Now I am not a wildlife expert, as you can see here.
But I do know that Africa is home to some amazing and unique animals, some of which are now going extinct.
There are various reasons why animals are becoming endangered such as natural disasters that can cause these animals to lose their homes.
But let’s be honest, the majority of it is our (us as humans) fault.
From deforestation and the destruction of these habitats, many animals are losing their natural habitat and are left unable to breed, hunt, and survive.
We also hunt and illegally poach these animals bringing them to the brink of extinction.
Knowing this, it’s important to talk about these critically endangered animals and how we can help protect them.
1. The Addax
The Addax, also known as the white antelope lives in the Sahara desert.
It’s probably the closest animal to extinction on this list as it’s noted that less than 100 of them are still in existence!
This is so sad as their numbers are dwindling because of poaching and loss of habitat due to oil exploration where they live.
2. The Ethiopian wolf
This wolf is also known as the Simien Jackal or Simien Fox and calls the Ethiopian highlands its home.
But unfortunately, this home is dwindling away and so are the numbers of these foxes.
In 2004, the Ethiopian wolf was classed as critically endangered with less than 500 thought to be still in existence.
3. The Pangolin
Now many people don’t know what this creature is, let alone of its endangerment but pangolins were widely found in both Asia and Africa calling South Africa, home.
But unfortunately, now, this animal is the most illegally trafficked animal from Africa.
This is because their scales are often used for medicinal use in Asia. What’s more worrying is that the amount of pangolins out in the wild is unknown so these animals could be closer to extinction than we think.
4. The Mountain Gorilla
These kings of the jungle have unfortunately been critically endangered since 1996, with less than 900 of them left!
These magnificent creatures are now scattered across Central and Western Africa and are dying out due to poachers and hunters.
5. Rhinos
Unfortunately, both Black and White Rhinos are critically endangered.
These magnificent creatures are one of the big 5 but very soon they may be taken off our safari bucket list.
These creatures live in the Southern and eastern parts of Africa and have become endangered due to poaching for their horns.
White Rhinos were actually classified as functionally extinct in March 2018 and it’s estimated that there are less than 2000 white rhinos to date.
Black rhinos are not too far ahead with just over 4000 of them left in the wild.
6. The Pygmy Hippo
This type of hippopotamus is native to West Africa and is unfortunately classified as critically endangered.
In 1993, less than 2000 pygmy hippos were estimated to be left in the wild. but this figure was taken over 25 years ago so the figure is likely to be much lower!
The pygmy hippo is dying out due to deforestation of its natural habitat and being hunted for bushmeat.
7. The African Wild Dog
The African Wild Dog has been classified as endangered since 1990 and is Africa’s second most endangered carnivore.
These dogs used to roam around Southern Africa but now with only around 3,000 estimated to still be in the wild due to disease and loss of habitat, it’s getting harder and harder to spot one.
8. The Hooded Vulture
This vulture native to the Southern African region is now classed as critically endangered due to them dying from poisonings.
It’s estimated that there are only are 197,000 still in existence.
9.The Chimpanzee
The Chimpanzee, an animal also known as our cousins we share 98% of the same DNA. is, unfortunately, an endangered animal.
Since 1996, Chimpanzees have been classified as endangered due to loss of habitat and hunting for bushmeat across central and western Africa.
It’s estimated that only around 170,000-300,000 chimpanzees still existing today.
10. The African Elephant
Though the population of African elephants is currently around 400,000, which may sound like a lot, it isn’t. Just less than 80 years ago these elephant’s population was closer to 10 million.
Which is a huge decline!
This is largely due to the poaching of these magnificent beasts.
As elephants do not reproduce as quickly as other animals, with a mother elephant carrying one calf for nearly 2 years, it’s no surprise that our actions are having a devastating impact on these animals.
The next steps
With many more endemic African species becoming critically endangered and some on the verge of extinction it’s our duty to make sure we undo all the mess we have done.
So how do we go about it? Well here are some ways I believe would create the most benefit to these animals.
Donate to conservation programmes.
There are so many wild conservations across Africa working to protect these animals and though their work is honourable, their funding is limited. This is where we can come in to ensure they keep protecting these animals by donating.
Call for help!
If you are living in an African country where there are animals that are critically endangered and you see or hear of any suspicious activity, reporting these hunters and poachers to officials can go a long way in protecting the future of these animals.
Let me know what other ways you believe we can help save these animals before it’s too late down below as we can all learn how to be better.