These animals have fewer than 100 left on earth—and their stories are heartbreaking

There’s no denying that birds, animals and fishes have been an important part of the ecosystem, and nature has some of the most mysterious ways to sustain their survival. But over the years, there are certain species of animals, birds and fishes that are vanishing from the surface of the earth or are almost on the verge of extinction. Blame it on extreme commercialization, climate change, disasters and habitat destruction—all these factors have pushed many unique creatures to the absolute brink of extinction. According to conservation data monitored by international and government wildlife agencies—such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and NOAA Fisheries—several critically endangered species now count fewer than 100 left in the wild. Their rapidly vanishing numbers are a reminder of their heartbreaking stories. Read on to know more…

The kakapo is a large, flightless, nocturnal parrot endemic to New Zealand. According to the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC), the introduction of invasive predators like stoats, cats, and rats nearly wiped them out entirely, dropping their population to just 51 individuals in the 1990s. Thanks to an aggressive, government-led recovery scheme that involves isolating the birds on predator-free islands and monitoring every single egg, their numbers are slowly recovering, though they remain on a knife-edge.

The vaquita is the world’s smallest and most endangered marine mammal, found exclusively in the northern Gulf of California. As per one of the recent revelations, there are less than 10 remaining. In fact, the government monitoring from NOAA Fisheries indicates that their numbers have plummeted almost entirely due to illegal gillnet fishing meant for another endangered fish, the totoaba. Despite strict protective laws, these tiny porpoises accidentally drown in the nets, leaving a population that scientists estimate can now be counted on two hands.

Once roaming across Southeast Asia, the Javan rhinoceros has been completely wiped out from mainland Asia. Official audits from Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry confirm that the remaining population is entirely confined to a single sanctuary, Ujung Kulon National Park and it is almost around 70–80 remaining. This is because they are restricted to one location; the entire species remains highly vulnerable to natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and severe inbreeding depression.

The Amur leopard is a strikingly beautiful big cat adapted to the harsh, freezing forests of the Russian Far East and Northeast China. Reports from the Russian Federal Ministry of Natural Resources outline that massive deforestation, illegal poaching for their beautiful fur, and a severe loss of prey animals historically decimated their numbers. While strict government anti-poaching patrols have helped the population stabilize out slightly, their genetic pool remains dangerously shallow.

Native to the southeastern United States, the red wolf is one of the most endangered canids on earth. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, intensive predator-control programs and land development historically drove them to extinction in the wild by 1980. Though government captive breeding and reintroduction programs established a small wild population in North Carolina, vehicle strikes and territorial conflicts keep their numbers critically low.