On the brink of extinction: rare animal species

World Animal Day is celebrated on October 4 with the goal of combining global efforts to preserve the animal world. Each day dozens of species of flora and fauna disappear from the Earth. One way of preserving biodiversity on our planet is by protecting rare and endangered species of animals and plants. Photo: the Amur tiger, the largest tiger in the world and the only representative of the species that lives in snow. In Russia there are currently over 450 species.

Orangutans are the closest relatives of humans in the animal kingdom. They are under threat of disappearance in the wild, mainly because of the continuing destruction of their habitats.

The African wild dog or Painted dog, as it is also known, once lived in the African prairies and savannas to the south of Sahara — from southern Algeria and Sudan to the southernmost part of the continent. The painted dog is included in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Markhor is included in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as an endangered species, hunting for it is completely forbidden.

The snow leopard lives in high-mountainous areas. It lives in 13 states, including Russia. Because of the inaccessibility of its habitats and small numbers, very few studies have been conducted on these animals.

Of the 21 species of albatrosses, recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 19 are protected as endangered species. In past centuries these birds were hunted for their feathers to make lady’s hats. Today the bird is under threat from pollution, a decrease of fish resources and poaching.