practically no natural enemies; this large and strong beast could withstand any predator. Since the 12th century, there has been active hunting for these animals. By the 17th century, a small population of aurochs remained, which became extinct due to a disease epidemic.
7. Tarpan. This wild horse lived in the steppes of central and eastern Europe. The animal disappeared from the wild in 1879. The last individuals were preserved in zoos and died at the beginning of the 20th century. The reason for the extinction of the tarpan was the plowing of the steppes for economic needs, displacement by domestic artiodactyls and extermination.

Extinct birds

Unique species of birds became victims of hunting. Many of them did not have wings and became easy prey because of this.

Extinct fish, amphibians and reptiles

The reason for the disappearance of these animal species was the pollution of their environment and extermination. Have disappeared over the past 150 years the following species of fish, frogs, lizards and turtles:

Animals in danger of extinction

Nowadays, many animals are endangered. Status in the Red Book“Vulnerable” is assigned to those species that have an increased risk of extinction. “Endangered” status is assigned to those animals of which there are critically few remaining and they are considered endangered.

We can list only a few species of animals that were once numerous, but are now listed in the Red Book as vulnerable species:

There are very few of these animals left. Special work is underway to increase their numbers. These are just some of the animal species that are listed in the Red Book as endangered:

In order to preserve endangered species they create wildlife sanctuaries and reserves in which work is being done to increase the number of endangered animals. This is an effective method of preserving the species. In this way, it was possible to save bison, kulans, Javan rhinoceros and many other animals from extinction.

We all know about global warming and melting ice, deforestation, poaching. According to experts, the Earth has entered the sixth period of mass extinction of representatives of the biosphere.
By 2020, two-thirds of wild animals on the planet will disappear, and the main reason for this is humans. Take a look at 15 creatures that are on the verge of extinction.

15. Sumatran elephant

Deforestation on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has led to a rapid decline in the population of Sumatran elephants. Over the past 25 years, the number of animals has decreased by 80%. In addition, elephants are targets for ivory poaching. Sumatran elephants are listed as a critically endangered species.

14. Chinese tiger

The Chinese tiger is the most endangered species. It has not been seen in the wild for over 25 years. In the 1950s, the species numbered more than 4,000 individuals, but Chinese authorities considered tigers to be pests and encouraged their hunting. By 1996, only 30-80 tigers remained in the wild, and nowadays this species can only be seen in zoos.

13. Javan rhinoceros

There are only 60 Javan rhinoceros left in the world, and they all live in Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia. The main factor that influenced the number of this species was poaching for the purpose of obtaining horns. There were Javan rhinoceroses in Vietnam, but in 2011 the Wildlife Foundation stated that the last individuals had become extinct.

12. Brazilian otter

The Brazilian otter is also called the giant otter. It belongs to the otter subfamily and is its largest representative. Hunting has led to a significant reduction in the number of this species. Chocolate brown otter fur is considered one of the best in terms of beauty and durability. In addition, pollution and drying out of water bodies deprives otters of a sufficient amount of fish.

11. Mountain gorilla

Mountain gorillas have a very limited range in Central Africa in the Great Rift Valley region. According to estimates at the end of 2012, the total number of individuals did not exceed 880 individuals. Environmental protection measures are being taken, but their effectiveness is hampered by political instability in the region, high population density and low living standards.

10. Peruvian coata

Peruvian coatats live in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has given this species "endangered" status. Over the past 45 years, the number of these primates has decreased by 50% due to hunting for meat. Moreover, humans are rapidly destroying the natural habitat of the Peruvian coatas.

9. Kalimantan Orangutan

The current conservation status of the Kalimantan orangutan is “critically endangered.” Since the 1950s, the number of these animals has decreased by 60%, and by 2025 it will decrease by another 22%. According to some estimates, there are only 104,700 Kalimantan orangutans left. Over the past 20 years, their habitat has declined by 55%. In addition to deforestation, poachers also pose a danger, killing adults and selling the cubs on the black market.

8. Bissa

Hawksbill turtles are endangered due to pollution of the world's oceans, loss of feeding and nesting habitat, and fishing. The meat of these turtles is eaten, and the eggs are considered a real delicacy. The hawksbill is also hunted for its valuable shell, which is used to make jewelry and souvenirs.

7. Californian porpoise

The California porpoise, or vaquita, is endemic to the northern Gulf of California. Experts say that by 2018 this species will disappear. Recent estimates place the number of this species at only 30 individuals. The California porpoise was never hunted, but fishing nets and the harmful effects of inbreeding drove the species to extinction.

6. American Ferret

The American ferret, or black-footed ferret, has been listed as an endangered species on the North American Red List since 1967. At that time, animals were on the verge of extinction due to the plague. Currently, the number of this species is approximately 300 individuals. For several decades, ferrets were bred on the territory of a research base in the United States, and now they are being released into their former habitat.

5. Sumatran Orangutan

This species is found only in the northern part of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Over the past 75 years, the number of orangutans has decreased by approximately four times, the reasons for this are deforestation, environmental pollution, and poaching. There are approximately 14,600 Sumatran orangutans left.

4. Saola

This species of artiodactyl was discovered only in 1992 and lives only in Vietnam and Laos. The number of saolas does not exceed several hundred individuals. They tried to keep 13 individuals in captivity, but they all lived only a few weeks.

3. Far Eastern leopard

Currently, the Far Eastern leopard is on the verge of extinction. It is the rarest of the leopard subspecies, with 57 individuals remaining in the wild in Land of the Leopard National Park as of February 2015, and between 8 and 12 in China.

2. Ili pika

This animal was first seen in 1983, since then only 30 individuals have been seen. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are fewer than 1,000 Ili pikas left. These animals prefer to live in places with cold climates. Even temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius can kill these animals.

1. Pangolins

Between 2011 and 2013, hunters killed more than 200,000 pangolins. The meat of these animals is consumed in many countries in Africa and Asia, and their scales are used by traditional healers as medicine. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers two pangolin species to be endangered.

Nowadays, people pay a lot of attention to the problems of science, politics, religion, wars, etc., forgetting about the threat that hangs over the world. This threat is massively extinct animals. Probably every person knows about the existence of the Red Book, but who seriously thinks about how, why, what animals are becoming extinct? But this is an extremely serious problem.

Some unpleasant statistics: approximately 10-130 species of living beings disappear every day. More than 40% of species are at risk of extinction. Over the past 40 years, the number of our little brothers on the planet has decreased by about 60%. Scientists are sounding the alarm: all this is reminiscent of the death of the dinosaurs. Animals and plants die constantly.

This article contains basic information about endangered animals and plants.

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Animal extinction statistics

Extinction is the complete disappearance of a population of an animal species. Typically, animal extinctions are tracked and studied by ecologists. There is a publication where all changes are made - the Red Book.

First, let's take a closer look at the official statistics on endangered species.

About 71.5 thousand species were considered in the 2013 Red Book. Of these, about 21.2 thousand are endangered. In the 2014 version, out of 76.1 thousand, 22.4 were already under threat. At the same time, the reduction in the risk of extinction in each new book increases by only 2-3 species.

Let's pay attention to the 2013 edition. The following data is indicated there:

• Completely disappeared – 799;
• On the verge of extinction – 4286;
• Endangered – 6451;
• Vulnerable – 10,549;
• Minimum risk – 32,486.

According to statistics from the World Environment Monitoring Center, animals are disappearing the fastest in the following countries: USA (949), Australia (734), Indonesia (702), Mexico (637), Malaysia (456). For the countries of the post-Soviet space, the statistics are a little softer: Russia (151), Ukraine (59), Kazakhstan (58), Belarus (17).

According to the Red List Indicator, corals are the most rapidly disappearing. Slower are birds and mammals. Amphibians are always at risk.

To move away from the terrible, but still “bare” numbers, we list some species that are in danger of extinction. To fully understand the current situation, it is recommended to refer to the Red Book. Here are 7 endangered animals that everyone knows about, but hardly anyone thought that they could disappear from the face of the Earth.

1. African elephant. Poaching for the tusks of these creatures has led to terrible results: in 2017, the number of individuals was only 415 thousand. Despite government protection, poachers continue to exterminate elephants.

African elephant, bottom view. Photographers Barry Wilkins and Jill Sneesby

2. Hippopotamus. Hippopotamus bone and meat are also considered valuable prey, and their habitat is being disturbed due to constant cultivation of the land.

Hippo family

3. African lion. Over the past 2 decades, the number of lions has decreased by approximately 30-50%. The reasons are the same - hunting, reduction of habitat, as well as disease. It should be noted that the disappearance of animals from the class of predators is a particularly serious environmental problem.

African lion. Photographer Alexey Osokin

4. Polar bear. Scientists believe that after 100 years these animals will become completely extinct. Today there are about 20-25 thousand of them left.

Polar bear with a bear cub. Photographer Linda Drake / SOLENT

5. Humpback whale. The enormous scale of whaling led to the destruction of at least 181.4 thousand whales from 1868 to 1965. Hunting for them was banned in 1966 (with minor exceptions), but the species is still endangered.

Humpback whale. Photographer Karim Iliya

6. Chimpanzee. Conflicts with people, ecology and diseases lead to the fact that these creatures may disappear.

7. . At the beginning of the 20th century, only 30-50 individuals remained. Fortunately, the measures taken made it possible to increase their number to 400-500 (currently). However, the tiger may still disappear completely.

Amur tiger. Photographer Viktor Zhivotchenko / WWF Russia

Why do animals go extinct?

One of the most understandable causes of extinction is the direct impact of humans. Ruthless hunting and poaching bring commercial profit to people, but at the same time wipe out fauna from the face of the Earth. It was only in the last century that people began to sound the alarm, beginning to realize that their behavior was killing the planet. However, most people still do not understand the harm they cause to our little brothers. Even animals from the Red Book are regularly attacked by poachers.

Poaching in Russia is a well-established business

The consumerist attitude of mankind has led to the complete extinction of such animals as: the sea cow, the aurochs, the black rhinoceros, the passenger pigeon, and the Tasmanian wolf. This list of extinct species is very far from complete: according to official data, humans have completely destroyed about 200 types of living beings in the last 200 years alone.

Another type of human impact on fauna is its activity. First of all, widespread deforestation negatively affects animals, depriving them of their usual habitats. Also harmful are the plowing of land, pollution of nature with industrial waste, mining, and drainage of water bodies. All these actions also cause the extinction of animals due to human fault.

Three consequences of human influence also become risk factors. The first is the lack of genetic diversity. The smaller the population, the more genes are mixed, and, as a result, the offspring become increasingly weaker. Secondly, fasting. If there are few individuals of a species left, predators have less food to eat and die out faster. Thirdly, the increase in diseases. A decrease in population leads to the rapid spread of diseases among the remaining heads. In addition, chimpanzees, for example, are susceptible to human diseases and easily become infected by them upon contact.

Death of saigas in Kazakhstan. The reason is still unknown. Burial

There are also reasons for the extinction of animals and plants that are not related to humans. The main ones: climate change and asteroids. For example, at the end of the Ice Age, many died out due to the inability to quickly adapt to rising temperatures. Nowadays, when scientists talk about new global warming, the same thing may be happening. For example, this is the reason why the polar bear population began to decline sharply. Asteroids currently do not pose such a danger, but it is the fall of one of them that is considered to be the cause of the death of dinosaurs.

The problem of animal extinction in Russia

The Red Book list in Russia includes about 151 species of endangered animals. The problem of animal extinction is quite acute in the country, and, fortunately, it is partially being solved at the state level. The main reasons for the decline in populations are the same - hunting, human activity and environmental conditions. It is worth noting that in Russia the influence of warming is especially strongly felt, since the country is home to many animals that require a cold climate.

Many animals in Russia are on the verge of extinction. Here are 10 rare animals that have almost completely disappeared in the country.

1. . At the beginning of the 20th century, the numbers and range of these animals declined greatly. They remained only in the Caucasus, where they numbered only 5-10 animals, and in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. In the 40s of the last century, numbers began to recover. Today, bison live in the North Caucasus and in the European part of the state, as well as in many nature reserves and zoos.

2. Far Eastern leopard. Currently, there are about 80 individuals, and at the end of the last century there were no more than 35. Only in 2012 was a program launched to restore the number of leopards. These leopards live only in a small part of the Primorsky Territory and in the Land of the Leopard national park.

3. Red wolf. This wolf, also called a mountain wolf, is red in color, with a muzzle and tail that resembles a fox. This was the cause of the trouble - inexperienced hunters killed such wolves, mistaking them for foxes.

4. Przewalski's horse. This rather primitive genus is the only representative of wild horses living on Earth today. Now they live in Russia, Mongolia, and also on the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, where they settled in surprisingly quickly.

5. Steller sea lion. This is an eared seal that lives in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, mainly in the area of ​​the Commander and Kuril Islands. The habitat is mostly located in the waters of the Russian Federation, so the protection of the animal is mainly carried out by animal rights activists of this country.

6. Amur tiger. This beautiful beast of prey has already been mentioned above, but it is worth mentioning it again. Found in the Far East, this tiger is the largest wild cat in the world. The Amur Tiger Center and international organizations are involved in protecting the species.

7. Atlantic walrus. By the middle of the last century, this huge walrus was almost completely exterminated, but in our time its population is growing due to the efforts of conservationists. It lives only in the Barents and Kara seas.

8. Gray seal. The Baltic subspecies of this animal is included in the Red Book. It suffers most from the release of industrial waste into the water.

9. Caucasian mountain goat. Despite the fact that there are about 10 thousand heads, it is still endangered, mainly due to poaching.

10. Asiatic cheetah. Catastrophically few - only 10 - representatives of this species remain in nature. There are approximately 2 times more in zoos. No endangered animal species in Russia has probably ever come close to such numbers.

How to save animals from extinction

To preserve the flora and fauna of the Earth, united actions of as many people as possible are needed. Endangered animals in Russia and the world require close attention and maximum protection.

First of all, this is work for environmental scientists and government authorities. The former can assess the situation and find new methods to solve the problem, and the latter can create federal protection funds, national parks, nature reserves, and introduce severe penalties for poaching.

The work of international and federal environmental protection funds is also important. It is their activists who most often travel to problem areas and reserves, helping animals, including the sick and wounded.

Some other effective methods to reduce extinction are: captive breeding, development of strict principles and standards for the disposal of industrial waste, control of deforestation and plowing of land.

What can anyone who is not a scientist or politician do to stop the extinction of animals?

Species extinction is a truly serious problem, the main consequence of which will be a disruption of the natural balance. Each kind of living being is unique and valuable, and the goal of humanity is to preserve the life of the wonderful creatures of nature, and not to destroy it along with the entire planet. This is the personal responsibility of every inhabitant of the Earth, no matter how many turn away from the impending disaster. An environmental problem such as animal extinction will affect each of us.

The population of our planet is increasing year by year, but the number of wild animals, on the contrary, is decreasing.

Humanity is influencing the extinction of a large number of animal species by expanding its cities, thereby robbing the fauna of their natural habitats. A very important role is played by the fact that people are constantly developing more and more new lands for crops and crops.

It should be noted that sometimes the expansion of megacities has a positive effect on some species of animals: rats, pigeons,...

Conservation of biological diversity

At the moment, it is very important to preserve everything, because it was created by nature millions of years ago. The diversity of animals presented is not just a random accumulation, but a single coordinated working connection. The extinction of any species will cause major changes to the entire ecosystem. Each species is very important and unique for our world.

As for endangered unique species of animals and birds, they should be treated with special care and protection. Since they are the most vulnerable and humanity can lose this species at any time. It is the conservation of rare species of animals that becomes a primary task for each state and people in particular.

The main reasons for the loss of various animal species are: degeneration of the animal's habitat; uncontrolled hunting in prohibited areas; killing animals to create products; habitat pollution. All countries of the world have certain laws to protect against extermination of wild animals, regulating rational hunting and fishing; in Russia there is a law on hunting and use of wildlife.

At the moment, there is the so-called Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, established in 1948, where all rare animals and plants are listed. In the Russian Federation there is a similar one, where a record of our country’s endangered species is kept. Thanks to the state policy, it was possible to save sables and saigas, which were on the verge of extinction, from extinction. Now it is even allowed to hunt them. The number of kulans and bison has increased.

Saigas could have disappeared from the face of the Earth

The alarm about the extinction of biological species is not far-fetched. So, if we take the period from the beginning of the seventeenth century to the end of the twentieth (about three hundred years), 68 species of mammals and 130 species of birds became extinct.

According to statistics maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, one species or subspecies is destroyed every year. The phenomenon of partial extinction, that is, extinction in certain countries, has become very common. So in Russia in the Caucasus, humans contributed to the fact that nine species have already become extinct. Although this happened before: according to archaeological reports, musk oxen were in Russia 200 years ago, and in Alaska they were recorded before 1900. But there are still species that we can lose in a short time.

List of endangered animals

3. . The reproduction of sea lions is negatively affected by deteriorating environmental conditions, as well as infection from wild dogs.

4. Cheetah. They are killed by farmers because cheetahs prey on livestock. They are also hunted by poachers for their skins.

5. . The decline of the species is due to degradation of their habitat, illegal trade in their young, and infectious contamination.

6. . Their population has been reduced by climate change and poaching.

7. Collared sloth. The population is declining due to tropical deforestation.

8. . The main threat is poachers who sell rhino horn on the black market.

9. . The species is being forced out of its habitat. Animals have a low birth rate in principle.

10. . This species is also a victim of poaching as ivory is of great value.

eleven. . This species was actively hunted for its pelts and pasture competition.

14. . The species has been reduced due to hunting and the danger of bears to humans.

15. . The species is being destroyed due to conflicts with people, active hunting, infectious diseases and climate change.

16. Galapagos tortoise. They were actively destroyed and their habitats were changed. Animals that were brought to the Galapagos had a negative impact on their reproduction.

17. . The species is declining due to natural disasters and poaching.

18. . The population has been reduced due to shark fishing.

19. . The species is becoming extinct due to infectious diseases and habitat changes.

20. . Illegal trade in animal meat and bones has led to a decline in the population.

21. . The population suffers due to constant oil spills.

22. . The species is declining due to whaling.

23. . The species has become a victim of poaching.

24. . Animals are suffering due to habitat loss.

25. . The population is declining due to urbanization processes and active deforestation.

The list of endangered animals is not limited to these species. As we see, the main threat is a person and the consequences of his activities. There are government programs for the conservation of endangered animals. And every person can make a contribution to the conservation of endangered animal species.

Sport hunting, trophy hunting and hunting for food are very popular activities around the world. For many people, shooting an animal and watching it drop dead is a pleasure rather than a terrifying experience. Many people hunt out of a desire to enjoy the sight of an animal suffering. Most people hunt animals out of a desire to get out into the wild and pit their intellect against wily and/or dangerous animals.

It is easy and inexpensive to obtain a big game hunting license in the United States, but most North American animals are very abundant. However, the greatest pleasure from hunting, as we know, can only be obtained in Africa, where most of the most magnificent animals on Earth roam freely. But with this magnificence comes an increased level of danger, which tempts hunters from all over the world to risk their lives to shoot one of these monstrous killing machines.

This has led to the problem of overhunting of many species. Hunters see the challenge, thrill and potential for selling the kill in such hunting, which has resulted in the loss of a huge number of species at the hands of humans and many more are now endangered. Environmental organizations and societies have begun a counterintuitive attempt to protect some of these species by imposing hefty fees for licenses to hunt them. These fees are spent on materials needed for animal conservation operations, equipment, technology and personnel.

8. White shark

The world's fear of sharks can rightly be blamed on Steven Spielberg's film Jaws, and if you ask someone to name a species of shark, 98 percent of people will name the white shark. This is the largest fish that hunts large prey that exists in the world at the moment. The potential bite force of a white shark is almost 280 kilograms per square centimeter for a shark 6.5 meters long (in the movie Jaws, the white shark was 7.6 meters long).

The white shark only gets eighth place due to the fact that although they are vulnerable, it is still better than endangered, and there is no accurate data on their global population. However, recently they are being seen less and less, and many nations have introduced a ban on hunting or killing white sharks (only in case of self-defense). However, not all countries have made this declaration, and no one can constantly patrol the entire high seas. Therefore, everyone who is not too lazy comes out to hunt them. In addition, the white shark and hundreds of species of sharks are exterminated annually by those countries whose well-being is largely dependent on commercial fishing. White shark dorsal fin soup is considered a great delicacy.

Australia legalized their hunting in 2012, citing 5 fatal white shark attacks that year. As for hunting, the only danger for a person is falling overboard. Because of these fatal attacks, shark hunting or fishing is carried out ostensibly to protect swimmers and no license is required.

7. Cheetah
Is in a vulnerable position


The cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth, capable of running more than 457 meters at a speed of 110 to 120 kilometers per hour. They are not particularly dangerous to humans, as they view humans as predators rather than prey and keep their distance. But their extraordinary speed has the disadvantage that they need a full ten minutes to catch their breath after a race. If they kill prey, cheetahs are unable to eat it until they have rested. During this time, lions, African wild dogs, or common hyenas often come running in to steal the kill. The cheetah cannot fight back in such an exhausted state.

Because of this, and because cheetahs are not particularly large and have difficulty protecting their cubs from lions and hyenas, their species has not thrived as well as other known African predators. Poaching makes the situation even worse, and the skin of cheetahs is highly prized, especially if it has a special and rare pattern of spots called the king cheetah. There are currently only 12,400 cheetahs left in the world.

In a fair fight against a person, a cheetah will win without any problems, their weight reaches 72 kilograms and they are much more flexible, but cheetahs are very timid animals, and there are no cases of cheetahs attacking people in the wild. Unfortunately, their shyness adds a kind of excitement for hunters, and many hunters seek to obtain a license to hunt them at the very affordable price of $1,750, much less than the cost of a license for any of the African Big Five animals.

6. Hippopotamus
Is in a vulnerable position


Hippos may look cheerful and clumsy like giant, cuddly pigs, but they are actually fiercely hot-tempered and have 50cm ivory-colored tusks. And their jaw hinges are set back so far that they can open their mouths at an angle of up to 170 degrees when they yawn or attack. They are probably the most unrestrained, aggressive animals in Africa, rivaled only by the African buffalo and the unique honey badger. Hippopotamus skin is 15 centimeters thick and there is not much fat underneath it. Hippos can run a distance of 46 meters at a speed of 32 kilometers per hour, easily overtaking most people.

In the entire history of human interaction with hippopotamuses, not one of them got used to the presence of people to such an extent that they would allow a person to be near them. They do not eat meat, but will attack any predator without provocation, even Nile crocodiles if they are both underwater. Some professional hunters have said they have no intention of trying their luck at hippopotamus hunting. There are an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 hippos left in the wild, and they are hunted illegally for trophies, with their ivory-colored tusks especially prized. However, some of the countries where these animals are found in the wild issue licenses to hunters for a fee of $2,500, which includes travel and a guide. Hunters can keep the tusks as trophies, but trading them is prohibited. Drug lord and billionaire Pablo Escobar once owned 4 hippos, but when his property was liquidated, the hippos were found to be too dangerous to even approach, and they were left to roam free. They multiplied to 16 individuals, one of which was later shot in self-defense. The remaining individuals still live in the Magdalena River.

5. Polar bear
Is in a vulnerable position


The most aggressive and dangerous bear in the world is also the largest land predator. The second largest is the Amur tiger, which is half the size of a polar bear. He weighs from 350 to 680 kilograms, standing, his height at the shoulders is one and a half meters, and on average his body length varies from 1.80 to 2.5 meters. The largest officially recorded specimen of the species was a male killed in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, which weighed 1,002 kilograms and stood 3.35 meters tall on its hind legs. The width of a polar bear's paw is 30 centimeters, and there have been many cases where they rushed at people without provocation from a distance of more than 90 meters. The polar bear only considers people a source of food when it is very hungry, but it is the only predator on Earth that can actively seek out people, remember particularly crowded roadways, and hide in ambush to kill and eat a person. They tolerate human presence much less than most other wild animals. Polar bears are stealthy hunters and make virtually no noise when they walk on the ice. They usually attack most victims from behind.

They were at the center of discussions among the five countries that claim land in the Arctic: the United States, Russia, Norway, Denmark, and Canada, and they were the sole subject of peaceful diplomatic debates between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Both countries agreed to cooperate on bear conservation. There are approximately 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears left in the wild today, and they are completely illegal to hunt in Norway, but the other four countries allow Arctic indigenous peoples to hunt them for their livelihood, as they have done for centuries .

America also allows sport hunting of polar bears, but with strict restrictions on hunting areas and a license cost of $35,000. Interesting fact: anyone traveling in the Arctic who risks entering polar bear habitat should always carry a firearm for self-defense.

4. Grizzly
Endangered


The classic dangerous North American game animal with the most interesting stories is the grizzly bear, a subspecies of the brown bear. The number of the Kodiaki subspecies is even smaller; in 2005 there were only 3,526 individuals. However, this species is not endangered, since the number of bears reaching adulthood per year exceeds the number of bears of this species dying during the same period. Grizzly bear size varies significantly depending on food availability. While Kodiaks are the fifth largest bear in size, grizzlies occasionally reach the same size. Most males reach 2 meters in length and a meter at the withers, and weigh from 181 to 362 kilograms. They can grow to a weight of 680 kilograms and run a distance of 45 meters at a speed of 66 kilometers per hour.

In America, they live in the Yellowstone Valley, northwestern Montana, and Alaska, but most hunters hunt them in Canada, where they are much smaller in size. Efforts are currently being made to preserve their population, but they number only 71,000 in the wild and their population is declining at a rapid rate due to hunting alone. Despite the fact that they are more aggressive than baribals, 70 percent of the cases of attacks by these bears on people occurred exclusively in cases where a person came across a mother bear with cubs. Survivors of attacks by angry mother bears have reported the bears biting into their skulls with such force that their eyes were forced out of their sockets. In the United States and Canada, grizzlies are not subject to a standard big game hunting license; it costs $1,155 to kill one grizzly bear as of 2011.

3. Leo
Is in a vulnerable position


Lions are classified as "vulnerable," which is one level better than "endangered." Over the past 20 years, their populations have declined by 30 to 50 percent, largely due to human industrial intervention. There are only 15,000 of them left in the wild in Africa. Lions usually leave an area when people introduce a lot of machinery and activity because it scares away all types of their usual prey. They do not hunt people unless they have painful dental problems or festering wounds. Surprisingly, they are one of the smallest species on this list, but are nevertheless one of the best killers in the animal kingdom.

Males weigh up to 270 kilograms and run at a speed of 72 kilometers per hour in short bursts. The length of these runs can be up to 140 meters, and one swing of the paw can tear a hyena or a person in half. Due to their majestic appearance, they are favorite trophies. A professional lion hunt will cost between $18,000 and $45,000, including a $5,000 license. But, unlike the next point, old males are not the main target. Mature males or females can be hunted legally in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa, as well as in a number of other countries. The hunting grounds where such hunts are most often permitted are usually on private property. These are fenced-off farms covering an area of ​​at least 8,100 hectares.

2. Savannah Elephant (African Bush Elephant)
Is in a vulnerable position


If you are a human, then killing an elephant will not be difficult for you. It is usually said about elephants that they have no natural enemies. But humans are not natural predators. We are aware of our shortcomings and come armed with elephant guns. But again, white-tailed deer are very difficult to hunt due to the fact that they have very well-developed hearing and sense of smell. Turkey is probably one of the hardest things to hunt in North America. Most animals immediately hide when they see a person, and they have a good reason for this. Elephants don't hide because they are used to being the largest animals in their area. They couldn't hide if they tried, but when they spot a safari jeep, they stop and watch it. If he gets too close, they may move away or push him. The rest of the hunt is all about getting a good headshot, on a target the size of a small car engine.

We know they are critically endangered, but their current numbers range from 450,000 to 700,000. However, in 1900 there were 10 million. Most of the extinct elephants died due to trophy hunting, which was allowed until recently when African nations began protecting elephants in the mid-20th century. Today, most elephants die due to poaching. Although the sale of ivory is banned worldwide, it is still popular among the rich, especially in Asia, and poachers earn up to $5,000 per pair of tusks, in addition to the elephant legs used to make various baskets.

But elephants are often hunted legally in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania. In order to kill one old male or female in these countries, you will have to pay at least $50,000. The animal must be very old or sick, or wild and pose a threat to people. Feral elephants are usually killed by game wardens. If the animal is no longer able to reproduce and has no use in the herd, the hunter, under the supervision of a guide, drives up to the elephant in a jeep and if he misses, the guide finishes off the elephant. Efforts are made to separate the target elephant from the rest of the herd, as an attack on one elephant can provoke aggression from the entire herd.

In response to criticism from animal welfare groups, proponents of such hunts say they spare animals from dying horribly from starvation or being torn apart by lions and that the license fees they charge go towards preserving their species. Many people don't see the point in one-shot hunting with a gun like the 700 Nitro Express, but they do see the point in using a bow and arrow that hits the mark when shot between the ribs.

1. Black rhinoceroses
Is on the verge of extinction


Poachers still hunt rhinoceroses (illegally) to obtain their horns, which are used to make dagger handles or ground into powder and consumed for their pseudo-medicinal properties. As of 2010, there are only 2,500 black rhinos left in the wild. They live in Kenya, Tanzania and the southeast coast of African countries north of Angola. In addition to poaching, South Africa has decided to sell these animals to professional hunters for hunting at very high prices. In 1996, a man named John Hume bought three for $200,000 and then sold the rights to hunt two of them to two other people. They requested anonymity due to death threats, but paid 150,000 each for the opportunity to hunt the animal. Hume hunted the third rhinoceros himself. He was one of the first people to pay money to a wildlife society for the privilege of hunting black rhinoceros.

A professional tracker came to Africa for Hume and found the rhinoceros in two days. Then they brought the hunter to this area, he got out of the car, walked for two hours, following the guide who found the male black rhinoceros. It took two shots to the head to kill the animal.

The method of hunting black rhinoceroses is the same as that of elephants. They do not hide or run away from the sound of a gunshot. In contrast, black rhinoceroses are the second or third most dangerous animal, after African buffalo and hippopotamus, living in Africa, and they attack without being provoked. They have very poor eyesight and often stumble upon termite mounds. If the hunt is legal, the hunter can keep part of the animal as a trophy, including the horn. The hunter cannot sell any of the things he left behind, since trade in them is internationally prohibited.