12 African Mammals Facing Extinction

12 African Mammals Facing Extinction

Grand landscapes have always been the setting for the showcases of most of the well recognized manifestations of wildlife in the whole world. Azure blue wildebeest hooves, the reverberating silence of big cats sniffing the air, the sighs of elephants trumpet erupting from within the undulating acacia trees are steel plated images imprinted on our brains. The beauty while stunning is only a prefacing to a silent crisis. In the case of the numerous marvelous creatures on the continent, loss of habitat, poaching, and man versus beast conflict are pushing these beautiful creatures to the limits that they can tolerate. The story of the African big five is rapidly transforming into the story of radical conservation. Below you'll find a list of the most amazing endangered African mammals that will just barely be surviving in 2025 if they are lucky.

Northern White Rhino

The tragic poster boy of the poaching crisis is the northern white rhino. It is the only species that is considered Critically Endangered and Functionally Extinct on account of poaching for horn. The last two females were in world's rarest critically endangered species. The last hope for many conservationists unfortunately capitalizes on in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology and is being funded via wildlife campaigning in Africa.

Eastern Lowland Gorilla

Otherwise known as Grauer gorilla, this largest of all great apes has lost more than 80 per cent of its population in the Democratic Republic of Congo over the last two decades. They live and hunt in areas war torn by civil strife and illicit extraction of the minerals it takes to produce electronics, in habitats that are being destroyed and pushing them into conditions that place them in the line of fire of rampant hunting known as bushmeat.

Ethiopian Wolf

Also, the red dog is Africa's most endangered carnivore. Today the total is less than 500 and limited to a few isolated loci in the central high plateau of Ethiopia, where the fauna is on the verge of extinction. By far their biggest threats have been the loss of land due to agriculture and diseases introduced to them by the domestic dog. Immunization programmes will thus need to be mobilised to avoid extinction.

Black Rhino

Relative to the white rhino of the north, the black rhino is more abundant, but is also undergoing an extreme decline numbering some 6,500 at present compared to what it was 40 years ago when it was estimated to have 70,000. The use of deadly poachers in close patrols has led to a slowly growing recovery; however they have most certainly been put on track by the very nature of the horn trade.

African Elephant

Forest elephants are small (less than half the size of their savanna relatives) and elusive creatures, yet they are important producers in the tropical ecology of the Congo Basin. Within 31 years they've lost more than 86 percent of their population not only from over hunting for their tusks but through the loss of rainforest habitat. Then the slow reproduction rate makes it difficult for them to recover.

African Painted Dog

Also known as the painted wolf, African painted dogs are one of the most intelligent, social carnivores, and most efficient hunters in the savannah.. With all this in mind, there are likely only 6,600 adults left and we see this species as critically endangered. Because the interference from man prevents them from behaving in their own normal way, aquatica need large open territories and are extremely vulnerable to coronary spirochetosis (also an artificial disease introduced by man) and canine distemper (also an artificial disease introduced by man).

Saharan Cheetah

The endangered subspecies of desert ghost has learned how to survive in the Savanna of the Sahara. Their estimated population is as low as 250 adults, and they are already critically endangered; this is down to a combination of factors in the Niger, Chad and Mali regions. The threats are reduced numbers of prey following over hunting and competition with pastoralists.

Mountain Gorilla

Having risen from the ground and continuing to grow, even in this part of Africa, the mountain gorilla has established itself as a wildlife conservation success story for the continent. After slipping down to a low of around 240, the population of this hugely sociable craniate species has increased dramatically due to ongoing conservation efforts to an estimated >1000 individuals. Still, they remain threatened incredibly vulnerable to human infection, land loss and the constant threat of a volatile political situation in their western stronghold, the Virunga Massif.

Hirola

The hirola is easily the world's most imperiled antelope and is locally known as the four eyed antelope since preorbital secreting glands are prominent on its forehead. Known only from the Kenya Somalia border, this species had declined by more than 85 percent since 1980 because of habitat loss, drought, and conflict with livestock. Its best hope perhaps is the efforts of hard working local community conservancies.

Pangolin

he said all four species of African pangolins are in rapid decline, as pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammal. That is why owls play such a prominent role in traditional medicine, and why their meat is considered a delicacy. As the median age continues to increase, random shooting and national trafficking is beginning to remove the eldest porcupine mouth breathers from the gene pool.

Riverine Rabbit 

This darkly striped little rabbit with stripes running from beneath her chin was for a long time regarded as the worst rabbit in South Africa by far the most endangered and could only be found in the riparian formation in the Karoo Desert. It has persisted, but due to transformation of more than 95 per cent of its habitat into agricultural and stock raising operations, only a few hundred (probably less than 250) pairs remain for breeding. Only if major river corridors are saved will the climate keep changing.

Forsaken Frontier, Conservation.

The new coal story of twelve species is not a series of facts it is a statement of policy. It is therefore not certain that any of these the African mammals will survive. That the mountain gorilla can be brought back from the brink with ongoing conservation efforts, international funding and even local involvement is some indication that with continued dedication, we can save an endangered species.