What Animals Are in Danger?

African Elephant

• An African elephant is a large creature. What distinguishes this species from other elephants is its boneless and muscular trunk. These animals also have an elongated upper lip and nose used to sniff out and carry grasses, leaves, roots and other food to the mouth. The African elephant's existence is considerably harmed by humans. Hunters go to great lengths to acquire the elephants' ivory tusks. Much of the African elephant's natural habitat is the savanna, which is shrinking due to human agriculture efforts.

Whooping Crane

• The whooping crane, which receives its name from its loud trumpet-like call, is considered the tallest bird in North America. The bird uses its particularly long legs to wade through water in search of food, such as frogs, crayfish, shellfish, snakes and several different kinds of plants. The birds prefer seasonal homes in Texas and Canada, and many of the birds' homes are being lost to road and house construction. Many of these cranes have been shot and killed. Many egg collectors also raid the birds' nests, which leads to a population decline.

Grizzly Bear

• The grizzly bears received their name because many of them have gray-colored fur. These bears have a hearty appetite as they typically eat nuts, honey, insects, berries, roots, fish and frogs, Fear is the main culprit behind the near extinction of the grizzly bear. Years ago, thousands of grizzly bears called North America home, but as people began to inhabit the area, the bears were shot and killed because the citizens feared for their safety. The Mexican grizzly bear has already fallen to extinction.

Gorillas

• Gorillas living in the western lowlands of Central Africa are particularly vulnerable to extinction. The gorillas have been moved from the endangered to critically endangered species status list. This is largely due to the population falling by more than 60 percent over the past 25 years. Scientists believe habitat destruction and illegal hunting are to blame. Another possible culprit is a deadly virus that has made its way through the gorilla population.