21 Critically Endangered Animals

If We Love Them, We Can Save Them

We are running out of time. Across our planet, species that once flourished in the millions are now down to their final few. Each of these animals represents a last chance — the final beating hearts of species on the edge of extinction.

These are 21 of the planet’s critically endangered animals — on the brink of extinction — from the last two northern white rhinos to the rare Amur leopard, the Tapanuli orangutan, the Sumatran elephant, and more. Their stories are both heartbreaking and hopeful, reminding us that every one of them can still be saved — but only if the world acts now.

It’s vital that everyone, especially children, knows their names.
Because when we know them, we understand them.
When we understand them, we love them.
And when we love them — we fight for them.

Each of these 21 lives is a mirror of our humanity, a test of our compassion, and a call to protect what remains of the wild before it’s gone forever.

1. Northern White Rhino ~2 remaining — Critically Endangered

Once numbering over 2,000 across Central and East Africa in the 1960s, relentless poaching for their horns has wiped them out completely in the wild. Today, only two females — Najin and Fatu — survive under 24-hour guard in Kenya. They represent the final heartbeat of a species that roamed for millions of years. Saving them through advanced IVF science is not just about rhinos — it’s a test of humanity’s willingness to right its own wrongs.

2. Red Wolf — ~30 remaining — Endangered

Historically, tens of thousands of red wolves ranged across the American Southeast. By 1980, they were declared extinct in the wild after decades of hunting, trapping, and habitat destruction. A small captive breeding program brought them back, but today only about 30 survive in the wild. Saving the red wolf means giving America’s lost predator its home — and its howl — back.

3. Javan Rhino — ~75 remaining — Critically Endangered

Once ranging across Southeast Asia, from India to Java, this rhino’s population has plummeted from tens of thousands to fewer than 80, all confined to one Indonesian park. The species has lost 99.7% of its range. One tsunami or disease outbreak could end them. Saving the Javan rhino means protecting the last living monument of an age when giants still roamed the Earth.

4. Addax — ~90 remaining — Critically Endangered

In the 1900s, there were likely hundreds of thousands of Addax antelopes across the Sahara. Now, fewer than 100 survive, mostly in Niger. Oil drilling, poaching, and desert conflicts have decimated their population by over 99.9%. Saving the Addax would be one of the greatest wildlife comebacks — a testament to resilience in the harshest of lands.

5. Amur Leopard — <100 remaining — Critically Endangered

Once numbering about 10,000 across Northeast Asia, the Amur leopard fell to just 30 individuals by 2007 due to poaching and forest clearing — a 99.7% collapse. Through fierce conservation, they’ve rebounded slightly to around 100 today. Saving them proves that even species on the edge of disappearance can be brought back through global cooperation and compassion.

6. West African Lion — ~250 remaining — Critically Endangered

Once roaming from Senegal to Nigeria, there were an estimated 200,000 lions across Africa a century ago. Now, fewer than 20,000 remain continent-wide, with only about 250 belonging to the West African subspecies. This represents a 99% decline. Protecting them means saving not just lions, but the cultural and ecological soul of Africa’s wild plains.

7. North Atlantic Right Whale — ~372 remaining — Critically Endangered

In the 1700s, tens of thousands of right whales filled the Atlantic. After centuries of whaling and ship collisions, fewer than 400 remain, with only about 70 breeding females. The population has fallen by 99%. These gentle giants once shaped marine ecosystems; saving them now will shape our legacy as guardians of the ocean, not its destroyers.

8. Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat — ~400 remaining — Critically Endangered

Once widespread across eastern Australia, this wombat’s numbers fell below 40 individuals by the 1980s. Thanks to heroic conservation, they’ve climbed back to about 400 today — still less than 1% of their historic range. Their story is one of survival against all odds — a tiny victory in the war against extinction, showing what relentless care can achieve.

9. Sunda Pangolin — <400 remaining — Critically Endangered

A few decades ago, pangolins numbered in the millions across Southeast Asia. Now, fewer than 400 Sunda pangolins may remain in the wild. An estimated one million pangolins of all species have been trafficked in the past decade. Their extinction would be humanity’s shame; their survival, a triumph of compassion over greed.

10. Tapanuli Orangutan — <800 remaining — Critically Endangered

Discovered in 2017, this newly identified species once shared its forests with tens of thousands of orangutans. Fewer than 800 remain, isolated in a single Sumatran forest under threat from a hydroelectric dam. The loss of even one population could end the species forever. Saving them is saving our closest relatives — and the empathy they reflect in us.

11. Mountain Gorilla — ~1,000 remaining — Endangered

In the 1980s, fewer than 250 mountain gorillas survived in the wild. Thanks to dedicated protection, their population has quadrupled to about 1,000. It’s a rare conservation miracle. But their recovery is fragile; disease and human conflict could undo decades of progress. Their gentle eyes remind us that hope can survive — if we guard it.

12. Giant Panda — ~1,800 remaining — Vulnerable

Once down to 1,000 individuals in the late 1970s, pandas now number about 1,800 due to decades of conservation and reforestation. Yet they have lost over 85% of their bamboo forests, leaving them vulnerable to climate change. Their story proves that when the world unites in love, a symbol of despair can become a symbol of hope.

13. Sumatran Elephant — ~2,400 remaining — Critically Endangered

In the 1980s, over 5,000 Sumatran elephants roamed Indonesia. Half are gone within a generation due to palm oil expansion and poaching — a 50% decline in just 40 years. They are the lifeblood of their forests, dispersing seeds that sustain thousands of other species. To save them is to keep an entire ecosystem alive.

14. Grevy’s Zebra — ~2,500 remaining — Endangered

Once numbering around 15,000 in the 1970s, the Grevy’s zebra has declined by over 80%. Habitat loss, competition with livestock, and drought have shattered their herds. Yet their resilience endures — each stripe a reminder of balance and beauty in nature’s design. Saving them means saving the last wild rhythm of East Africa’s plains.

15. Bengal Tiger — ~2,500 remaining — Endangered

A century ago, there were over 100,000 tigers across Asia. Today, fewer than 4,000 remain in the wild — just 2.5% of their historic numbers. The Bengal tiger, with only about 2,500 individuals, carries the fate of the species. Protecting it means ensuring that the forests of India still echo with roars, not silence.

16. Pygmy Hippopotamus — ~2,500 remaining — Vulnerable

In the early 1900s, pygmy hippos were common across West Africa. Today, fewer than 2,500 remain after an estimated 80% population loss due to deforestation, poaching, and civil unrest. Elusive and shy, they are ambassadors of Earth’s last secret places. Saving them means preserving the unseen wonders still hiding in the world’s wild heart.

17. Western Chimpanzee — ~22,000 remaining — Endangered

Once thriving in the millions across West Africa, the Western chimpanzee has declined by over 80% in 25 years due to hunting, deforestation, and disease. They share 98% of our DNA, use tools, and express emotion just like us. To let them vanish would be to erase a mirror of ourselves. Saving them honors not only their intelligence — but our humanity.

18. Polar Bear — ~22,000–31,000 remaining — Vulnerable

In the mid-20th century, polar bears numbered around 40,000. Climate change has melted their Arctic sea ice, cutting their range by over 30% and forcing them to swim vast, deadly distances for food. They are now emblems of a warming world — a warning written in white fur. Saving them means saving the very climate that sustains us all.

19. Masai Giraffe — ~33,000 remaining — Endangered

Once over 50,000 strong, the Masai giraffe population has dropped by nearly 40% in 30 years. Poaching, habitat loss, and silent declines have pushed them toward extinction. Their grace and stillness make them icons of peace. Saving the giraffe is saving the serenity of Africa’s skyline — the gentle soul of the savannah.

20. Eastern Koala — ~50,000 remaining — Critically Endangered

Just 20 years ago, there were more than 10 million koalas before centuries of deforestation and fires wiped out nearly all. In the last decade alone, populations have plummeted by over 80% in parts of New South Wales. Koalas now cling to the last trees left standing. Saving them means restoring not just a species, but a promise — that Australia’s future can still hold forests filled with life and song.

21. African Forest Elephant ~150,000 remaining — Critically Endangered

In 1980, there were over 1 million forest elephants. By 2021, the population had collapsed by 86%, to around 150,000. Poaching for ivory and deforestation have ravaged these gentle giants. They are the gardeners of Africa’s rainforests, creating clearings that allow life to thrive. Without them, the forest — and its oxygen — will disappear too.