The Animals We May One Day Forget

by jabulanisafari

With the Endangered Species Day being celebrated on 19 May, we take a look at the animal species considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. We’ve dedicated much of our lives to looking after rescued elephants and conserving a safe habitat for them and other wildlife. Living immersed in the wild, we feel the risk of losing so many animal species in the future. But it’s a risk that affects us all, around the world. Read below for more insight into why biodiversity matters and which species are currently endangered in South Africa.

Did you know: At least 20,000 elephants are killed annually in Africa for their ivory. This translates into 55 elephants killed daily or one elephant killed every 26 minutes with a population of 35,000 elephants. Source: elephantnews.org

Why Do We Need to Conserve Our Endangered Species?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) provides the most comprehensive global accounting of endangered species, classifying vulnerable species on a spectrum that ranges from “near threatened” to “extinct,” with the “endangered” classification sitting in the middle. IUCN considers a wide range of criteria to determine whether a species qualifies as endangered, including a shrinking population, issues that prevent reproduction and vulnerability of the species’ habitat. Source: time.com

Species loss threatens to reduce biodiversity, the presence of a variety of species in a given area, which is key to sustaining both local ecosystems and the global ecosystem more broadly. Biodiversity helps ensure that certain specific and necessary functions are carried out within an ecosystem — think about how pollination allows plants to flower and predators eliminate pests. Biodiversity ensures that if one species goes extinct or leaves a particular region, another is there to take its place. Ultimately, the collapse of ecosystems can lead to even bigger problems like the worsening of climate change, because of the increased release of carbon dioxide.
time.com

Many species also play key cultural and economic roles that if lost would threaten local communities. Endangered bees play a key role in pollination for agriculture. Coral reefs play a key role maintaining coastal fisheries. African elephants attract tourists to sub-saharan Africa.
time.com

The IUCN lists more than 23,000 plant and animal species threatened with extinction on its Red List, including corals, birds, mammals and amphibians. But the scientists behind the list acknowledge that the number only represents a fraction of the likely number of threatened species, as researchers do not have the bandwidth to assess all the potential threats. Source: time.com

SOURCE: time.com

10 Endangered Species in South Africa

Elephants – Following population declines over several decades due to poaching for ivory and loss of habitat, the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana), found in South Africa, as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Black rhinoceros – Black rhinos remain critically endangered because of demand for rhino horns on the illegal international market, mainly in Asia, where rhino horn is used for traditional medicine, and increasingly as a status symbol to display success and wealth. Between 2008 and 2021, around 11,000 rhinos were poached in Africa. Source: WWF
African wild dog or painted dog – threatened by human-wildlife conflict, such as snaring.
Ongoye red squirrel
Rendall’s serotine bat and short-eared trident bat
Riverine rabbit – Critically endangered, found in the Karoo regions and is currently the most endangered mammal in South Africa. Its threats are habitat loss caused by agriculture
Pickersgill’s reed frog – one of the most endangered amphibians in South Africa, endemic to the coastline of KwaZulu-Natal
Knysna seahorse – found in three estuaries around South Africa, namely Knysna, Swartvlei, and Keurbooms. Its threats include the fishing industry, urban expansion and industrial developments.
Golden Moles – some of the most endangered animals in South Africa; with five different species reaching the top ten most endangered mammals in the country.
African penguins – the population has declined over 95% since pre-industrial times and the species is listed as endangered. Current estimates show the species will go extinct by 2026 if current climate change and human activity trends continue.
Pangolin – There are eight species of pangolins, ranging from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered. The endangered pangolins in South Africa are the white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) and giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea).
Hooded vulture – one of the most endangered species in Africa – recently upgraded to Critically Endangered