Animals on the verge of extinction: 13 species that may soon disappear from the planet

1. Bison

At the beginning of the 20th century, all wild herds of bison disappearedBison / WWF, and animals remained only in reserves and zoos: in 1927 there were only 52 individuals in the world. Such a frightening decline in population was due to uncontrolled hunting and deforestation - their natural habitat. Then the animal rights activists began to sound the alarm. To restore the population in Russia in the 40s and 50s, two nurseries were created: Prioksko-Terrasny and Oksky reserves. There, animals are raised and then relocated into the wild. By 2020, according to the International Herd Book of Bison, the number of individuals in Russia has grownNew Pedigree Book of Bison / National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" up to 1,588, and in the world - up to 8,461.

2. Argali

Previously, this wild mountain sheep densely populated the foothills of Altai and the mountains of Transbaikalia, but now there are only about 1,300 individuals left in Russia. The population has declinedArgali. All about Altai mountain sheep / WWF due to hunting: poachers kill argali for their large, curved horns and meat. In pursuit of trophies, they are not stopped even by the official ban on catching argali, which appeared back in Soviet times: the number of individuals has decreased seven times since the 70s. The transformation of a part of the range into a specially protected natural area and the help of the Altai population helped to stabilize the argali population: for the indigenous peoples, the mountain sheep is totemic.

3. Dzeren (Mongolian antelope)

Now about 13.5 thousand gazelles live on the territory of RussiaDzeren / WWF, But it was not always so. By the middle of the 20th century, this species practically disappeared from the country and remained only in Mongolia. Several factors led to this: the plowing of the steppes and the appearance of cars and motorcycles - it became easier to hunt for fast antelopes, moreover, sometimes they fell under the wheels. Many gazelles were killed during the Great Patriotic War for food. The creation of the Daursky reserve and the establishment of Russian-Mongolian cooperation helped to return the animals to Russia: now antelopes can safely cross the border of states.

4. Amur tiger

Amur tigers have beautiful and thick fur, so in the first half of the 20th century they became a desirable prey for poachers. By the beginning of the 40s, only about 50 individuals remained. To stop the extermination, bans were introduced on hunting and trapping tiger cubs, and a quarter of the habitat was turned into specially protected natural areas. And it gave results. In 2015, there were already about 523-540 individuals in the Far East. And they also expanded their habitat: now they can be found in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, the Amur and Jewish Autonomous Regions.

5. Przewalski's horse

The first records of Przewalski's horse appeared in 1881, and already in 1969 the last wild individual was seen in Mongolia. Led to exterminationPrzewalski's horse / Russian Geographical Society and hunting, and human development of the habitat of horses, depriving them of their usual watering places and pastures. In order not to let the species disappear completely, Przewalski's horses, which remained in zoos and nurseries, were used for breeding. They are the ancestors of all individuals living now - and this is about 2,000-2,500 animals. There are 69 of them in Russia, they live on the territory of the Przewalski Horse Reintroduction Center.

6. Saiga

In 1950, Russia hadSaiga / WWF about 800 thousand saigas, and in 2015 only 5 thousand. The numbers have declined due to poachers hunting their horns, which are prized in oriental medicine. Criminal liability for killing a saigaThe smuggling of saiga horns from Russia to Asia has taken on an alarming scale / RIA Novosti - a fine of up to a million rubles or imprisonment. But this does not stop those who want to make money. To preserve the population, a set of measures is used: protection of their habitat, artificial creation of watering places and regulation of the number of predators. By 2020, the number of saigas in Russia increased to 6 350 individuals, but the percentage of males among them is small - only about 11%.

7. Far Eastern leopard

This rarest wild cat lives in the south-west of the Primorsky Territory of Russia and in China. At the beginning of the 21st century, the population of the Far Eastern leopard numbered only 30 individuals. It happened soFar Eastern leopard / Russian Geographical Society due to the fault of poachers, deforestation, widening of roads and forest fires: the natural habitats have decreased and the number of ungulates that leopards feed on has decreased. Now they are included in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. To restore the species in 2012, the Land of the Leopard National Park was created, covering about 80% of the predator's range. 113 individuals now live on its territory.

8. Central Asian leopard

Until the 20th century, the population of this predator was numerous: it inhabited all the mountains of the Caucasus. Now, only a few individuals can be found and only in hard-to-reach places. This happenedHow did the leopard disappear from the Russian Caucasus? / Wwf due to the lack of a ban on killing a leopard - the animal was considered a threat to humans, so it could be exterminated by any means. In 2007, a program for the reintroduction of the Central Asian leopard was launched in Russia: animals are helped to grow in captivity, and then the matured individuals are relocated to their natural habitats. In 2016, the first three leopards were released.

9. Polar bear

In total, there are about 20–35 thousand polar bears in the world, and in Russia - from 3 to 4.5 thousand. If not acceptPolar Bear program no measures, in 30 years these numbers will be halved. The species is threatened not only by hunters (poachers kill 150-200 bears a year), but also by melting ice, as well as environmental pollution and industrial development of the Arctic. To save polar bears from extinction, a state program for the study of the species was created and a strategy for preserving the population was developed. Scientists determine the current range of the animal and track movements.

10 and 11. Bowhead and gray whales (Okhotsk population)

The population of bowhead whales in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is the smallest in Russia. Once it consisted of thousands of whales, but whaling, as well as tourism, melting ice and other reasons ledConservation of the smallest bowhead whale population in Russia / WWF to a decrease in the number - up to 300–400 individuals. While bowhead whales inhabit the Sea of ​​Okhotsk year-round, the gray population arrives there in summer and autumn. There are also few of them - about 250 individuals. For the rescue of animals was developedThe Russian Ministry of Natural Resources hosted a meeting of experts on the conservation and restoration of cetaceans / Ministry of Natural Resources separate state strategy. Scientists are studying the Okhotsk populations, in particular, checking their food supply and characteristics of the water area. This allows you to understand how to proceed.

12. Snow leopard (irbis)

The snow leopard livesThe snow leopard is the mysterious predator of Asia. Threats and solutions / WWF in 12 countries of the world - and in all it has the status of an endangered or rare species. In Russia, the population of this animal is about 70–90 individuals. They live in the mountains of the Altai-Sayan ecoregion. Poachers rarely hunt leopards, but they still periodically fall into traps set by musk deer hunters. To preserve the snow leopard in Russia, it is necessary to ensure its free movement and contact with individuals from Mongolia and China - the bulk of the population lives there. Also in RussiaIrbis - Snow Leopard program a program that studies this species and monitors the movement of snow leopards.

13. Siberian Crane (White Crane)

There are two populations of the Siberian Crane - Yakut and West Siberian: the firstExpert: the Siberian Crane population was stabilized thanks to cooperation between Russia and China / TASS now there are about 3,000 individuals, the second is much lessThe Roszapovedtsentr reported on the reduction in the number of white cranes in Western Siberia / TASS - only about 10. Birds nest in the lower reaches of rivers in places that are hard to reach for people, so for a long time they did not know about their existence at all. The decrease in the number ledSiberian Crane - a rare bird of happiness / Radio Sputnik draining of reservoirs. And not only in Russia: Siberian Cranes fly to China for the winter. Also, competing birds - the Canadian crane and the tundra swan - harm the preservation of the population. Now they are engaged in the reproduction of this speciesSiberian Crane reintroduction is the only way to save the population of a rare species / Ministry of Natural Resources in the Oka nature reserve.