Which animals are at risk of extinction and what are the causes?

KOALAS are the latest animal sadly facing extinction, with fewer than 80,000 left in the world.

We explain why they are at risk of disappearing and what can cause extinction, as well as the other animals who are in danger.

Which animals are at risk of extinction?

Endangered animals mean that the species is in danger of extinction.

Extinction is the complete disappearance of a species from anywhere on earth.

Here's more about the creatures at risk.

Koalas

Koala numbers have fallen so low that the animals are now considered "functionally extinct".

The Australian Koala Foundation says there are fewer than 80,000 koalas left, which is not enough to support a new generation.

8 million Koalas were shot for fur and sent to London between 1890 and 1927.

Koalas have too few breeding adults left to support the species and any kind of disease would put the final nail in the coffin.

They are dying out due to effects caused by climate change and temperatures are causing heatwaves that kill thousands of koalas through dehydration.

The species has also suffered hugely from deforestation.

Since May 2012, koalas have been officially listed as vulnerable in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

According to the AFK, there are no koalas left at all in 41 out of 128 Federal environments in Australia where they have been known to live.

Tigers

A British wildlife charity has predicted that tigers will be extinct within a decade.

Born Free says the species has seen a 96 per cent reduction in the last century.

The tiger has been hunted for its uniquely patterned pelt.

Of the nine tiger subspecies, three are already extinct while many are endangered.

But it is the South China tiger and the Sumatran tiger that currently face the biggest threat to their survival.

The South China tiger is actually believed to be extinct in the wild as it has not been spotted since the 70s.

Gorillas

The cross river gorillas and mountain gorillas are both classified as critically endangered and endangered – that's two out of five gorilla subspecies.

There are currently only 200-300 cross river gorillas left in the wild, and 900 mountain gorillas.

Sea turtles

In the past 100 years, the hawksbill turtle has lost 90 per cent of its population, 80 per cent of which has been lost in the last decade.

The leatherback turtle is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as vulnerable, yet many subpopulations are facing extinction.

Orangutans

The Sumatran orangutan is a critically endangered species with approximately 80 per cent of the population lost in the past 75 years.

This is mainly as a result of mass deforestation.

This awful trend continues to put pressure on the remaining population of 6,600 Sumatran orangutans that are estimated to remain on this earth.

Elephant

In the past 25 years, the Sumatran elephant has lost an astounding 70 per cent of its habitat to deforestation for palm oil plantations, agriculture and human settlements.

Less than 2000 are estimated to exist and in 2011, it was classified by the IUCN as critically endangered.

Rhinos

The black rhino, the Javan rhino and the Sumatran rhino are among the most endangered species in the world.

The Javan rhino is the most threatened with extinction with the total population of only 60 surviving in one National Park in Java, Indonesia.

The Sumatran rhino is critically endangered. It has been estimated that less than 100 exist today in the wild.

The black rhino is classified by the IUCN as critically endangered with three subspecies declared extinct in 2011.

What are the causes of these risks?

Several conditions cause animals to become extinct or risk becoming endangered.

These can include new diseases which certain animals do not have immunity against and new predators which pose a threat.

New and more successful competitors can also threaten a species, such as the grey North American squirrel which arrived in Britain and almost wiped out the indigenous red squirrel.

A change to an animal's environment such as climate change can also pose trouble.

Also a single event, such as a volcano or earthquake, can cause a species to become extinct.

The last and most avoidable of these risks is poaching in which an animal's fur, horns or meat is targeted.

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