After Asia, Africa is the world’s second-largest and one of the most populated continents. It is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Suez Canal & Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the North-East, the Indian Ocean to the South-East, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west; Africa also includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. As for the biodiversity of this amazing continent, Africa has over 3,000 protected areas, including 198 marine protected areas, eighty wetlands reserves and fifty biosphere reserves. However, the ever increasing habitat destruction, and overpopulation are both factors contributing to the reduction of Africa’s biological diversity. As such, today’s list is going to include ten endangered animals in Africa.

10. African Elephant

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Loxodonta africana is the scientific name of the African Elephant. It can be found in Eastern, Southern and West Africa, and the population is somewhere between 470.000 and 690.000 due to the constant poaching for ivory and meat, and the loss of their natural habitat.

9. African Penguin

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The African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), or the the Black-footed Penguin is found near southern African waters. Of the 1.5-million African Penguin population estimated in 1910, around 10% survived at the end of the 20th century. African penguin populations, which breed in Namibia and South Africa, have declined by 95 percent since preindustrial times. Some of the threats endangering this beautiful animal are commercial fishing and oil spoils. The actual population is estimated to be of 72.000.

8. African Lion

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Panthera leo evolved in Africa between 1 million and 800,000 years ago, before its expansion throughout the Holarctic region. Lions have a lifespan of ten to fourteen years in the wild; in captivity they survive for more than twenty years. Lions in Africa are threatened by intentional poisoning (to protect local livestock), habitat loss and trophy hunting. An estimate of their number is 20.000-23.000, considering that 50 years ago they count for more than 450.000.

7. Cheetah

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Our list of endangered animals in Africa continues with yet another creature – the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) which is mostly found in Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the fastest land animal on earth – being able to reach between 112 and 120 km per hour (70 and 75 mph) in short bursts covering distances of up to 500 m (1,600 ft), and has the ability to accelerate from 0 (zero) to over 100 km/h (62 mph) in three seconds (yes, that’s right – three seconds!). The cheetah presumably evolved in Africa during the Miocene epoch (26 million to 7.5 million years ago), before migrating to Asia. Its population is somewhere between 10.000 and 15.000. They are believed to have lost over 76% of their historic range on the continent.

6. Black Rhinoceros

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Diceros bicornis or the black rhinoceros is a species of rhinoceros, native to the eastern and central areas of Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Angola. Although the rhino was referred to as black, its actually nuanced in grey/brown/white colors. These critically endangered animals are hunted for their precious horns (they are made of keratin, with the larger front horn typically reaching 50 cm [20 inches] long, and in rare cases going up to 140 cm [55 inches]) while in China they’re a “medicinal” value. Their population has dramatically dropped by over 90% in the past 60 years. Today the estimated number is of 4180.

5. African Wild Dog

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Lycaon pictus is a large canidae found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. This beautiful and rare animal bears several other names: African wild dog, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, painted dog, painted wolf, painted hunting dog, spotted dog, or ornate wolf. At one time there were approximately 500,000 African wild dogs spread across 39 countries. Now there are roughly 3,000-5,500 in less than 25 countries (some say only 14 countries). African wild dogs are mainly found in Eastern and Southern Africa.

4. Pygmy Hippopotamus

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Yet another animal that enters the list of endangered animals in Africa is the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis). This mammal is native to the forests and swamps of western Africa, and is a rare nocturnal forest creature that’s most difficult to study in the wild. Pygmy hippos are threatened by loss of habitat, poaching, hunting, natural predators and war.

3. Mountain Gorilla

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The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla. There are two large groups of mountain gorillas, one in the Virunga volcanic mountains (Central Africa), and the other is found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The mountain gorilla is threaten by habitat loss, poaching, pet trade and illegal hunting, and in Spring 2010 their estimated total number worldwide was 790.

2. Ethiopian Wolf

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Canis simensis or the Ethiopian wolf, also known as the Abyssinian wolf, Abyssinian fox, red jackal, Simien fox, or Simien jackal is yet another canidae that’s native to Africa. The Ethiopian wolf is found at altitudes of over 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) in the Afro-alpine regions of Ethiopia, and is considered a top predator of the ecosystem. It is the most endangered species of canidae that has not been extinct in the wild, counting about seven large groups, totaling roughly 550 adults. The largest population is found in the Bale Mountains – Southern Ethiopia. A rabies outbreak in 1990 diminished this large population from around 440 wolves to less than 160 in just two weeks.

1. Addax

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The addax (Addax nasomaculatus) – known as the screwhorn antelope, is a critically endangered species of antelope living in the Sahara desert. The antelope’s long twisted horns are found on both males and females, and have two to three twists; they are usually 55 to 80 centimeters (22 to 31 inches) long in female specimens, and 70 to 85 centimeters (28 to 33 inches) long in males. The superb creature naturally lives up to 19 years; its life expectancy can reach up to 25 years in captivity. It is believed that less than 500 individuals populate the wild nowadays, most of them being found between the Termit area of Niger and the Bodélé region of Western Chad.