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CRSumatran Tiger
Will the brave ones of the forest
vanish without a sound?
Tigers are said to be the biggest within the Felidae, and within this species, the Sumatra tigers are said to be the smallest. Tigers are primarily found in the forests of the Eurasian Continent and Asia. There were 9 types of tigers in the early 20th century, but there are only 6 types today. Deforestation caused by human activity, and poaching for the fur and liver from the tigers, are the main reasons behind this. What must they think of us?
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CRWestern Gorilla
Not only humans,
but Ebola fever too
The brave, but cute and charming gorillas. They are one of the most popular animals at the zoo. They are thought to be violent due to how they are portrayed in movies, but the fact is that they are gentle animals who prefer eating plants over meat. There are 20 gorillas in Japan, only found in zoos and research facilities. Currently, the gorilla population is falling rapidly due to the destruction of their homes and the effects of Ebola fever.
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VUAsian Small-clawed Otter
The residents of the rivers
cannot escape:
neither to the land nor to the sea
The small-clawed otter (Aonyx cierea) is a popular animal in the zoo. It lives in a community with approximtely 10 other otters, who gather to make groups. They live near the rivers or inside the swamps near the rivers in south-east Asia and China. They survive by eating small fish and crabs. However, as humans get wealthier, the otters continue to lose their homes. The more we pollute, the more they are threatened.
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CRBlack Rhinoceros
Hunted down:
the greed for their horns
There is a surprising fact about the black rhinoceroses. In the early 1960s, there were approximately 100,000 rhinoceroses. However, the population has declined to less than 5,000 in only 50 years. This means that 95% of the rhinoceroses have vanished. The reason is very simple: poachers hunting them for their horns. Moreover, there are only three northern white rhinoceroses left on earth, also the result of hunting.
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VUPolar Bear
Living on a land
that melts and vanishes
The polar bears' habitat is in the arctic area, mainly on ice. In other words, they live on land that can melt away. The ice sheet in the Arctic ocean has reduced in size by 10% in the recent 40 years. It is predicted that the ice will continue to melt, and in 40 years, 30% of the polar bears will disappear.
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VUKoala
The recent,
rapid decline
of a popular animal
Another popular animal at the zoo are koalas. They became endangered in 2016. Out of the 600 types of eucalyptuses found in Australia, they only eat 10 - 20% of them. This is one of the major reasons they are becoming extinct. Other reasons for their population decline include the fragmentation of their habitat caused by the development of the forest, and forest fires caused by droughts.
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VUReindeer
We can't let them
exist only in songs
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer" is a well-loved song. Since they are known as the animals who pull Santa Claus's sled at Christmas, they are popular with children. However, the reality is that the population of the reindeers is continuing to decline. This is due to the deforestation caused by the construction of new roads and hotels to support the expanding economies triggered by the tourists visiting the northern countries.
By the way, did you know that the nose of a reindeer is not actually red?
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ENNorthern Rockhopper Penguin
The voracious appetite
of humans
is endangering lives
The rock hoppers jump on the rock faces instead of walking. These beautiful penguins, with yellow feathers standing out, have been caught in the fishing nets and are suffering a loss of population. The fishing nets are used to catch shrimps and crabs, using krill as bait... Our voracious appetite may be a threat to the penguins.
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CRBlue-throated Macaw
Beauty can lead
to misfortune at times
The blue-throated Mascaw is an endemic species from Bolivia. Their turquoise feathers are as beautiful as velour. As a result, they have been hunted since the Age of Exploration, and by the end of the 20th century, there were only 50 of them left. We should be attracted by the beauty of their natural posture flying in the wide sky, instead of owning them as pets.
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VUGiraffe
Eagerly waiting
for a safe environment
Giraffes become an endangered animal in 2016. Their long necks and cute faces made them popular in the zoos. However, 40% of their population has vanished within the past 30 years. Wars, droughts, and land converted for agricultural use have fragmented their habitat, which leads directly to a decline in population. Illegal poaching is also threatening these popular zoo animals.
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VUAfrican Elephant
Humans are
the only ones
that desire their ivory
The African elephants are known for their large body, long nose, and long ivory tusks. These long tusks have become a threat to their population. More elephants die from being poached for their ivory than die of natural causes. Japanese people have a culture of using ivory, and a lot of people do not know that only Japan and China sell ivory for economic gain.
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VUGiant Panda
Looking for
one's beloved
in the forest
Pandas are found only in a limited area of China. They are popular in zoos, for their black-and-white appearance and their manner of eating bamboo. They were introduced to America in the mid 19th century, and started to see a drop in population since that time, caused by people poaching them for their fur. Now, the major reason for the population decline is the fragmentation of their habitat due to change and damage to the environment. The damage and fragmentation of their homes reduces their chances of meeting other pandas, which in turn prevents them from having babies.
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ENSiamang
Can we hear
their cries
for love in the future?
The siamangs are famous for their cry. They are known to stay as a couple with their loved ones throughout their entire life. It is nice to know that their cries mean, "Good morning!" or "I'm right here!". However, the more that deforestation continues, the more their habitat is reduced.
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ENSnow Leopard
Avoiding humans,
and living in the shades
of the rocks
The snow leopards live in the mountain ranges of Asia, and it is known that among all delidaes, they inhabit the highest areas. They hide in the shades of the rocks during the summer, and hunt for food in the winter, blending into the white snow with their pure white fur. They can be seen in zoos. Their winter fur, growing longer than 10 cm and shining bluish-grey in the white snow, is a fascinating sight. As they encounter the nomads, however, they are starting to lose their habitat.
