What Is the Definition of an Endangered Animal?

According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, an endangered species is defined as "An animal or plant species in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range."

  1. African Elephants

    • African elephant

      African elephants once numbered in the millions across Africa, however the population has been devastated by poachers seeking meat and ivory in the last 30 years.

    Tigers

    • Tiger

      Tigers are not only the largest of all Asian big cats, but also one of the most vulnerable and threatened species on the planet. It is estimated that there are now as few as 3,200 remaining in the wild. In the past 100 years, the population of wild tigers has fallen by 95 percent.

    Orangutan

    • Orangutan

      Of the two orangutan species, the Sumatran is the most endangered. This species is only found in the northern and western provinces of Sumatra, Indonesia. Because of agricultural and human settlements, the Sumatran orangutan is rapidly losing its natural habitat.

    Whales

    • Whale tail

      Of the 13 great whale species, seven are endangered, despite the protection they have been provided for decades. Because of oil and gas development within its natural feeding grounds, the Western North Pacific gray whale is critically endangered.

    Giant Pandas

    • Giant panda

      The future of the giant panda still remains uncertain. The natural habitat of the great panda is in the mountainous forest areas of southwest China, where human land development is rapid and poaching is an ever-present danger.