The animal kingdom is fascinating. It is full of colorful, distinct creatures that run, walk, fly, swim, and call this planet their habitat. The world has 8.7 million species of animals. While some can be found and seen very frequently, others are difficult to catch.
The latter is the rarest animal species. So, what makes them rare? Unfortunately, they are on the brink of extinction. They are either hunted down and killed or fail to adapt to the changing environment. Moreover, the loss of habitat is another reason that adds to the extinction of these animals at large.
The ecosystems have been depleted, damaged, and destroyed for centuries, and we human beings continue doing so. With every year, the rate of habitat destruction increases manifold. Animal extinction is also taking place because of climate change.
What are the Rarest Animals in the World?
Here are the rarest animals in the world that you would barely spot.
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Saola
The saola is considered the largest forest-dwelling bovine and one of the rarest animals that the planet has today. It is found only in the Annamite Range of Vietnam and Laos. This animal is so rare that it is sometimes addressed as an Asian unicorn. This creature was only discovered by science in 1992 when its remains were found in a nature reserve in Vietnam.
The first-ever photograph of this animal was taken in 1999. This animal is elusive by nature. It is difficult to predict how many of them exist on the planet today.
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Ili Pika
Ili Pika is another difficult-to-spot animal. This mammal dwells in the mountains and is found in North America and Asia. Today, there are only 29 species of Pika on earth.
The North American and Asian Pika are healthy, but the Chinese Ili Pika was thought extinct until 2014. This animal lives on sloping rocks at high elevations and subsists on grass. The population of this animal is decreasing and bordering extinction. At present, there are only 1000 Pikas present on the planet.
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Amur Leopard
This member of the cat family is a beautiful wild creature. It is also one of the rarest animals in the world. Currently, only 60 Amur leopards are left in the whole world. An Amur leopard is fast, agile, and a dangerous animal.
It runs as fast as 37 miles per hour. The original habitat of this animal is the regions of China, Russia, and Korea. Presently, it is only found in the Amur River basin in eastern Russia. The cat likes to live in solitude, because of which they rarely breed.
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Darwin’s Fox
Darwin’s Fox has been named after Charles Darwin, and it happens to be one of the rarest species of animals worldwide. It was Darwin who discovered this animal in 1834. Today, it is found in the forest area of Chile on the island of Chiloe and the Nahuelbuta National Park.
This animal cannot be spotted so easily, for it comes out only between twilight and dawn. It is considered an umbrella species. It means that we can preserve the whole ecosystem by keeping them protected. They are continuously decreasing in number, owing to increased poaching in their habitat.
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Greater Bamboo Lemur
It is the largest of the bamboo lemurs of Madagascar, weighing up to 2.5 kilograms. The greater bamboo lemur was thought to be extinct until it was later discovered in the late 1980s. Interestingly, around 500 lemurs were discovered during this time, all of which were found living in the southeast of an island nearby the Ranomafana National Park.
Unfortunately, the rediscovered group of this species is endangered. It is threatened by the destruction of its very own habitat, cutting of the bamboo trees in particular.
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Pangolin
It is one of the rarest and the most unique-looking creatures. The pangolin has four species, and sadly all of them have been listed as endangered or critically endangered. Many reasons contribute to the reducing numbers of pangolin worldwide, poaching and trafficking of this animal are the most common among them.
The Chinese and Vietnamese state that the scales of this animal have medicinal powers. This animal has scales made of keratin. It is the same keratin that people pay a huge sum of money for at the hair salon. According to a recent study, around 100,000 pangolins are captured every year.
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Seneca White Deer
The Seneca white deer is not a common sight to witness. This extremely rare herd of deer is pure white. It is because this animal is leucitic or lacking pigmentation in its skin. It has brown eyes and a beautiful body.
This species of deer is so limited that there are only 300 Seneca deer present worldwide. The former Seneca Army Depot has given a protected space to their habitat, thus keeping them free from predators. They are open to view for the onlookers.
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Javan Rhino
Today, only 60 Javan rhinos remain in the world. They are present only in the Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia. Many reasons like poaching, disease, and habitat destruction have decimated the population of this animal.
The low genetic diversity and inbreeding are other reasons that make the survival of a Javan Rhino difficult on the planet.
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Sumatran Elephant
You might have spotted many elephants here and there, but a Sumatran elephant is hard to find. It can be seen only in Borneo and Sumatra. The population of this species has decreased massively. In 2012, it was classified as a critically endangered species of elephant.
The reasons for the decreasing number of Sumatran elephants are the loss of habitat and its perpetual conflict with human beings.
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Sunda Tiger
Sunda tigers have beautiful thick black stripes on their orange coat. This species of this tiger has been declared endangered. Today, only 400 Sunda tigers are left in the wild.
You can spot them in the patches of forest on Sumatran Island. The reason for the decreasing population of this tiger is deforestation and poaching. Despite various conservation efforts, everything went in vain.
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