







A ll trends of the below populations are declining. And fast. The reality is, if action is not implemented soon, these animals will be gone within the next few decades.

The key is not just to look at the numbers- although they are already dismally low- but the context. This includes evaluating their geographic distribution, movement patterns, genetic variations and their innate or learned resilience to the threats they face from human activity. The typical laundry list that threatens their existence are habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, poaching, hunting for sport and bushmeat and illegal wildlife trafficking trades.

Reclassifying them as endangered

Working to reclassify them into endangered species will require heavy reviews and processing by the IUCN.

Will reclassifying them do much?

Straight away, no. It's up to individual governments to create and implement their own conservation plans.

So what does it do then?

It theoretically helps policymakers to focus their efforts on those species with the red endangered flag. Whether or not this actually happens, and how fast, is always in question.

What's the alternative?

As some scientists have already suggested, don't spend resources trying to reclassify species. Just implement conservation measures to save them.

These creatures simply cannot wait. The world needs to act fast. And now.

Here are 5 African animals that should be endangered but are only classified as vulnerable.

There are 123 other mammals not listed here, but they too should be deserving of all the attention they can receive so that the world can focus on protecting them. See the full list of endangered mammals in Africa here .





















#endangered