Endangered African Animals

The world is changing constantly; it's a dynamic process that is ever-present and ever-flowing, one that can't be stopped and that can hardly ever be changed. One of the biggest changed the world is undergoing is the change within nature; ecosystems are being morphed, habitats destroyed; even the atmosphere is being ripped open.

The changing of nature is one of the most apparent changes within our world, as well as the one with the most fatal of consequences. Day by day more and more animals die and species, which used to flourish on our big planet, are beginning to become endangered. Endangered animals of the world are in constant threat for their lives; the scary thing though is that list of endangered animals continues to grow no matter what we do to try and stop it.

The best - or I should say worst - example of this is Africa. The endangered African animals list is much larger than most endangered animals list; hundred of African species are on the verge of extinction; this isn't a myth, but a fact.

Let's take a look.

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As far as African endangered animals go, the Cheetah is one of the most dangered species; in fact it's one of the most endangered animals of the world.

The Cheetah is the fastest mammal (on land) on the entire planet. It's sleek and agile body and can move up to speeds of 60 kilometers an hour, making it one of the uniquest species in the world.

What has made it an endangered animal in Africa? The answer is, surprisingly, inbreeding. Cheetahs have a high mortality rate when mating with each other and this has been one the biggest downfalls of the species; much of this inbreeding is due to human causes such as poaching.

Another reason why the Cheetah is an endangered African mammal is because it is very vulnerable to larger preys. Lions and hyenas are starting to hunt Cheetahs more and more consistently and one of the main reasons for this is because we, as humans, have destroyed many African habitats.

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There aren't many as majestic animals as the Elephant - except for maybe the African elephant. With massive tusks and thick skin, the African Elephant is one the most vital species to reside in Africa. Known in Biology as a keystone species, the African elephant is essential to many other species and ecosystems. It's therefore a shame that they are also known as the endangered African elephant.

In the last 40 years their population has dropped significantly (it was registered that only 10 000 were left in 2006) and most African elephants live in wildlife preserves.

The main reason the African Elephant is on the endangered African animals list is because of poaching and habitat loss. Many African cultures eat elephant meat and although new rules have been put in place to prevent this it's affecting the species; another reason is habitat loss which is primarily because of humans.

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Some of the biggest cry's of 'save endangered animals' come because of the endangered status of the Chimpanzee. The Chimpanzee is from the same family as the gorilla, orangutan and - you could argue - us. A very social creature that live in large colonies up to 100, the Chimpanzee is very similar to humans in nature; and this makes it even harder to see them as an African endangered animal.

The Chimpanzee's are one of the most noticed endangered animals of the world not just because they are like us, but because of the reasons why they are endangered. Habitat loss, climate change, and poaching are the main reasons of why the Chimpanzee is almost one of the many extinct African animals.

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Perhaps the most beloved species of all time, as well as the most allegorical, the lion is also an endangered African animal.

Why?

Because of us.

The main reason why the Lion is one of the many endangered animals in Africa is because of habitat destruction and poaching - both of which are directly caused by us. Now, because of this, Lions only live in the wild where humans are very sparse; and this, nowadays, is a very uncommon occurrence.

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• Giraffe
• Dama Gazelle
• Hyena
• Mandrill
• Potto
• Bongo
• Gray Parrot
• Gorilla
• Zebra
• Ground Hornbill
• Cape Mole Rat
• Addax
• African Wild Dog