Some more endangered species

Vaquita

Common Name: Vaquita, cochito, Gulf of California porpoise, gulf porpoise ; Cochito, marsouin du Golfe de Californie, vaquita (Fr); Cochito, vaquita(Sp)

Scientific Name: Phocoena sinus

Habitat: Tropical upwelling

Location: Upper Gulf of California, Mexico

Population: Estimated around 245 individuals

The vaquita, a small porpoise endemic to Mexico's Gulf of California, is the world's smallest and most endangered small marine cetacean. With around 245 left, high levels of entanglement in fishing gear threaten imminent extinction if current trends continue.

Each year, anywhere between 40 and 80 vaquitas are killed in gillnets and trawl nets used in both artisanal and commercial fishing. At the same time, the habitat of the species has been altered by damming of the Colorado River in the US.

Sumatran Orangutan

Common Name: Sumatran orangutan;Orangoutan de Sumatra (Fr);Orangután de Sumatra (Sp)

Scientific Name: Pongo abelii

Habitat: Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests

Location: Northern Sumatra

Population: Approximately 7,500 individuals in the wild

The Sumatran orangutan is the most endangered of the two orangutan species, and differs from its Borneo relative to some extents in appearance and behaviour. Found only in the northern and western provinces of Sumatra, Indonesia, the species is losing fast its natural habitat to agriculture and human settlements.

Iberian Lynx

Common Name: Iberian lynx, pardel lynx, Spanish lynx; Lynx d'Espagne (Fr); Lynx pardelle, lince ibérico (Sp)

Scientific Name: Lynx pardinus

Location: Southern Europe

Population: Around 110 individuals

Having decreased steadily in population numbers over the last two centuries, the Iberian lynx may soon be the first cat species to become extinct for at least 2,000 years. The species is classified by the World Union for the Nature (IUCN) as the world's most endangered feline species. Habitat loss and degradation, as well as the disappearance of food resources (rabbits) are contributing to this declining trend. Today, there are no more than 38 breeding females in the wild.