Endangered Animals

There are so many types of animals around us. And they all contribute to the wholesomeness of our environment. But not all of them are living a safe and secure life. Many animal species face threats to their survival due to factors such as habitat loss, climate change, pollution, hunting, poaching and diseases. Some species are categorised as endangered species. This means that they are in the danger of disappearing from the world in the near future. ?

Today, we will learn about the animals that are listed as “Endangered species”. “Endangered species” is a common term used to collectively refer to “endangered”, "critically endangered," and sometimes "vulnerable."? Here is a small table with definitions of these terms to make things easier for you:

If you want to know about endangered animals worldwide, check out "The Endangered Book" by Offshoot Books. It covers everything – from animal names to where they live, how they live, what they eat, and the dangers they're up against. Today, let's talk about some of these animals.

Sea Otters

Meet the Sea Otters. Their scientific name is Enhydra lutris. Sea otters are found in the seas, coastlines, freshwater rivers, lakes, and marshes. You can spot them hanging out along the coast of the Northern Pacific Ocean, near places like Canada, Russia, Japan, California, and Washington. Their diet includes sea urchins, snails, mussels, clams, and crabs. Sea otters are scared of humans, white sharks, orcas, coyotes, killer whales, bald eagles, and sea lions. Unfortunately, sea otters are critically endangered. Humans hunt them for their fur, and their habitat is getting destroyed by water pollution and habitat destruction.?

Pangolins

Let's dive into the incredible world of Pangolins, scientifically named as Pholidota.

Pangolins, with their cool armoured scales, love to hang out in low shrubby forest floors and places with sandy soil. You can find them in Asia and Africa, exploring the wild. What's on their menu, you ask? Well, they're like insect detectives, munching on insects, termites, ants, and larvae.

But pangolins are critically endangered because of their foes like humans, lions, leopards, and tigers. Moreover, they are also victims of trafficking, which means they're being taken from their habitat and sold in the market.

Atlantic Puffins

Meet the Atlantic Puffins, birds that are as cool as they sound!. Atlantic Puffins live on the open ocean, islands, and rocky clifftops. They are spotted in places like the North Atlantic Ocean, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the British Isles, the eastern coast of Canada, the Northern US, and the western coast of Europe.

Atlantic Puffins eat small fish, crustaceans, mollusks, squids, and marine worms. But watch out! Puffins are vulnerable creatures. They are scared of humans, minks, seals, rats, stoats, weasels, foxes, dogs, cats, the great black-backed gull, the great skua, and the herring gull.

The vulnerable condition of puffins is because of overfishing, habitat destruction, and humans hunting them.

Snow Leopards

Let's take a snowy adventure to meet the Snow Leopards, the magical big cats of the mountains! These incredible creatures live in the harshest and snowiest mountain regions, calling places like China, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Russia, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan their home.

Snow Leopards enjoy munching on sheep, goats, birds, hares, and marmots. But, there's a challenge they face, they are vulnerable animals. Humans are not always the best neighbours, and these majestic cats have to watch out for poaching, where people hunt them, and the disappearance of their precious mountain homes.

Red Panda

Get ready to meet the adorable red panda, a real-life fluffy ball of cuteness! Red pandas live in the high-altitude rainy forests, making their homes in the mountains of Nepal, northern Myanmar, and central China.

Red pandas are like gourmet chefs who love feasting on bamboo, fruits, acorns, roots, and even eggs. Yum!

But, these cute creatures are endangered. They are scared of their not-so-friendly neighbours like humans and snow leopards. The forests where they live are disappearing because of deforestation for things like agriculture, and people hunting them. To read ahead, head to our official website and check out our complete blog.?