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Mammals

Endangered Mammals

Endangered mammals include some of the most recognisable and most heavily pressured animals on Earth. This collection brings together 74 threatened mammal guides with facts, threats, conservation status and WARN action routes.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated

This collection links to 74 sourced WARN guides with conservation status, key facts, threats, FAQs and references.

Black rhinoceros with hooked lip browsing on acacia scrub

Critically Endangered

Black Rhinoceros

Diceros bicornis

The black rhinoceros is a large African rhino with a hooked upper lip for browsing shrubs, weighing 800–1,400 kg (1,750–3,100 lb) despite its name referring to soil colour, not hide. Critically endangered from poaching for horn, fewer than 6,500 remain across scattered eastern and southern African reserves.

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Crested black macaque with all-black fur, short crest and pinkish facial skin in Sulawesi rainforest

Critically Endangered — fewer than expected remain on Sulawesi

Crested Black Macaque

Macaca nigra (Desmarest, 1822) — family Cercopithecidae

The crested black macaque (Macaca nigra) is a Critically Endangered all-black monkey endemic to northeastern Sulawesi, threatened by hunting and forest loss; it became famous through 2011 selfie photographs, but copyright law does not protect the species from decline.

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A large silverback gorilla sitting among dense green forest vegetation, resting one hand on its knee and gazing calmly to the side, the silver-grey saddle of fur across its back clearly visible

Critically Endangered (both species)

Gorilla

Gorilla gorilla (Savage, 1847) — Western Gorilla; Gorilla beringei (Matschie, 1903) — Eastern Gorilla

A gorilla is the largest living primate, a ground-dwelling, mostly plant-eating great ape native to the forests of equatorial Africa. There are two Critically Endangered species — the Western and Eastern gorilla — and gorillas share roughly 98% of their DNA with humans.

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Javan rhinoceros browsing in tropical rainforest undergrowth

Critically Endangered

Javan Rhino

Rhinoceros sondaicus

The Javan rhinoceros is the rarest of all rhino species, with roughly 70 individuals surviving in a single national park on Java, Indonesia. Smaller than the Indian rhino at 900–2,300 kg (2,000–5,000 lb), it has a single horn and nearly hairless grey skin, and is Critically Endangered from historic hunting and tiny range.

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Long-beaked echidna with dark fur, prominent spines and an elongated snout on mossy New Guinea forest floor

Critically Endangered — Attenborough's echidna unrecorded for decades until 2023

Long-beaked Echidna

Genus Zaglossus — three species; Attenborough's long-beaked echidna Z. attenboroughi

Long-beaked echidnas (genus Zaglossus) are egg-laying monotreme mammals of New Guinea highland forest; Attenborough's long-beaked echidna was not recorded for roughly sixty years until camera-trap images in 2023, and the genus is Critically Endangered.

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A young Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) hanging by both arms outstretched between tree trunks in the rainforest at Sepilok, Sabah, Borneo, surrounded by lush green foliage

Critically Endangered

Orangutan

Pongo pygmaeus (Linnaeus, 1760), Pongo abelii (Lesson, 1827), Pongo tapanuliensis (Nurcahyo, Meijaard et al., 2017)

Orangutans are Critically Endangered great apes found only in Borneo and Sumatra; all three species — Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli — face extinction driven mainly by habitat loss from palm oil and logging, plus the illegal pet trade.

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Verreaux's sifaka with white fur and dark patches hopping sideways on two legs across open ground in Madagascar dry forest

Varies by species — several Critically Endangered, others Vulnerable or Endangered

Sifaka

Genus Propithecus — nine recognised species

Sifakas are nine species of lemur in the genus Propithecus, found only in Madagascar, famous for sideways bipedal hopping on the ground; several species are Critically Endangered as an estimated 80–90% of the island's original forest has been lost to tavy, charcoal production and the pet trade.

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A Sumatran rhino, the smallest and hairiest rhino, standing in dense tropical rainforest, its reddish-brown body patchily covered in coarse hair, with two horns and fringed ears, in Sumatra, Indonesia

Critically Endangered — fewer than ~50 left

Sumatran Rhino

Dicerorhinus sumatrensis

A Sumatran rhino is the smallest, hairiest living rhinoceros — a two-horned, rainforest-dwelling species of Indonesia and the only surviving member of the genus Dicerorhinus, now Critically Endangered with fewer than roughly 50 individuals left.

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A vaquita (Phocoena sinus) surfacing in the Gulf of California, Mexico — the world's rarest marine mammal — with shrimp trawlers visible on the horizon.

Critically Endangered

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is the world's rarest marine mammal, a small porpoise found only in Mexico's Gulf of California, with fewer than ten individuals remaining as of 2025 due to drowning in illegal gillnets.

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African wild dog with mottled coat in savanna

Endangered

African Wild Dog

Lycaon pictus

The African wild dog is a lean, long-legged carnivore of sub-Saharan Africa, famous for its mottled coat of black, tan, and white patches. Weighing 20 to 30 kg and standing about 1.1 m in body length, it is one of the world's most efficient pack hunters, chasing prey at up to 60 km/h.

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Lowland anoa, a small dark buffalo with short horns, standing in Sulawesi rainforest understorey

Endangered — both species declining on Sulawesi

Anoa

Bubalus depressicornis and B. quarlesi — dwarf buffalo of Sulawesi

Anoa are dwarf buffalo endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia — the smallest wild cattle at roughly 90 cm shoulder height — with lowland and mountain species both listed Endangered and declining through hunting and forest loss.

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Aye-aye with large eyes and elongated finger

Endangered

Aye-aye

Daubentonia madagascariensis

The aye-aye is a large nocturnal lemur found only in Madagascar, easily recognised by its bushy tail, rodent-like teeth and long, spindly middle finger. It weighs 2 to 3 kg (4.4 to 6.6 lb) and forages alone at night for insect larvae, fruit, nectar and fungi.

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Banteng bull with dark coat and white stockings standing in Sundaland forest clearing

Endangered — first endangered species cloned in 2003; wild herds shrink as forest converts

Banteng

Bos javanicus (Hardwicke, 1825) — family Bovidae

The banteng (Bos javanicus) is an Endangered wild cattle of Southeast Asia; the first Endangered species cloned successfully in 2003, it continues to decline as oil palm, pulpwood, mining and hunting remove forest across Sundaland.

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A blue whale surfacing in open ocean, its mottled blue-grey body dwarfing the surrounding water.

Endangered

Blue Whale

Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus, 1758)

The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the Endangered largest animal on Earth — a krill-filtering baleen whale found in all oceans, recovering slowly after twentieth-century whaling.

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Bonobo resting in lush Congo rainforest canopy

Endangered

Bonobo

Pan paniscus

Bonobos are great apes found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo, closely related to chimpanzees but generally less aggressive, with female-led social bonds and extensive use of social behaviour to resolve conflict. Listed Endangered, they weigh 30–50 kg and face habitat loss and bushmeat hunting.

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A small, round-bellied Borneo pygmy elephant with oversized ears and a long tail standing in a riverside rainforest clearing in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, with a calf beside it.

Endangered (subspecies, 2024) — ~1,000 left

Borneo Pygmy Elephant

Elephas maximus borneensis

A Borneo pygmy elephant is the smallest subspecies of Asian elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis), native to the island of Borneo in Sabah, Malaysia and Kalimantan, Indonesia; the IUCN listed it as Endangered in 2024 with about 1,000 left in the wild.

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An adult chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) with dark hair and a bare, expressive face, sitting in dappled forest light and gazing thoughtfully to one side.

Endangered (IUCN); CITES Appendix I

Chimpanzee

Pan troglodytes

A chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is a great ape from the forests and woodlands of equatorial Africa. Along with the bonobo, it is humans' closest living relative, sharing roughly 98-99% of our DNA. Famous for tool use, complex societies and culture, it is classified as Endangered.

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Dhole with russet coat and dark bushy tail standing alert in dense South Asian monsoon forest understorey

Endangered — declining across South and Southeast Asia

Dhole

Cuon alpinus (Pallas, 1811) — family Canidae

The dhole (Cuon alpinus) is an Endangered wild canid of South and Southeast Asian forests that hunts deer and wild pig in coordinated packs, communicates with whistles rather than barks, and is declining across most of its range.

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A wild Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) tusker walks through dense forest at Bardiya National Park, Nepal, its small rounded ears and prominently domed skull clearly visible in sharp detail against a backdrop of trees

Endangered

Elephant

Elephas maximus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Asian elephants are Endangered; their main threats are habitat loss and human-elephant conflict, while African elephants also face poaching for the illegal ivory trade.

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A giant otter surfacing in a dark Amazon river, its sleek brown body and the distinctive cream-coloured throat patch visible above the water, whiskers spread and head raised alertly

Endangered (IUCN, 2021) — locally extinct or Critically Endangered across much of its former range

Giant Otter

Pteronura brasiliensis

A giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is the world's longest otter, a fish-eating, highly social mammal of South American rivers that grows up to 1.8 metres long and lives in family groups; it is classified as Endangered by the IUCN.

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A golden lion tamarin with a flame-coloured silky coat and a dark face framed by a lion-like mane, perched on a mossy branch in dense Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Endangered (conservation comeback)

Golden Lion Tamarin

Leontopithecus rosalia

A golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) is a small, endangered New World monkey with a bright reddish-gold coat and a lion-like mane, native only to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil.

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An adult golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) with vivid orange-golden fur and distinctive pale blue facial skin sits on rope branches, facing the camera against a softly blurred green woodland background.

Endangered (IUCN, 2015)

Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey

Rhinopithecus roxellana (Milne-Edwards, 1870)

The golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is an Endangered Old World monkey of central China's mountain forests, famous for its golden fur, pale blue face and upturned nose; it lives in large social groups and is protected under CITES Appendix I.

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A live Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) surfacing in a calm, murky river, its distinctive elongated beak with visible teeth and rounded, low dorsal ridge clearly visible above the waterline; the animal's pinkish-brown skin glistens in natural light.

Endangered (IUCN, 2021) — fewer than ~2,000 mature individuals

Indus River Dolphin

Platanista minor

The Indus River dolphin (Platanista minor), or bhulan, is a small, nearly blind freshwater dolphin found only in the Indus River system of Pakistan; it is the national mammal of Pakistan and is classified as Endangered, with fewer than about 2,000 mature individuals remaining.

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A Malayan tapir standing at a rainforest edge, showing its striking two-tone coat: a jet-black head, shoulders and legs with a broad white "saddle" across its back and rump, plus a short, flexible prehensile snout.

Endangered (IUCN) — fewer than 2,500 mature adults and declining

Malayan Tapir

Tapirus indicus

A Malayan tapir is a large, plant-eating mammal native to the rainforests of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia. It is the biggest of the five tapir species and the only tapir found in Asia, recognisable by its black-and-white "saddle" coat and short, flexible snout.

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Okapi with zebra-striped legs in Congolese rainforest

Endangered — restricted entirely to the rainforests of the DRC

Okapi

Okapia johnstoni (Sclater, 1901) — family Giraffidae

The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is the giraffe's only living relative, a solitary rainforest herbivore found exclusively in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with striped hindquarters for camouflage and a long dark prehensile tongue.

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A pink-hued adult Amazon river dolphin (boto) surfacing in a tea-coloured Amazon tributary, showing its long slender beak, bulging melon forehead and low ridged back instead of a tall dorsal fin.

Endangered (IUCN, 2018) — assessed as one species with three subspecies

Pink River Dolphin

Inia geoffrensis

A pink river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), also called the boto or Amazon river dolphin, is a freshwater toothed whale native to the Amazon and Orinoco river systems of South America. It is the largest river dolphin, named for the pink colouring adults often develop, and is classed as Endangered by the IUCN.

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A male proboscis monkey with a large pendulous nose, reddish-brown coat and pot-bellied build perched in a riverside mangrove tree in Borneo, Indonesia.

Endangered (IUCN, 2020) - CITES Appendix I

Proboscis Monkey

Nasalis larvatus

A proboscis monkey is a large, reddish-brown Old World monkey found only on the island of Borneo (in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei), famous for the male's oversized hanging nose and for living in coastal mangrove and riverside forests; the IUCN classes it as Endangered.

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A red panda with russet fur and a ringed tail resting on a mossy branch in montane forest.

Endangered

Red Panda

Ailurus fulgens (F. Cuvier, 1825)

The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is an Endangered Himalayan forest mammal unrelated to giant pandas — a bamboo-eating specialist threatened by deforestation, poaching and road deaths across Nepal, India, Bhutan, China and Myanmar.

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A sea otter floating on its back in kelp, using its chest as a table while eating a shellfish.

Endangered

Sea Otter

Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758)

The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is an Endangered North Pacific keystone predator that maintains kelp forests by controlling sea urchins — insulated by the densest fur of any mammal, not blubber.

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Siamang pair with black fur and inflated throat sac calling from a rainforest canopy branch

Endangered — loud duets and throat sacs on forests being cleared for plantations

Siamang

Symphalangus syndactylus (Illiger, 1811) — family Hylobatidae

The siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) is the largest gibbon, Endangered across Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, known for paired morning duets amplified by an inflatable throat sac; oil palm, pulpwood and mining drive forest loss across its range.

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A Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) with characteristic black fur and white chest patch, crouching on sandy ground at Healesville Sanctuary, Australia.

Endangered

Tasmanian Devil

Sarcophilus harrisii

The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is an Endangered carnivorous marsupial found only in Tasmania, Australia, whose wild population has plummeted by around 80% since the 1990s due to a transmissible facial cancer called Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD).

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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 (IUCN 2022); Sumatran and Malayan tigers both Critically Endangered

Tiger

Panthera tigris (subspecies P. t. sondaica, P. t. jacksoni)

A tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest living cat species, a striped, solitary carnivore native to Asia; the Sumatran tiger of Indonesia and the Malayan tiger of Malaysia are two of the most endangered surviving populations, both listed as Critically Endangered.

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Tree kangaroo with thick fur and long balancing tail climbing a mossy New Guinea rainforest trunk

Varies by species — several Endangered or Critically Endangered

Tree Kangaroo

Genus Dendrolagus (Müller, 1840) — around 14 species

Tree kangaroos are around 14 species of marsupial in the genus Dendrolagus that live in the rainforest canopies of New Guinea and far north Queensland; they descend from ground-dwelling kangaroos that returned to the trees, and several species are Endangered or Critically Endangered.

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Arabian oryx with long straight white horns and pale coat standing on sandy desert plain under harsh midday sun

Vulnerable — restored from Extinct in the Wild; wild population still small

Arabian Oryx

Oryx leucoryx (Pallas, 1777) — family Bovidae

The Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) is a desert antelope of the Arabian Peninsula that was Extinct in the Wild by the 1970s and restored through captive breeding and reintroduction; it is now Vulnerable with a growing but still small wild population.

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Male babirusa with upward-curving tusks piercing the top of the snout, dark sparse coat in Sulawesi forest

Vulnerable — hunting and forest loss across Sulawesi

Babirusa

Babyrousa babyrussa and related species — family Suidae

Babirusas are forest pigs of Sulawesi and Wallacea whose males grow upper canines that pierce the snout roof and curve upward; they are listed Vulnerable, threatened by hunting and forest loss.

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Greater bilby with long pink ears and silky blue-grey fur standing at the entrance to a sandy burrow in arid spinifex country

Vulnerable — fewer than 10,000 mature individuals; lost from most of its former range

Bilby

Macrotis lagotis (Reid, 1837) — family Thylacomyidae

The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is a Vulnerable, nocturnal, burrowing marsupial of arid Australia with long ears and silky fur; fewer than 10,000 mature individuals remain after foxes, cats and habitat loss removed it from most of its former range across the mainland.

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A binturong with shaggy black fur and a prehensile tail draped over a branch in tropical Asian rainforest canopy.

Vulnerable

Binturong

Arctictis binturong (Raffles, 1821)

The binturong (Arctictis binturong) is a Vulnerable tree-dwelling viverrid of South-east Asian rainforest, the only Old World mammal with a fully prehensile tail; it is threatened by deforestation and the illegal pet trade.

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Bornean bearded pig with pale whiskers and dark coat moving through tropical forest understorey

Vulnerable — mass migrations collapsed after African swine fever since 2020

Bornean Bearded Pig

Sus barbatus (Müller, 1838) — family Suidae

The Bornean bearded pig (Sus barbatus) is a Vulnerable wild pig of Borneo known for mass migrations; populations collapsed after African swine fever spread from around 2020, on top of oil palm, pulpwood and mining-driven forest loss.

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An adult cheetah with a slender, spotted golden coat and distinctive black tear-mark stripes, standing alert on the African savanna.

Vulnerable

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest land animal, reaching roughly 100-120 km/h (about 60-75 mph) in short bursts, and is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with the Asiatic cheetah in Iran listed as Critically Endangered.

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A clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) crouching low among dry leaf litter and tree roots in a forest, its tawny coat with distinctive large dark cloud-shaped blotches clearly visible along the flanks and back

Vulnerable (both species) — island subspecies assessed Endangered

Clouded Leopard

Neofelis nebulosa & Neofelis diardi

A clouded leopard is a medium-sized arboreal wild cat native to the forests of Asia, recognised by its cloud-shaped coat patches and famous for having the longest canine teeth relative to body size of any living cat; two species exist, the mainland (Neofelis nebulosa) and Sunda (Neofelis diardi) clouded leopards, both listed as Vulnerable.

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A wild dingo (Canis lupus dingo) stands alert in coastal grassland on Fraser Island, Australia, looking directly toward the camera against a backdrop of bare trees and blue sky.

Vulnerable (historical IUCN 2008; removed from Red List 2019)

Dingo

Canis lupus dingo

The dingo is Australia's native wild dog and apex predator, historically classified as Vulnerable due to widespread persecution and hybridisation with domestic dogs — though it was removed from the IUCN Red List in 2019 following taxonomic reclassification, and new genomic research suggests pure dingoes are more numerous than previously feared.

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A dugong grazing on a shallow seagrass meadow, its broad downturned snout pressed to the seabed and a dolphin-like fluked tail trailing behind in clear tropical water

Vulnerable globally — but Critically Endangered in East Africa and Japan's Nansei Islands, and Endangered in New Caledonia

Dugong

Dugong dugon

A dugong is a large, plant-eating marine mammal of the order Sirenia (the "sea cows"), reaching about 3 metres long, that lives entirely in warm coastal seas and feeds almost exclusively on seagrass.

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Fin whale surfacing with asymmetric jaw in cold ocean waters

Vulnerable

Fin Whale

Balaenoptera physalus

The fin whale is the second-largest animal on Earth after the blue whale, reaching 25 m (82 ft) and 70 tonnes with an asymmetric jaw colouring. A fast baleen whale capable of 40 km/h bursts, it filters krill and small fish and is listed Vulnerable after decades of commercial whaling.

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

Vulnerable — wetland loss is the primary threat across South and Southeast Asia

Fishing Cat

Prionailurus viverrinus (Bennett, 1833) — family Felidae

The fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a Vulnerable wetland felid of South and Southeast Asia that swims and dives to catch fish, with partially webbed toes and a stocky build adapted to marsh, mangrove and reedbed habitat.

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Fossa with reddish-brown coat, long tail and cat-like head on a mossy branch in Madagascar rainforest

Vulnerable — Madagascar's largest native carnivore, declining as forest fragments

Fossa

Cryptoprocta ferox (Bennett, 1833) — family Eupleridae

The fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) is Madagascar's largest native carnivore and apex predator, cat-like in appearance but a euplerid mongoose relative; it hunts lemurs in the canopy, is listed Vulnerable, and declines as an estimated 80–90% of Madagascar's original forest has been lost.

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A gaur bull with a muscular dark body, white stockings and massive curved horns standing in Indian forest clearing.

Vulnerable

Gaur

Bos gaurus (Hamilton, 1827)

The gaur (Bos gaurus) is a Vulnerable forest bovid — the largest wild cattle species, ranging from India through Malaysia; threatened by habitat loss, bushmeat hunting and agricultural encroachment.

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A Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) standing alert in open grassland at Encontro das Águas State Park, Brazil, showing its characteristic long tubular snout, bushy tail, and bold black-and-white shoulder stripe.

Vulnerable

Giant Anteater

Myrmecophaga tridactyla

The giant anteater is a large, toothless mammal of Central and South America listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with populations declining by at least 30% over the past three generations due to habitat loss, fire, and road mortality.

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A giant panda with black-and-white fur sitting upright and gripping a bamboo stalk in a misty Chinese mountain forest.

Vulnerable

Giant Panda

Ailuropoda melanoleuca

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a bamboo-eating bear native only to China, listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List with roughly 1,800 to 1,900 mature individuals in the wild as of the 2016 assessment.

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An adult Masai giraffe browsing on an acacia tree against the open savanna of East Africa, its long neck reaching into the canopy

Vulnerable overall — varies by species and population (Least Concern to Critically Endangered)

Giraffe

Giraffa

Giraffes are the tallest animals on Earth and are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; the group was split into four species in 2025, and while overall numbers are now near 117,000, some subspecies such as the Kordofan and Nubian giraffe are Critically Endangered.

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A long-haired golden Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) sitting in green grass outdoors in sunlight.

Wild Syrian hamster Vulnerable; dwarf species vary — pets are domestic lines

Hamster

Multiple species — Mesocricetus auratus (Syrian), Phodopus spp. (dwarf) and others

Hamsters are nocturnal cricetine rodents — Syrian hamsters must live alone; dwarf species may tolerate pairs. Wild Syrian hamsters are Vulnerable; pet welfare requires large enclosures, deep bedding and wheels with a straight back.

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A large common hippopotamus standing in a shallow African river with only its eyes, ears and nostrils above the waterline, its broad pink-grey snout and bulky body partly submerged.

Vulnerable

Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is a large semi-aquatic African mammal listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with roughly 115,000-130,000 individuals remaining and a declining population driven by habitat loss and demand for its tooth ivory.

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A wild koala with grey fur and a large rounded nose clinging to the fork of a eucalyptus tree in Australia

Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; listed Endangered under Australian federal law in Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT (2022)

Koala

Phascolarctos cinereus

The koala is a Vulnerable eucalyptus-eating marsupial native only to Australia, where habitat loss, disease and bushfire have made its eastern populations Endangered under national law as of 2022.

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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

Lion

Panthera leo

The lion (Panthera leo) is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated 23,000 mature and subadult lions remaining in Africa plus around 670 in India, and the overall population is decreasing.

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Asiatic black bear with shaggy black fur and a broad white V-shaped chest mark standing in montane forest understorey

Vulnerable — and the species that overwhelmingly fills bile-farming cages across Asia

Moon Bear

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

The moon bear (Ursus thibetanus), or Asiatic black bear, is a Vulnerable forest bear of South and East Asia recognised by a white chest V or crescent; it is the species overwhelmingly kept on bile farms in tiny cages for gallbladder extraction, though synthetic substitutes make farmed bile medically unnecessary.

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A polar bear with creamy white fur standing on Arctic sea ice, its powerful frame silhouetted against a pale blue horizon.

Vulnerable

Polar Bear

Ursus maritimus (Popham, 1774)

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with an estimated 22,000–31,000 individuals; climate change and the loss of Arctic sea ice are the primary threats to its survival.

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A wild quokka (Setonix brachyurus) sitting on dry leaf litter beneath a tree on Rottnest Island, Western Australia.

Vulnerable

Quokka

Setonix brachyurus

The quokka is a Vulnerable marsupial found only in south-western Western Australia, best known for its photogenic "smile" but facing serious threats from feral predators, habitat loss, and climate change.

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A sloth bear with shaggy black fur and a pale chest blaze using its long claws to tear open a termite mound in Indian dry forest.

Vulnerable

Sloth Bear

Melursus ursinus (Cuvier, 1793)

The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) is a Vulnerable myrmecophagous bear of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan — adapted for eating ants and termites with long claws and a tube-like muzzle, threatened by habitat loss and conflict.

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A snow leopard with thick smoke-grey fur and dark rosettes standing on a snow-dusted rocky ledge high in a Himalayan mountain range, its long thick tail curled around its body for warmth

Vulnerable (downlisted from Endangered in 2017) — but fewer than 3,400 mature adults remain

Snow Leopard

Panthera uncia

A snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a large wild cat native to the high mountains of Central and South Asia, recognised by its pale grey rosette-patterned coat and very long tail, and listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

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Spectacled bear in cloud forest sanctuary in South America

Vulnerable

Spectacled Bear

Tremarctos ornatus (F. Cuvier, 1825)

The spectacled bear is South America's only bear species and the last surviving short-faced bear; the IUCN lists it as Vulnerable, threatened by deforestation, conflict with farmers, and the illegal wildlife trade.

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Spectral tarsier with enormous eyes, grey-brown fur and long hind legs clinging vertically to a Sulawesi tree trunk

Vulnerable — forest loss on Sulawesi

Spectral Tarsier

Tarsius tarsier (Erxleben, 1777) — family Tarsiidae

The spectral tarsier (Tarsius tarsier) is a tiny nocturnal primate of Sulawesi with eyes larger than its brain, head rotation of nearly 180 degrees, and ultrasonic vocalisations; it is listed Vulnerable as forest is lost across Wallacea.

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Sun bear with its distinctive pale chest patch in Southeast Asian forest

Vulnerable

Sun Bear

Helarctos malayanus (Raffles, 1821)

Sun bears are the world's smallest bears, native to Southeast Asia, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; they are threatened by deforestation, the pet trade, and the bear bile industry, in which bears are caged for years and milked for bile used in traditional medicine.

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Sunda clouded leopard with cloud-shaped spots and long canine teeth in Borneo rainforest

Vulnerable — separate species since 2006; longest canines relative to skull among living cats

Sunda Clouded Leopard

Neofelis diardi (Cuvier, 1823) — family Felidae

The Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) is a Vulnerable tree-dwelling cat of Borneo and Sumatra, a separate species since 2006, with the longest canines relative to skull among living cats; oil palm, pulpwood, mining and snaring drive losses.

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Female Bukharan urial (Ovis vignei bocharensis) walking on open sandy ground in a dry scrubland habitat

Vulnerable

Urial

Ovis vignei

The urial (Ovis vignei) is a Vulnerable wild sheep of Central and South Asia, with around 30,000 individuals remaining and populations declining across most of its range due to poaching, habitat loss, and livestock competition.

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A large walrus hauled out on Arctic sea ice, its long ivory tusks and bristly whiskered snout clearly visible above a wrinkled, blubbery brown body.

Vulnerable (IUCN, 2021)

Walrus

Odobenus rosmarus

A walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a huge Arctic pinniped, or fin-footed marine mammal, famous for its long ivory tusks and bristly whiskered snout. It hauls out on sea ice and dives to the seabed to feed on clams, using sensitive whiskers to find shellfish in dark water.

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A black domestic yak (Bos grunniens) stands in profile on short green grass, showing its characteristic long shaggy coat, curved horns, and stocky build — no decorations or enclosures present.

Vulnerable

Yak

Bos mutus (Przewalski, 1883)

The wild yak (Bos mutus) is a Vulnerable high-altitude bovid of the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas — ancestor of the domestic yak, threatened by hunting, hybridisation and habitat disturbance; remnant populations persist in Pakistan and Nepal.

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An American bison grazing on open prairie grassland, its massive dark-brown hump and thick woolly coat clearly visible as it lowers its head to feed on green grass and sagebrush

Near Threatened

American Bison

Bison bison

The American bison is the largest land mammal in North America, listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN with an estimated 15,000 truly wild individuals remaining after a dramatic near-extinction in the 19th century.

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An African buffalo with a heavy bossed horn and dark coat standing in savanna grassland beside a waterhole.

Near Threatened

Buffalo

Syncerus caffer (Sparrman, 1779)

The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a Near Threatened bovid of sub-Saharan Africa — a 900 kg herd grazer and formidable prey for lions, with roughly 400,000 individuals; Asian wild water buffalo is a separate Endangered species.

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European bison bull with thick dark brown coat and curved horns standing in misty ancient forest clearing

Near Threatened — restored from ~54 captive animals in 1927 to 6,800+ wild

European Bison

Bison bonasus (Linnaeus, 1758) — family Bovidae

The European bison (Bison bonasus) is Europe's largest land mammal, restored from around fifty-four captive animals when the last wild individual died in 1927 to more than 6,800 wild bison today through captive breeding and reintroduction.

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A wild jaguar (Panthera onca) with golden, rosette-patterned fur standing on a riverbank in the Brazilian Pantanal, its broad, powerful head and muscular jaw turned toward the camera in soft morning light.

Near Threatened globally — but Endangered or Critically Endangered across most regional populations outside Amazonia

Jaguar

Panthera onca

A jaguar (Panthera onca) is a large spotted big cat native to the Americas — the largest cat on the continent and the third-largest in the world — known for the strongest bite of any big cat and a habit of killing prey by piercing the skull.

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A maned wolf standing alert in tall golden Cerrado grassland, showing its long black stilt-like legs, reddish-orange coat, large erect ears, and dark mane along the back of the neck.

Near Threatened (IUCN, 2015) — declining Cerrado habitat

Maned Wolf

Chrysocyon brachyurus

A maned wolf is the tallest wild canid in the world, a long-legged, reddish-coated omnivore native to the grasslands of central South America — especially Brazil's Cerrado — that despite its name is neither a true wolf nor a fox but the only species in the genus Chrysocyon.

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A male markhor standing on a rocky Himalayan slope, displaying its long, corkscrew-twisted horns and flowing winter neck ruff against a backdrop of snow-dusted mountains.

Near Threatened (IUCN, 2015) — a conservation comeback

Markhor

Capra falconeri

A markhor (Capra falconeri) is a large wild goat native to the mountains of Central and South Asia, famous for the males' long, twisting corkscrew horns; it is Pakistan's national animal and is currently listed by the IUCN as Near Threatened.

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Numbat with reddish-brown fur and white transverse stripes foraging on the ground in dry eucalyptus woodland

Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List since July 2026 — still Endangered under Australian federal law

Numbat

Myrmecobius fasciatus (Waterhouse, 1836) — family Myrmecobiidae

The numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is a diurnal marsupial of south-western Australia that eats almost exclusively termites using a long sticky tongue; after falling to roughly 300 animals in the 1970s, recovery efforts have raised numbers to an estimated 2,000–3,000 and the IUCN downlisted it to Near Threatened in 2026.

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A platypus swimming at the surface of a freshwater stream, showing its flat duck-like bill, dense brown fur, webbed front feet and broad beaver-like tail.

Near Threatened (IUCN, 2016)

Platypus

Ornithorhynchus anatinus

A platypus is a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal (a monotreme) native to eastern Australia and Tasmania. It has a duck-like bill, webbed feet and a beaver-like tail, hunts underwater using electroreception, and males carry venomous ankle spurs. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.

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Saiga antelope bull with distinctive swollen trunk-like nose standing in Central Asian steppe grassland among wildflowers

Near Threatened — recovered from Critically Endangered (2023); still vulnerable to mass die-offs

Saiga Antelope

Saiga tatarica (Linnaeus, 1766) — family Bovidae

The saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) is a Central Asian steppe ungulate with a distinctive trunk-like nose, downlisted to Near Threatened in 2023 after recovery from Critically Endangered, with Kazakhstan holding around 1.9 million animals but remaining vulnerable to mass disease die-offs.

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Endangered Mammals: FAQs

Which mammals are most endangered?

The most endangered mammals in this WARN collection include Critically Endangered primates, rhinos, big cats and forest species whose populations are pressured by habitat loss, poaching or trafficking.

Why are mammals endangered?

Major causes include habitat loss, poaching, wildlife trade, human-wildlife conflict, climate change and, for some marine mammals, fishing gear and bycatch.

Do endangered mammals recover?

Some do when habitat protection, anti-poaching work, veterinary response and community conservation are sustained long enough, but slow-breeding mammals often recover very slowly.