Rare animals; might extinct in near future!

1. The Sumatran Rhino is arguably the oldest rhinocerous species, living on Earth for millions of years. Sadly, fewer than 100 remain now and only 9 in captivity. This animal, like many others has fallen victim of human greed and illegal poaching.

2. What is amazing and scary about theYangtze Giant Softshell Turtle is that as of today probably not one animal exists in the wild. The last wild sighting of this amphibian was in 1998. Considered to be the largest fresh-water turtle in the world, only 3 animals (in captivity) seem to be left on the planet!

3. The Vaquita is a species of intelligent porpoise inhabiting the gulf of California. Thanks to toxicity, habitat changes and years of commercial fishing only 60 animals remain as of today.

4. The Northern Bald Ibis is a migratory bird which was once found all over the Middle East and Europe. Today, it is limited to one natural breeding population in Morocco.

5. Pygmy Three Toed Sloths inhabit a small island in Panama and are considered critically endangered with only 79 according to the latest census.

6. The Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat is a native of Queensland and in the 1970s faced near extinction with a frightening population of 30. However, serious conversation efforts have increased the number to 200 today.

7. The mere name can strike fear into our hearts - Megamouth Shark. This 18ft long shark was discovered only in 1976, and so far, only 61 specimens found. We are not sure if this is because of a critically decreased population or the intensely private nature of the animal.

8. The Florida Panther might evoke images of a certain US national hockey team, but it is a real animal species whose numbers are critically dwindling. Due to hunting and habitat loss, only 20 mature ones remained in 1970. Cross-breeding with another cougar species helped a bit and today there are 180 of these animals in the wild.

9. The Hainan Black Crested Gibbonlives in Hainan island, China and is considered the world’s rarest primate. While in the 1950s, about 2000 gibbons were found to exist, fewer than 30 remain now. Deforestation can be seen as the main culprit for this tragedy.

10. For those of us who grew up on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Giant Squids were the stuff of fantasy. This incredibly rare squid was first classified in 1857. A live one was photographed only in 2004 and then the first and only video of the animal was taken in 2012. We have no idea how many of these are there on Earth, or if we’ll ever see another again.