30+ Endangered Animals That Need Our Help

While the Eastern U.S. population of Stellar Sea Lions have been growing steadily (yay!), the Western U.S. population has taken a dip over the years. Because boat strikes and pollution are big factors for this decline, critical habitat and protective zones have been set up for these sea lions.

RELATED: 50 Stunning Animals From Our National Parks

Thanks to tougher hunting laws and conservation efforts, the number of these beloved gentle giants has gone up, despite the continued threat of loss of habitat.

RELATED: That Viral Photo of a “Tick Nest” Is a Hoax, According to an Entomologist

Researchers have estimated that the number of lowland gorillas has decreased 50% since the 1990s, but political unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has created an environment ripe for poachers, makes the exact numbers hard to track.

The real-life version of Crush from Finding Nemo is the Green Turtle, the largest sea turtle and the only herbivore. According to the WWF, "green turtles are threatened by overharvesting of their eggs, hunting of adults, being caught in fishing gear, and loss of nesting beach sites."

RELATED: Exactly How to Read Plastic Recycling Symbols

Humans actually share 98.7% of their DNA with this primate found in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Like the Eastern Lowland Gorilla, civil unrest and poaching have been a threat to this species.

Many species of whales have suffered from the effects of climate change and human exploitation, but the Right Whale sadly may have suffered the most. There are only about 400 of these whales remaining due to commercial whaling, entanglement in fishing gear, and the degradation of their habitat.

RELATED: The 50 Cutest Native Animals in Every State

Native to the forests and savannahs of Africa, these highly resourceful apes are known for their advanced social rituals and use of tools to help them eat. Unfortunately, endangered chimpanzees are illegal hunted for their meat, which is considered a delicacy in parts of Central Africa.

Two subspecies of giraffe have been added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature list of critically endangered animals. Native to Africa, the Kordofan and Nubian giraffes are dying out because of habitat loss and poaching.

RELATED: 30 Tiny Changes You Can Make to Save the Earth

These furry critters are the most endangered mammals in North America, according the World Wildlife Fund, with around 300 left across the continent. Their existence is threatened by disease and loss of habitat.

There are only around 10,000 adult red pandas in the wild due to poaching and loss of habitat. Conservation efforts have included making red panda hunting illegal in certain areas, but their low birth rate makes the process a slow one.

Four of the five species of tapir that exist in areas of South America, Central America, and Southeastern Asia are either endangered or vulnerable because of poaching and the destruction of their habitats. Tapirs also have a slower reproductive rate, which has made conservation efforts a bit of a challenge. They carry one baby at a time and pregnancies last 13 or 14 months.

Habitat destruction and being hunted for the Amazonian meat trade caused this species to be added to the endangered lists in 2014. Their population has been cut in half over the past 45 years. In recent years, their status has been updated to "vulnerable" rather than "endangered."

Galápagos penguins are the only penguin species that live above the equator, but their changing environment is causing their numbers to dwindle. The population is less than 2000 as pollution and climate affect the area.

Okapi, also known as the "forest giraffe," was classified as endangered in 2013 after the discovery that their population went down 50% over an 18-year period. This is due in part to ongoing conflict in their native Democratic Republic of the Congo which has destroyed their habitat. Also, like most of the animals on this list, they are targets for poachers.

This species, found near tropical reefs in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans, is dying out because their shells are sold in black markets. Sea turtles have been on the earth for 100 million years, but there are only around 15,000 Hawksbills in the world that are capable of laying eggs.

The giant otters of South America have been on the endangered species list since 1999. There are less than 5,000 of these creatures left because they are hunted for their fur.

This carnivorous marsupial native to (you guessed it) Tasmania has been largely wiped out by a facial cancer. The population was decimated from 130,000 to 150,000 in the mid-90's to between 10,000 and 15,000 in the late 1990s.

The kakapo or "owl parrot" is a flightless bird native to New Zealand listed as critically endangered. There are less than 150 in existence due to an incredibly slow reproductive cycle (every two or three years). Conservationists have been working to ensure the survival of the kakapo chicks to keep the species from disappearing entirely.

The Hawaiian honeycreeper population is on the decline as a result of disease and habitat destruction. Research published in Science Advances in 2016 found that various honeycreeper subspecies have gone down between 68% and 94% over the last 10 years. Several organizations, including the Maui Forest BirdRecovery Project, work toward the conservation of the remaining honeycreepers.

Native to the Russian Far East, there are less than 100 of this leopard subspecies in the wild. Fur poaching, forest degradation, and inbreeding are the primary reasons for their critically endangered status.