By John Irby
LifeAtStart.com reporter
Every day, species around the world are going extinct. And for each species that dies off, many more become and remain endangered due to habitat loss, poaching, human activities, and climate change.
Some species that are going extinct are Giant Otter, Amur Leopard, and a Bornean Orangutan. Found only in South America, Giant otters are the largest otters in the world, with some as long as 6 feet. They are also the rarest otters, with only a few thousand believed to be surviving in the wild.
Amur Leopard is one of the world’s most endangered wild cats. It has a thick yellow or orange coat with long hair, and can weigh up to 120 pounds. It can leap more than 19 feet, and it can run at speeds up to 37 miles per hour. There are only 60 living in the wild and 200 in zoos around the world.
Bornean Orangutans have a broad faces and short beards. They are critically endangered and their population has declined by 60% since 1950. According to zoologists, new projections estimate that there numbers will fall another 22% by the year 2025.
This is very sad because most of these animals are going extinct because of humans. When I get older, I would like to see some of these animals. They are very rare and interesting to me. I would also want my family to see these animals because, once they are extinct, they are gone forever.