Why are native species becoming endangered and extinct ? The key threats to wildlife survival are habitat destruction and exploitation, both driven by our current food system. Of the 28,000 species listed as threatened with extinction on the IUCN Red List, agriculture and aquaculture are threats for 85% of them.
Black-flanked Rock-wallaby
The Black-flanked Rock-wallaby, or Warru in the Western Desert, was once found in abundance across parts of Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. It is now endangered. They live in groups of 10 to 100 individuals.
Our geographical isolation means many of these animals and plants have evolved over time and are unique to Australia. Sadly, more than 480 of our native animals are at risk of being lost forever.
Open gallery. In February 2022, it was announced that koalas would be listed as an endangered species for the first time in eastern Australia. It's estimated that there are fewer than 100,000 koalas left in the wild, maybe even as few as 43,000.
Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat. One of the rarest land mammals on the globe, Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat is also one of the three extant species of wombats. The northern hairy-nodes wombats are nocturnal animals and live in underground burrows.
The rarest animal in the world is the vaquita (Phocoena sinus). It is a kind of critically endangered porpoise that only lives in the furthest north-western corner of the Gulf of California in Mexico. There are only 18 left in the world. It is thought that they may be extinct in ten years.
Tigers are endangered: Tigers are among the most endangered species with an estimate of about 4,000 left in the wild.
According to the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity there are five main threats to biodiversity. In descending order these are: changes in land and sea use; direct exploitation of natural resources; climate change; pollution and invasive species.
There are between 10,000 and 25,000 blue whales left in the world. Blue whales have been around for millions of years, but their numbers are threatened across the world. The most significant impact on blue whale populations worldwide was, without a doubt, whaling efforts in the 20th century.
Rabbits have been ranked with foxes and cats as among Australia's worst pests, wild pigs have become major agricultural and environmental problems, cattle in the Kimberley region damage scarce rainforest tracts, and deer escaping from poorly-managed or failed deer farms are out of control in Queensland, Victoria and ...
UQ School of Earth and Environmental Sciences researcher Stephen Kearney said people might be surprised by the list. “Rabbits are our most destructive invasive species, having an impact on more than 300 species, including both threatened plants and animals,” Mr Kearney said.
All native birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals (except the dingo) are protected in New South Wales by the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. Hundreds of these species are listed as threatened. The Department of Planning and Environment works to protect these species and their habitats.
Only one living specimen of the tree species Madhuca diplostemon is known to exist.
The strongest land animal in the world is the elephant. The typical Asian elephant has 100,000 muscles and tendons arranged along the length of the trunk, enabling it to lift almost 800 pounds. The gorilla, the strongest as well as largest primate on the planet, is at least six times stronger than the average human.
More than 80% of our plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia and are found nowhere else in the world. Some of our Australian animals are very well known like kangaroos, dingos, wallabies and wombats and of course the koala, platypus and echidna.
Arguably the most famous Aussie animal of all, the kangaroo can be spotted just about anywhere across the country, but how can we go past a location named after these iconic creatures?
Quokka. Meet the Aussie animal that's as cute as it is rare. Only found in small numbers in the south-west corner of Western Australia, the quokka looks like a cat-sized kangaroo — but they're more friendly than your average roo, happy to bound up to humans for a selfie (even tennis ace Roger Federer posed for one!).
Before we get to the fun bit, we should note that black mambas are from Africa and inland taipans are from Australia. This means under natural circumstances, the two species would never meet. In fact, black mambas and inland taipans are like the “alpha” snakes of Africa and Australia.
Many modern researchers, including Tim Flannery, think that with the arrival of early Aboriginal Australians (around 70,000~65,000 years ago), hunting and the use of fire to manage their environment may have contributed to the extinction of the megafauna.
Even more than for its gorgeous opera house, sandy beaches, or colourful reefs, Australia has cemented its reputation as home to some of the world's deadliest animals. Or, if you believe the rumours, maybe even all of the world's deadliest animals. The numbers tell a different story.