Critically Endangered animals

Where Critically Endangered sits on the scale

Critically Endangered species by continent

A species is counted on every continent where its Red List range description places it, so a wide-ranging animal appears more than once. The totals below therefore add up to more than 238.

• Animals of Asia18
• Animals of Africa15
• Animals of South America9
• Animals of Oceania5
• Animals of North America5
• Animals of Europe3

How many are left

Population estimates are quoted as the assessments word them, hedges included. Most species in this category have no reliable count at all, and the ones that do are usually stated as a bound rather than a figure — which is why they are not turned into a ranking here.

• Addax Addax nasomaculatus

  Fewer than 100 individuals estimated in the wild as of the most recent surveys (possibly as few as 30–50 in Niger and Chad combined).

• African Forest Elephant Loxodonta cyclotis

  Estimated 100,000 to 150,000 individuals remaining, with a sharply declining population trend

• Andaman White-toothed Shrew Crocidura andamanensis

  Unknown; population size has not been reliably estimated, but presumed to be very small given the extremely restricted range and rarity of records; trend presumed declining.

• Banteng Bos javanicus

  Fewer than 8,000 mature individuals remain in the wild, with continuing decline.

• Bawean Deer Axis kuhlii

  Estimated at fewer than 300–400 individuals total (possibly 250 mature individuals or fewer), with the population trend considered declining or at best stable.

• Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis

  Approximately 6,195 individuals as of 2021 estimates, representing a slow but steady increase from a low of around 2,410 in 1995, though still critically low compared to historic populations exceeding 65,000 in the…

• Bolivian Chinchilla Rat Abrocoma boliviensis

  Unknown; population size has never been formally estimated. Given the extremely limited number of known specimens and records, the population is presumed to be very small and declining.

• Bornean Orangutan Pongo pygmaeus

  Approximately 104,700 individuals remaining as of recent estimates, with a continuing declining trend.

The families most affected

• Hominidae 5
• Bovidae 4
• Soricidae 4
• Cebidae 3
• Cercopithecidae 3
• Rhinocerotidae 3
• Atelidae 2
• Indriidae 2
• Manidae 2
• Pitheciidae 2

60 of the 238 Critically Endangered species

Select any of them to open it on the globe and read its full assessment: range, habitat, diet, threats and the conservation work under way.