What's up! This is CM Flint.

Have you ever been to a zoo?

While I rarely get the chance to visit aquariums, it’s even rarer for me to visit zoos.

But I do remember a time when my parents took me to a zoo as a child.

I recall seeing many interesting animals at the zoo.

However, the one that left the biggest impression on me was the fennec fox,

which was known to be endangered at the time.

The little fox resting in a desert-themed habitat was just too adorable.

(Tiny and cute, I was almost afraid to even touch it!)

Today, I want to introduce you to some endangered animals like the fennec fox, which can only be seen in places like zoos.

These animals have drastically reduced in numbers due to various reasons,

and I believe that continued awareness is crucial to their survival, so I wanted to share them with you!

1. Bengal Tiger

While it’s not easy for the average person to distinguish between different species of tigers, there are indeed several kinds.

The Bengal tiger, for instance, is a subspecies of tiger found in India and neighboring countries

such as Indonesia, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Unlike the Siberian tiger, the Bengal tiger has darker stripes on a yellowish coat.

The Bengal tiger is the most numerous of the tiger subspecies, which is why it has been the subject of extensive research.

However, according to the Red List of Threatened Species report, there are only an estimated 2,603 to 3,346 individuals left,

which is still a dangerously low number.

Back in the late 1980s, conservation efforts helped their numbers recover to around 8,000,

but development in India and Bangladesh has since caused a decline.

Other reasons for the Bengal tiger's decline include poaching and habitat destruction.

Tigers are often illegally hunted for their bones and pelts,

with an average of 120 being captured annually between 2000 and 2018.

Their primary prey, deer, is also targeted by poachers,

which forces the tigers to venture into human settlements in search of food, often resulting in their deaths.

The Bengal tiger is also a notable victim of climate change.

Rising sea levels have submerged parts of their habitat, killing off trees and reducing the size of the Sundarbans wetlands,

which are crucial for the survival of Bengal tigers.

2. Cheetah

The cheetah, often seen in media, is actually an endangered species.

It’s estimated that there are fewer than 7,500 cheetahs left in the wild,

and their population is expected to decline rapidly due to their low reproduction rates.

The main reasons for the cheetah’s low numbers include their solitary nature and low reproductive rate,

but the biggest factor is the demand for pet cheetahs among wealthy individuals in the Middle East.

As a result, poachers often kill mother cheetahs and steal their cubs,

with about 75% of the cubs dying during transport in small boxes.

Climate change is also a significant threat to cheetahs, as it destroys their habitat and alters their activity patterns.

Cheetahs usually avoid competing with nocturnal carnivores,

but rising temperatures have forced them to become active earlier, leading to more conflicts with other animals.

3. Eastern Gorilla

In a 2016 IUCN report, while pandas were reported as a no longer endangered species,

the Eastern gorilla, which had its population devastated by poaching following the Rwandan Civil War,

was highlighted as a newly endangered species.

The Eastern gorilla, the largest of the primates, had about 2,600 individuals left as of 2019,

with only 600 to 900 mountain gorillas, a subspecies, remaining worldwide.

The Eastern gorilla inhabits Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

While Rwanda has managed to protect them through conservation efforts due to its relative political stability,

the fact that their habitat is located in Sub-Saharan Africa means that their survival remains precarious.

The Eastern gorilla's path to endangerment began with the Rwandan Civil War in the early 1990s.

The Rwandan Genocide in 1994 forced tens of thousands of refugees into the gorillas' main habitat in eastern DRC,

where they cut down trees for fuel.

Starting in 1996, the area was further devastated by mining, and the gorillas were even hunted for food.

With a lifespan of 35 to 40 years, Eastern gorillas take several years to reproduce,

and their long growth period makes population recovery difficult.

While there are many endangered species, some receive more attention than others.

Today, I’ve focused on animals that might not get as much attention

or are surprisingly endangered despite being well-known.

I wasn’t particularly interested in these animals before, but I thought it was worth introducing them to you.

Do you have any memories of things that are disappearing or are no longer around?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

In the next post, I’ll be back with a more uplifting topic.

Thank you!