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Rather than attempt to list every known species of
animal that is endangered only some of the better known ones will be
presented here. Reference here for inclusion is the
World Conservation IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. This list is
the authority and contains over 15,500 species worldwide in every
habitat that face extinction, and grows daily. A visit to Regulations instituted
in the 1960's and 70's now protect endangered species of animals.
Primary protection comes from the 1973
CITES Convention On International Trade In Endangered Wild Flora And
Fauna treaty, signed by over 120
countries. This website is an excellent resource for more information on
endangered rainforest animals.CITES
Convention On International Trade In Endangered Wild Flora And Fauna
Toucans
and Parrots: Toucans are found in South and Central American
rainforests, and many of the 40 different species are threatened. Loss
of habitat, and capture for the commercial pet market are two major
threats. Parrots are found worldwide, and while many species are common,
a number are facing extinction. Jaguar: Found in Mexican, South and Central American rainforests, the jaguar is Near Threatened status. Hunting, one of the threats these magnificent animals face, although prohibited in many countries, still occurs in others. For more information about jaguars, visit Save The Jaguar Gorilla:
Gorillas are found in West Central
Africa rainforests primarily in Zaire, Rwanda, and in the Congo River
Basin, and where ever they are found, they are threatened. Loss of
habitat, hunting for bushmeat and the Ebola Virus are some of the
threats the gorillas of Africa fade. .For more information visit the
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund website. Manatee: Manatees, one of the gentlest and most beloved creatures on the planet, is found in the warm waters of coastlines and rivers in rainforest regions of Florida, the Caribbean, Africa, the Amazon Basin and parts of Asia. Manatees are classified as Vulnerable by the ICUN, and their main threats is loss of habitat through man's development. Liza's Reef has an resource webpage on manatees in the Hope For The Oceans section. An excellent website for more information about manatees is that of the Save The Manatee Club, one of the organizations Liza's Reef is helping. Bengal Tiger: The Bengal Tiger lives in the Sundarban regions of India, Bangladesh, China, Siberia and Indonesia, and is extremely endangered. Today, only about 4,000 are left in the wild whereas at the turn of the century in 1900 there were over 50,000. Poaching and loss of habitat are the two major reasons for the decline in numbers. An excellent resource is the website of the Save The Tiger Fund.
Harpy Eagle: One of the largest and most powerful of the fifty species of eagles in the world, the Harpy Eagle lives in the tropical lowland rainforests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico southward to eastern Bolivia, southern Brazil and the northernmost parts of Argentina. Endangered, the major threat to Harpy Eagles is loss of habitat from clear cutting, destruction of nesting sites and hunting. The Peregrine Fund has an excellent website about Harpy Eagles for more information. Orangutan: Orangutans live in the Southeastern tropical rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo, and are on the ICUN endangered list due to destruction and loss of habitat as well as poaching and hunting for the wild animal trade. One of the best resource website about Orangutans is that of the Orangutan Foundation International.
World Conservation IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.
American
Museum of Natural History Statement
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A
common estimate is that over half of the species of animals live in the
rain forests of the world. To say that many of these are threatened or
endangered would be an understatement, especially in light of the many
threats that rainforests as a whole face in the world today. These
threats are outlined in the
this organization's website will astound you at the depth of the
problem.
