Western Black Rhino of Africa declared extinct as new Red List revealed

The Western Black Rhino is a subspecies of the Black Rhino. Photo: PA

Safari holidays will be a thing of the past and some of the world's most beautiful animals extinguished if humans don't stop poaching, hunting and destroying natural habitats, according to a new list of endangered species.

The annual Red List by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has been released, and shockingly reveals the Black Rhino is now actually extinct in West Africa, after 333 were slaughtered just last year.

The Javan Rhino is deemed 'probably extinct' in Vietnam, with many of the Vietnamese believing their horns cure cancer. According to the Daily Mail, only 40 to 60 Javan rhinos now remain in Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia. They are the last known living members of the species, with none in captivity.

And the Northern White Rhino of central Africa is listed 'probably extinct'.

According to the Mirror, the new Red List highlights 801 species as extinct (none of the species can be found), 64 extinct in the wild (only found in captivity), 9,586 critically endangered (declined 90% in 10 years) or endangered (declined 70% in 10 years) and 10,002 as vulnerable (declined 50% in 10 years).

The list makes for truly depressing reading, and highlights the below:

Vulnerable
Hippopotamus: Only 148,000 left in East Africa, but numbers are falling because of habitat loss.

Polar Bear: There are 20,000 left, but global warming could see them die off within 100 years.

Endangered
Tiger: Poaching and habitat loss has seen numbers decline to 3,000.

Water Buffalo: Hunting for its horns, agricultural spread and interbreeding with domestic buffalo has left just 4,000 wild buffalo.

Asian Elephant: Only 50,000 left after poaching for tusks and spread of agriculture over the last three generations.

Critically Endangered
Black Rhino: After numbers declined by 97.6% since 1960, recent conservation efforts have seen numbers double to 4,800.

Bluefin Tuna: Overfishing has seen numbers decline by 86% in 36 years - and are not rebuilding.

Calumma Tarzan Lizard: This lizard lives outside protected areas on Madagascar, where 40% of amphibians are threatened by farming.

Dama Gazelle: Numbers down to 500, a decline of 80% across the Sahara, thanks to blood-thirsty shooting parties from the Gulf state.

Sea Turtle: Poaching and fishing nets have pushed numbers down to 30,000, and seen an 80% fall in in nesting.

Appreciate these wonderful animals while you can:

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