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Wildlife Guides · WARN

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Wildlife Guides

Sourced guides to endangered wildlife and companion animals — facts, IUCN status, threats and how WARN partners help. Search below, open the A–Z encyclopaedia, or go to a letter page such as animals that start with A or N.

Browse all guides Animals A–Z Animals that start with A Animals that start with N
491 species covered 22 Critically Endangered 587 countries Updated 25 August 2026

Sourced reference library. Guides cite the IUCN Red List, CITES, BirdLife, WWF and peer-reviewed research where available. Population figures and statuses are listed on each guide.

IUCN status Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable Near Threatened

All Wildlife Guides

Filter by animal group, region, IUCN status or threat. Prefer a letter index? Browse animals A–Z · animals that start with A · animals that start with N · types of dogs · types of cats.

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Showing 1–20 of 491 guides

African wild dog with mottled coat in savanna
Endangered

Africa

African Wild Dog

Lycaon pictus

Africa's cooperative pack hunter

Habitat lossPoaching
Read the guide
A friendly mixed-breed (mongrel) dog with a white-and-ginger coat, photographed outdoors
Domesticated

Pakistan · Indonesia

Dog

Canis lupus familiaris (Linnaeus, 1758)

One species across every breed — companion, working dog and street dog alike.

Wildlife tradePoaching
Read the guide
Black-tailed prairie dog standing upright at a burrow entrance on short-grass prairie with colony mounds stretching behind
Varies by species

Great Plains of North America · Short-grass and mixed-grass prairie from Canada to Mexico

Prairie Dog

Genus Cynomys — five species of North American ground squirrel

Keystone burrowers of the Great Plains — eaten, plague-hit and shot as pests.

Habitat lossHuman conflict
Read the guide
A white-and-tan Indian street dog (pariah-type) lying on bare ground outdoors
Domesticated

Pakistan · Vietnam

Street Dog

Canis lupus familiaris (Linnaeus, 1758)

An estimated 200 million street dogs live worldwide — and mass culling kills them without ever controlling their numbers.

Human conflictPollution
Read the guide
A domestic cat (Felis catus) with alert upright ears resting in soft daylight
Domesticated

Pakistan · Indonesia

Cat

Felis catus (Linnaeus, 1758)

One species across every breed — companion, colony cat and meat-trade rescue alike.

Wildlife tradePoaching
Read the guide
Fishing cat with olive-grey spotted coat standing at the edge of a mangrove wetland with one paw in shallow water
Vulnerable

South Asia · Southeast Asia — wetlands, mangroves and marsh

Fishing Cat

Prionailurus viverrinus (Bennett, 1833) — family Felidae

A cat that swims on purpose, hooks fish with its claws, and is losing its habitat faster than surveys can track.

Habitat lossPoaching
Read the guide
Pallas's cat with dense grey fur and flat round face crouching on cold steppe grassland with rocky outcrops behind
Least Concern

Central Asian steppe and semi-desert · From the Caspian region through Mongolia to western China

Pallas's Cat

Otocolobus manul (Pallas, 1776) — family Felidae

A house-cat-sized feline with the face of a stuffed toy and a life spent low to the ground.

Wildlife tradePoaching
Read the guide
Sand cat with pale sandy fur and large ears standing on dune sand with sparse desert vegetation at dusk
Least Concern

Sahara Desert · Arabian Peninsula

Sand Cat

Felis margarita (Harrison, 1968) — family Felidae

A cat that does not need to drink, burrows to escape heat, and leaves almost no trace on the dunes.

Habitat lossWildlife trade
Read the guide
An adult male lion with a dark mane resting on the open grassland of an East African savanna at golden hour, with a lioness nearby.
Vulnerable

Kenya · Tanzania

Lion

Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758)

The only social big cat — Vulnerable, declining, and not a domesticated animal.

Habitat lossWildlife trade
Read the guide
A California sea lion balancing on a rocky haul-out, head raised and external ear flaps visible.
Varies by species

Pacific coasts of Americas · Australia

Sea Lion

Family Otariidae — ~16 species of eared seals (sea lions and fur seals)

Agile eared seals of rocky coasts — vocal, social and quick on land.

Wildlife tradeHuman conflict
Read the guide
A Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) crouches low and peers forward through tall green grass, its orange-and-black-striped face and amber eyes clearly visible at close range in a natural jungle setting.
Species Endangered

Indonesia · Malaysia

Tiger

Panthera tigris (Linnaeus, 1758)

Asia's largest cat — Endangered as a species, Critically Endangered in WARN's range countries.

Habitat lossWildlife trade
Read the guide
Tiger shark with dark vertical stripes swimming in coastal blue water
Near Threatened

Tropical and warm-temperate oceans worldwide · Coastal shelves, reefs and open ocean

Tiger Shark

Galeocerdo cuvier (Péron & Lesueur, 1822) — family Galeocerdonidae

The ocean's least fussy large predator — and a serrated tooth that cuts turtle shell.

Fishing & bycatchCaptivity & tourism
Read the guide
A white Bengal tiger with pale fur, dark stripes and blue eyes resting in a sanctuary enclosure — a captive colour morph, not a wild subspecies
Not a species or subspecies

Captivity worldwide · Historically: Indian subcontinent

White Tiger

Panthera tigris tigris (Linnaeus, 1758) — a colour morph, not a subspecies

Not a rare species. A recessive gene, kept alive by inbreeding, at a measurable cost.

Captivity & tourism
Read the guide
A brown bear standing on a riverbank during salmon season, water dripping from its fur, forested mountains behind.
Varies by species

Indonesia · Malaysia

Bear

Family Ursidae — 8 living species across North America, South America, Europe and Asia

Eight living species — from polar ice to Andean cloud forest, not one Red List badge.

Wildlife tradePoaching
Read the guide
An American black bear (Ursus americanus) resting in deep snow between tree trunks in a winter forest in West Virginia, its dark fur dusted with snowflakes
Least Concern

North America · Canada

Black Bear

Ursus americanus (Pallas, 1780)

North America's most common bear — adaptable, omnivorous and widely misunderstood.

Habitat lossWildlife trade
Read the guide
Brown bear standing in a mountain meadow with forest behind
Least Concern

North America · Europe

Brown Bear

Ursus arctos

The widespread bear of the Northern Hemisphere

Habitat lossPoaching
Read the guide
A large grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) walking across green grass in Yellowstone, its thick brown fur and muscular build clearly visible, with trees in the background
Least Concern brown bear; threatened in parts of USA

Western Canada · Alaska

Grizzly Bear

Ursus arctos horribilis (Ord, 1815)

North America's iconic brown bear — powerful, omnivorous and fiercely protected.

Wildlife tradePoaching
Read the guide
Three Himalayan brown bears (Ursus arctos isabellinus) on a steep wild alpine slope covered with autumn grasses and rocks at Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh, India
Not separately Red-Listed; locally Critically Endangered in Pakistan

Pakistan

Himalayan Brown Bear

Ursus arctos isabellinus

The vanishing giant of Pakistan's roof-of-the-world plateaus.

Habitat lossWildlife trade
Read the guide
Asiatic black bear with shaggy black fur and a broad white V-shaped chest mark standing in montane forest understorey
Vulnerable

South and Southeast Asia · East Asia

Moon Bear

Ursus thibetanus (G. Cuvier, 1823) — family Ursidae

The bear kept in crush cages for decades so bile can be drained from its gallbladder — and the species WARN exists to help retire.

Habitat lossWildlife trade
Read the guide
A polar bear with creamy white fur standing on Arctic sea ice, its powerful frame silhouetted against a pale blue horizon.
Vulnerable

Arctic Canada · Greenland

Polar Bear

Ursus maritimus (Popham, 1774)

The Arctic's apex predator — built for ice that is disappearing.

Habitat lossWildlife trade
Read the guide

Popular reference guides

High-intent pages for endangered species, regions, names and wildlife threats.

Animals that start with A

Dedicated letter encyclopaedia — Aardvark, Axolotl, Aye-aye and the other A guides.

Open guide →

Animals that start with N

Dedicated letter encyclopaedia — Naked Mole-Rat, Narwhal, Nautilus and the other N guides.

Open guide →

Types of dogs

Kennel-club groups, size, working roles and village dogs — not a popularity ranking.

Open guide →

Types of cats

FIFe categories, coat, household lists and moggies — not a popularity ranking.

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Most endangered animals

Ranked guide to the most at-risk animals in the WARN library.

Open guide →

Critically endangered animals

A crawlable collection of the species closest to extinction.

Open guide →

Animals threatened by wildlife trafficking

Species affected by poaching, illegal trade and exotic-pet demand.

Open guide →

Animals in Asia

Orangutans, elephants, pangolins, slow lorises and more Asian species.

Open guide →

Browse by topic

Animal groups, habitats, lists and classification — curated routes into the library.

Mammals Big cats, primates, marine mammals and more. Birds Owls, penguins, eagles, corvids and bird answers. Reptiles & amphibians Snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodilians and amphibians. Fish Sharks & rays, reef, freshwater and deep-sea — 36 guides. Invertebrates Insects, arachnids, molluscs and more — 77 guides. Marine animals Sharks, dolphins, sea turtles and ocean welfare. Rainforest animals Orangutans, pangolins, parrots and forest loss. Savanna animals Lions, cheetahs, elephants and grassland species. Extinct animals 25 lost species and what can still be saved. Animal lists Fastest, longest-lived and more ranked lists. Classification 123 orders across 22 classes. Glossary 76 wildlife and conservation terms. Myth busters Sourced corrections for popular animal myths. Mammal facts What makes a mammal, egg-layers and big cats. Animal answers 196 quick answers across topics. What is an animal? Definition, traits and major animal groups.

Popular animal questions

Fast answers for wildlife searches

Concise, sourced answers connected to the deeper WARN species guides and conservation explainers.

More animal answers
Elephants — endangered species donors can help through vetted conservation programmes

Donating

How can I help endangered animals?

Effective help includes donating to vetted field programmes (anti-poaching, habitat protection, rescue triage), avoiding products linked to wildlife trade, choosing certified sustainable commodities and advocating for stronger enforcement — not sharing viral content alone. Helping endangered animals effectively means directing resources to measurable field outcomes — anti-poaching patrols, habitat protection, veterinary triage for seized wildlife — not sharing viral content alone.

Rhinoceros — IUCN Red List tracks extinction risk for thousands of species

Conservation

What is the IUCN Red List?

The IUCN Red List is the global standard for assessing extinction risk. Expert groups assign each species a category from Least Concern to Extinct based on population size, decline rate and range. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species is the authoritative inventory of extinction risk for plants, fungi and animals worldwide.

Parrot — many species protected under CITES appendices

Conservation

What is CITES?

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regulates cross-border trade in wild plants and animals. Appendix I species cannot be commercially traded; Appendix II species need legal-origin permits. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international treaty signed by more than 180 countries.

Macaw — among the most trafficked parrot species globally

Trafficking

What are the most trafficked animals?

Pangolins are widely cited as the most trafficked mammal. Parrots, elephants (for ivory), big cats, turtles, reptiles and primates are also among the highest-volume illegal wildlife trades. Trafficking patterns vary by region: pangolins and songbirds in Asia, parrots and jaguars in Latin America, ivory and bushmeat in Africa.

Orangutan — threatened by habitat loss from deforestation

Habitat

What is habitat loss?

Habitat loss is the destruction, fragmentation or degradation of the places where wild species live, feed and breed — through deforestation, urban sprawl, agriculture, dams and pollution. It is a leading driver of extinction worldwide. Habitat loss removes forest, wetland and grassland through deforestation, agriculture, urban sprawl, dams and pollution.

Rainforest habitat — orangutan release in Kalimantan forest

Habitat

Why are rainforests important?

Rainforests store carbon, regulate regional rainfall, harbour roughly half of known terrestrial species and support indigenous communities. Tropical deforestation releases greenhouse gases and drives orangutan, tiger and pangolin declines. Tropical rainforests transpire moisture feeding regional rainfall — Amazon, Congo and Southeast Asian forests act as planetary air conditioners.

Wild tiger — Endangered apex predator threatened by poaching and habitat loss

Conservation

Why are tigers endangered?

Tigers are Endangered on the IUCN Red List — fewer than 4,000 remain in the wild. Habitat loss, poaching for skins and body parts, and conflict with people as forests shrink are the main drivers. All surviving subspecies are threatened.

Bornean orangutan moving through tropical rainforest canopy

Wildlife

Why are orangutans endangered?

All three orangutan species are Critically Endangered, mainly because of palm-oil-driven deforestation, illegal logging and the pet trade, which kills mothers to capture infants. Orangutans are Asia’s only great apes — Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli species all hold Critically Endangered status on the IUCN Red List.

Why These Animals?

WARN works where the need is greatest and the existing rescue infrastructure is weakest. The animals in these guides share a common pattern: they face well-documented crises, they are poorly served by the existing animal welfare sector, and interventions exist that are proven to work.

Our role is to fund those interventions at scale — through vetted local partners with deep in-country experience — and to make the case to supporters around the world that these animals are worth fighting for.

  • Evidence-based

    Every programme we fund has a documented track record of impact.

  • Local partners

    We fund teams on the ground — we do not parachute in.

  • Network reach

    Funding rescue partners across South Asia, Southeast Asia and South America.

Wildlife Guides: FAQs

What is a WARN wildlife guide?
A WARN wildlife guide is a free, sourced reference page on an at-risk or companion animal, covering its facts, IUCN conservation status, threats, and how WARN's partners help. Every numeric claim traces to sources such as the IUCN Red List, CITES, and peer-reviewed research.

How many animals do the wildlife guides cover?
The library currently covers 491 species, including 22 that are Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, spanning 587 countries across Asia and South America, plus companion-animal breed libraries.

Are the facts in these guides reliable and sourced?
Yes. Each guide lists its primary sources, and figures are drawn from authorities such as the IUCN Red List, CITES, WWF, BirdLife International and the Smithsonian. Guides show a published and last-updated date so you can judge currency.

How does WARN choose which animals to feature?
WARN prioritises animals that face well-documented crises, are underserved by the existing welfare sector, and where proven interventions exist that funding can scale through vetted local partners.

Can I cite or use these wildlife guides for research?
Yes. The guides are free to read and reference, with sources listed on each page. They are intended as an accessible, accurate starting point for students, journalists, and supporters researching endangered and at-risk animals.

Ready to Help?

Every guide represents a real programme with real animals. Your donation goes directly to the teams working on the ground.

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