Top Rarest Animals In The World: Animals are held in high regard by the vast majority of people across the globe, despite the fact that people pose the greatest danger to their continued existence.
Every single one of the creatures that can be found on this list is not only exceedingly uncommon but also either critically or “just” endangered.
The loss of habitat, hunting, or accidental deaths brought on by human activity are the primary factors contributing to the low population of these endangered animals.
Although conservationists have been able to successfully breed some of these animals, others have not had as much success and are on the verge of becoming extinct entirely.
It is my sincere hope that, in the not-too-distant future, some of these endangered species may be able to make a full recovery with the help of increased public awareness and the information contained on this list.
As of September 2019, the information that we have regarding the population estimates of these animals is as accurate as it can possibly be, and we will continue to update this information in the future as necessary.
Top Rarest Animals In The World
1. Black-footed Ferret
Estimated Number of Mature Individuals: 300 to 400 in the wild; many bred in captivity and released to the wild each year
- Location: Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana, USA; previously native to the Great Plains of North America
- Current Conservation Status: Endangered
- Scientific Name: Mustela nigripes
As a species that has twice been brought back from the brink of extinction thanks to the efforts of conservationists, the Black-footed Ferret is sometimes held up as an example of how successful conservation can be.
The Black-footed Ferret was formerly native to the Great Plains of North America and had a range that extended from the southern part of Canada to the northern part of Mexico.
However, the population of Black-footed Ferrets had a precipitous drop throughout the 20th century, and by 1979, the species was considered to be extinct.
A dog in Wyoming in the year 1981 rediscovered the Black-footed Ferret after it had been missing for a few years.
The last of that population didn’t make it past the year 1987 before the Black-footed Ferret became extinct once more in its natural habitat.
Since that time, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has begun a captive breeding program, and over the course of the past few decades, thousands of Black-footed Ferrets have been reintroduced into the wild in the states of Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana.
Even though the program has been a success for the most part, the number of wild Black-footed Ferrets is only estimated to be between 300 and 400 individuals, according to the most recent data.
Did It Cross Your Mind?
The number of black-footed ferrets is strongly impacted by the natural population of prairie dogs, which has also been in decline over the past few years.
This is because black-footed ferrets predominantly hunt prairie dogs, and because of their dependence on the other species, black-footed ferrets hunt prairie dogs.
2. Addax
- Estimated Number of Mature Individuals: between 30 to 90 in the wild (possibly as few as three); more than 2,000 in captivity
- Location: Sahara Desert
- Current Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
- Scientific Name: Addax nasomaculatus
The wild population of the addax, also known as the white antelope, is estimated to number between 30 and 90 mature individuals. This puts the Addax on the brink of extinction in its natural environment of the Sahara Desert.
However, there are a number of successful breeding programs around the world, and although it is quite unlikely that you will encounter an addax in its natural habitat, you might be lucky enough to witness one of the thousands that are kept in captivity at the zoo in your town.
The addax used to be widespread throughout North Africa and was originally from countries such as Chad, Mauritania, Niger, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and Western Sahara.
The uncontrolled killing of addax in the wild has led to a precipitous drop in the species’ population. In recent years, thanks to the success of breeding programs, addax has been successfully restored to nature preserves in the countries of Morocco and Tunisia.
Did It Cross Your Mind?
Because they use every drop of water that they consume, addaxes are the only animals that produce dry feces and concentrated urine as waste.
3. Northern Bald Ibis
- Estimated Number of Mature Individuals: less than 250 in the wild; over 1,000 in captivity
- Location: Southern Morocco and Syria; previously also found throughout Europe, North Africa, and other parts of the Middle East
- Current Conservation Status: Endangered
- Scientific Name: Geronticus eremita
It is estimated that there are fewer than 250 mature individuals of the Northern Bald Ibis still living in the wild today, making it one of the rarest birds in the world.
The Northern Bald Ibis was given the category of severely endangered for several decades; however, thanks to effective conservation efforts in recent years, the species’ status has been downgraded to endangered. There are currently over one thousand Northern Bald Ibises living in captivity.
The majority of the wild population of Northern Bald Ibises can be found in Morocco nowadays, while there may be a few individuals still surviving in Syria.
Reintroduction programs for the Northern Bald Ibis are now being developed, despite the fact that this species has been locally extinct in Europe for nearly 500 years.
Did It Cross Your Mind?
There are fossils of the Northern Bald Ibis that date back to the Holocene (about 10,000 years ago), the middle Pleistocene (around 900,000 years ago), and even as far back as the Pliocene-Pleistocene border (around 1.8 million years ago). This indicates that this bird species is quite ancient.
4. Cross River Gorilla
- Estimated Number of Mature Individuals: less than 250 in the wild; one known in captivity
- Location: Forested hills and mountains of the Cameroon-Nigeria border region at the headwaters of the Cross River (Nigeria)
- Current Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
- Scientific Name: Gorilla gorilla diehli
The Cross River Gorilla is unfortunately the most endangered great ape in the world. This is despite the fact that all gorilla species and subspecies are in danger.
Unfortuitously, the Cross River Gorilla, which was discovered for the first time in 1907, was generally disregarded until it was almost too late (in 1987), by which time its population numbers had already dropped to a critically low level.
It is believed that there are less than 250 Cross River Gorillas left in the wild today, and there is just one Cross River Gorilla known to be held captive.
Loss of habitat as a result of actions carried out by humans is the primary danger to the existence of the Cross River Gorilla.
Hunting for bushmeat by villagers is another factor that puts the Cross River Gorilla in danger. Hunting has made Cross River Gorillas extremely wary of human beings, and as a result, they are rarely seen by humans.
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Inbreeding is a problem for Cross River Gorillas because they live in small groups that are far dispersed and only occasionally, if ever, interact with one another.
This results in a loss of genetic variety and a weaker gene pool, and it also has a severe influence on the already-dwindling population of Cross River Gorillas.
5. Saola
- Estimated Number of Mature Individuals: Unknown for sure – population estimates range from 25 to 700, but believed to be actually fewer than 250; none in captivity
- Location: Annamite Range of Vietnam and Laos
- Current Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
- Scientific Name: Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
The Saola, sometimes known as the “Asian Unicorn,” is the most enigmatic of all the animals on this list; in fact, it has earned that moniker for good reason.
Because of the paucity of information available on the Saola, there is no reliable information available regarding the current population of this secretive animal.
Estimates of the Saola population range widely from as few as 25 individuals to as many as 750 individuals due to the fact that the animal has only been spotted in the wild a handful of times since its bones were found for the first time in 1992.
Researchers are of the opinion that the Saola population is significantly lower, and most likely numbers less than 250 individuals.
There have been several attempts made by researchers to keep Saolas in captivity, however, all of these captive Saolas have ultimately perished.
Because of this, conservationists now believe that Saolas cannot thrive in captivity and, as a result, it is impossible to start a breeding program for them.
Did It Cross Your Mind?
The majority of the knowledge that is currently available regarding the Saola originates from William G. Robichaud, who was able to keep a female Saola in custody for almost 15 days before she passed away for reasons that are still a mystery.
Robichaud’s observations suggested that the Saola had no fear of humans; on the contrary, they were terrified of dogs.
6. Amur Leopard
- Estimated Number of Mature Individuals: less than 100 in the wild; about 170 to 180 in captivity
- Location: Primorye region of southeastern Russia and northern China
- Current Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
- Scientific Name: Panthera pardus orientalis
One of the rarest and most endangered large cats in the world is the Amur Leopard, which is also one of the numerous big cat species whose populations are on the decline around the world.
It is believed that there are less than one hundred individuals, or perhaps 84 to be more precise, still living in their natural habitat.
The majority of Amur Leopards may be found in the basin of the Amur River in eastern Russia, although a few can also be found in the northern region of China.
The average lifespan of an Amur Leopard is approximately 10 to 15 years in the wild and can extend to over 20 years when kept in captivity. Because there are only a few Amur Leopards left, there is a lot of inbreeding, which results in weaker offspring.
Unfortunately, just like the other animals on this list, the Amur Leopard population faces many threats, such as the destruction of their habitat, illegal poaching, conflicts with humans, and a lack of genetic variation. All of these threats can be attributed to the fact that there are fewer Amur Leopards.
Did It Cross Your Mind?
The rosettes or spots on Amur leopards are greater in size, more widely spread apart, and have thicker black borders than those found on other species of leopards. Amur leopards are the largest of the leopard species.
7. Philippine Crocodile
- Estimated Number of Mature Individuals: less than 100 in the wild; very few in captivity
- Location: fragmented habitats on the islands of Dalupiri, Luzon, and Mindanao in the Philippines
- Current Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
- Scientific Name: Crocodylus mindorensis
There are less than one hundred Philippine Crocodiles surviving in the wild, and even fewer are kept as pets or in captivity, making this species one of the most endangered crocodile subspecies in the world.
The Philippine Crocodile is now only found in limited, fragmented habitats on the islands of Dalupiri, Luzon, and Mindanao when in the past it could be found wherever across the archipelago nation of the Philippines.
The killing of these reptiles and the degradation of their natural environment have had a devastating effect on the Philippine Crocodile population.
The general public’s perception of the Philippine Crocodile is another factor that works against it.
Crocodiles have been put to death due to the local populace’s negative perception of them as man-eaters and killers, and as a result, they have been given this label.
However, in recent years, environmentalists have been attempting to improve the popular attitude toward Philippine Crocodiles, and they have been successful in breeding and releasing Philippine Crocodiles into protected habitat places as a result of their efforts.
Did It Cross Your Mind?
It is against the law in the Philippines to kill a crocodile and those who do so face a maximum fine of 100,000, which is roughly equivalent to $2,500.
8. Sumatran Rhino
- Estimated Number of Mature Individuals: less than 100 in the wild; very few in captivity
- Location: Sumatra and Borneo (used to be found in India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, other parts of Indonesia, and China
- Current Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
- Scientific Name: Dicerorhinus sumatrensis
The Sumatran Rhino, also known as the Asian Two-horned Rhino, is the rarest of the five species of rhinoceros that are still alive today. It may be identified by its shaggy appearance.
The wild population of Sumatran rhinoceroses is thought to number between 30 and 100 individuals at most, according to estimates provided by scientists. Some researchers even suggest that the number could be as low as 30.
It is believed that the temperature in its natural environment has been changing for the past 9,000 years, making the Sumatran Rhino a species that has been very susceptible to extinction ever since.
Since then, Sumatran Rhinos have not been successful in making a comeback and now face an even greater number of dangers.
In spite of the fact that there has been some success in raising Sumatran Rhinos in captivity, in general, these animals have a difficult time surviving outside of the ecosystem in which they evolved. At the present day, there are still a few Sumatran Rhinos kept in captivity.
Did It Cross Your Mind?
Because of its hair and its other characteristics that are thought to be more ancient, scientists consider the Sumatran Rhino to be the oldest and most primitive species of rhino.
In addition, the woolly rhinoceros, which once resided in the icy lands of Europe and Asia during the Ice Age, is most closely related to the Sumatran Rhino, which is the closest living relative of the woolly rhinoceros.
9. South China Tiger
- Estimated Number of Mature Individuals: believed to be extinct in the wild; less than 100 in captivity
- Location: Southern China
- Current Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
- Scientific Name: Panthera tigris Tigris
Unfortunately, the South China Tiger, also known as the Amoy Tiger, South Chinese Tiger, Chinese Tiger, and Xiamen Tiger, is the most endangered and fragile species of tiger found anywhere in the world.
Since it was last spotted in the wild over 25 years ago, scientists have determined that the South China Tiger has effectively vanished from its natural habitat and has proclaimed it to be extinct in the wild.
Although there are no South China Tigers remaining in the wild, there are thankfully around a hundred of them being bred in captivity in China as part of an initiative to preserve the species.
In 2007, the first South China Tiger cub to be born outside of China was welcomed into the world at a private reserve in South Africa known as the Laohu Valley Reserve. Since then, there have been other tiger cubs born in Laohu Valley.
Did It Cross Your Mind?
There is evidence in terms of genetics that points to the fact that the majority of captive South China Tigers are not “pure” and that they have been interbred with other subspecies of tigers. This is the case for the majority of these animals.
10. Vaquita
- Estimated Number of Mature Individuals: about 10 in the wild (possibly between 6 and 22); none in captivity
- Location: Northern part of the Gulf of California
- Current Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
- Scientific Name: Phocoena sinus
With only around 10 individuals still living in the wild, the vaquita is the species that holds the record for being the rarest in the world at the present time and is quite possibly the most endangered.
The IUCN published a report at the beginning of 2019 that said that only about 10 vaquitas were alive in 2018, according to an acoustic monitoring program that was carried out in the Gulf; nevertheless, there is a 95% likelihood that their number is between 6 and 22. This estimate stems from that report.
Since its discovery in 1958, the number of vaquitas in existence has always been considered to be quite low.
As the smallest type of porpoise, vaquitas are particularly susceptible to becoming entangled in the gillnets (nets that capture fish by their gills) that are employed in illicit fishing operations.
The northern portion of the Gulf of California is the only place on earth where vaquitas are known to exist, which contributes to the species’ extremely limited population size.
In addition to this, there is not a single vaquita living in captivity anywhere in the world, and there is no productive breeding program in place to assist in bringing their numbers back up.
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