Endangered National Animals

Royal Bengal Tiger – Bangladesh, India

Royal Bengal tigers once roamed in great numbers all across India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. It comes as no surprise, then, that this majestic creature is now the national symbol of two of these countries. While this beast is right up at the top of its forestland’s food chain (known to devour up to 40 pounds of meat at a time), the size of the Bengal tiger’s habitat and prey base has dropped dramatically in recent years due to urbanization and population expansion, leaving just over 3,000 tigers left. In 2010, the year that the IUCN finally classified these animals as an endangered species, the WWF unveiled a plan to double the region’s wild tiger population by the year 2022. Just recently, camera traps were set up all throughout the Terai Arc region of Nepal and India to gauge the tiger population in the area and gain insight into their efforts. (WWF India)

Coqui – Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico’s special relationship with the coqui dates back hundreds of years to the native Taino people, whose myths and art featured the region’s present-day national animal quite prominently. Historically, as the sun goes down on Puerto Rico, the songs of the coquies blanket the night. However, this collaborative performance has been increasingly dampened in recent years by the threat of extinction. Several of the 17 different species in Puerto Rico are now either endangered or on the brink of endangerment due to deforestation. (Elboricua)

Polar Bear – Greenland

Need another reason to do something about global warming? How about the polar bear, which, as of 2008, has become “the first vertebrae species to be listed as threatened by extinction primarily because of global warming.” (NWF) The beloved polar bear has long been an expert navigator of the ocean depths throughout the arctic. Lately, however, rising sea temperatures have caused sea ice – critical to the marine mammals’ hunting tactics and survival – to dissipate across the world. As a result, the future of Greenland’s lovable national animal now finds itself in danger of extinction. (Animal Port)

Markhor – Pakistan

Another large, intimidating animal makes the cut with the markhor, which holds the title of the world’s largest wild goat. That designation, coupled with the striking appearance of its horns, makes the markhor quite a magnificent creature to behold. However, this distinctive feature also happens to be the kiss of death for the markhor, as its unique horns are a highly sought after wall decoration and source for traditional East Asian medicine. Recent figures estimate less than 2,500 wild markhor are left, making them an endangered species that is now protected through various conservation programs. Through the implementation of economic incentives to encourage communities to engage in protection efforts, Pakistan hopes to save their iconic animal. (Arkive)

Baird's Tapir – Belize

The Baird’s tapir certainly holds some weight with its home country. Weighing in at a hefty 600 pounds, Belize’s national animal happens to be the largest land mammal in all of Central America. But don’t expect this big-bellied beast to adopt a diet anytime soon; the species’ stature and characteristics have hardly changed over the course of millions of years. However, as their forest habitat reduces by the day, the hardiness of the estimated 4,500 "mountain cows" left in the world will be tested. Fortunately, they will have some help. A team of Michigan State University researchers have recently been tasked with developing a plan to help the Baird's tapir healthily coexist with agricultural center in Nicaragua. (Tapirs)

Okapi – Democratic Republic of Congo

The Okapi, the national animal of the Democratic Republic of Congo, makes this list due to its extraordinary elusiveness. Remarkably, this close relative of the giraffe was unknown to science until 1903 and they somehow managed to evade cameras until 2008, making a snapshot of this skittish creature something like the Holy Grail for animal photographers. Despite the infrequency of okapi sightings, there are actually some 10,000-20,000 of them in the wild today, making them one of the most abundant animal species on this list. With the help of the Okapi Conservation Project, thousands of okapi and many other animals now call the Okapi Wildlife Reserve their home. (Arkive)

Andean Condor – Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador

With a wingspan of up to 10.5 feet, the Andean condor is one of the largest flying birds in the world. They have found homes throughout South America, where strong wind currents from the region’s many mountains, coastlines and deserts help carry their large frames from point A to point B. A sacred creature to many in the continent, the Andean condor is a national symbol for Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia and Ecuador. However, there are a few things working against the endangered bird. For one, consider the tedious process of reproduction. A pair spawns a new chick just once every two years and must care for their newborn for a full year. Secondly, the bird also battles mankind for survival. A particularly ironic case (Guardian) of this occurs in the Peruvian Andes, where several of the annual Yawar Festivals across the region feature the celebrated bird tied to the back of a bucking bull. A petition to put a stop to the ritual is nearing its goal of 67,000 signatures. (National Geographic)

Kouprey – Cambodia

While hunters targeted kouprey throughout their existence for their strong horns, the 20th-century Indo-Chinese wars are largely considered to have been the biggest contributor to the animal’s downfall. With no confirmed sighting of the forest ox for over 25 years, many fear that Cambodia’s national animal may now be extinct. However, it is important to keep in mind that kouprey are naturally elusive animals. Over time, the kouprey turned nocturnal to avoid human contact, so the possibility remains that these mysterious creatures continue to live on in the shadows. (Arkive)

Barbary Lion – Libya and Morocco

The last record of a living Barbary lion, the national animal of Libya and Morocco, dates all the way back to 1927, while the earliest reported traces of this massive lion can be traced to the 13th century. The now-extinct breed is known for its distinctive black mane and royal lineage, as many Barbary lions lived in the Sultan of Morocco’s Royal Palace near the end of the 19th century. Soon enough, the greater Barbary population thinned out and these lions of nobility in Morocco were all that remained. While the enigmatic species is now technically extinct, conservationists have taken it upon themselves to track the lineage of these royal lions to see if there could are any descendants alive today. A stud book containing all of the descendants of lions once owned by the Sultan of Morroco has recently been put together, thereby maintaining the possibility of re-establishing this once great lion species some time in the future. (BBC)

Grenada Dove – Grenada

As one of the most critically endangered birds in the world, the Grenada dove faces a major uphill battle ahead. In 1996, the West Indies island established Mt. Harmon National Park to safeguard and maintain a key habitat for the beloved bird, and in 2008, an updated 10-year recovery plan was drafted. But damage to the dove's environment has persisted due to numerous property developments and disasters like Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The continued disruption of its habitat has made the Grenada dove more vulnerable to predators like opposums, rats and feral cats. (Grenada Gov)