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Critically endangered

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A Western lowland gorilla at Krefeld Zoo in Germany.

What Does "Critically Endangered" Mean?

A critically endangered species is a plant, animal, or other living thing that is in big trouble. Experts at the International Union for Conservation of Nature say these friends might disappear forever if we do not help them.

Why Do We Know About Them?

Many of these special friends are plants, like more than half of all critically endangered ones. There are also animals, fungi, and other tiny living things. The IUCN Red List helps us learn how close they are to vanishing and what we can do to protect them.

Examples of Critically Endangered Friends

Some famous examples include the Vaquita, a tiny whale, and the Amur leopard, one of the world's rarest big cats. Birds like the Kākāpō and California condor are also in danger. There are fish, reptiles, and special animals like the Axolotl that need our help too. Even plants, like the Wollemi pine, are at risk.

Images

A Beluga sturgeon, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world.
A green sawfish on display at the Genova Aquarium, showing this unique marine animal in a safe and educational environment.
A Chinese Alligator on display at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
A close-up of a kakapo parrot showing its distinctive facial features.
A hammerhead shark, known for its unique head shape, swimming in the ocean.
A beautiful wildflower called North Rothbury Persoonia growing in the Lower Hunter Spotted Gum - Ironbark Woodland.

Related articles

Species
Animal
IUCN Red List
Axolotl

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Critically endangered, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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