Imagine a world where the ancient forests of India turn into a ghost land forest, with no tigers roaming about in the forests of India. Sadly, this could also be a reality. Tigers are one of the worlds most critically endangered wild cat, this could result in future generations living in a world were majestic animals like tigers don't exist.
In this blog post, we are going to look at the top five critically endangered big cats. The top five critically endangered big cats list will be rated from five to one, based on how close to extinction these animals are.
#5 Amur Tiger
The Amur Tiger is the lesser known cousin of the Bengal Tiger. The Bengal Tiger is found in India. They are also a critically endangered species. However, the Bengal Tiger has a higher population total, the WWF estimates that there are around 2,000 Bengal Tigers left in the wild.
The Amur Tiger in comparison only has a population of 540 in the wild. Leaving them very vulnerable to extinction. They were once found throughout Asia, today, however, they can only be found in small pockets of forest in Russia, China and perhaps North Korea. Given the secretive nature of North Korea, it is unknown how many, or if there are any, Amur Tigers remaining inside North Korea.
#4 Iberian Lynx
The Iberian Lynx is a relatively unknown critically endangered cat. The Iberian Lynx was once widespread across Spain, Portugal and even Southern France. However, today these beautiful animals only remain in a handful of forests in Spain.
The Iberian Lynx is an example of successful conservation in action. Although they are still on the brink of extinction, their numbers have increased. In the early 2000s, the WWF estimated that there were only around 100 of these animals left. Today, however, the WWF estimates that there are 404 in the wild today.
#3 Malayan Tiger
The Malayan Tiger is another species of Tiger which is very close to extinction. It is estimated that there are only between 250 to 340 of these animals left in the wild. As their name suggests, these cats are native to Malaysia. However, these cats are also found in the South of Thailand.
Their main habitat is forests. However, these cats can also be found in grassland and wetland habitats. These majestic animals could go extinct within our lifetime if they are not conserved.
#2 Amur Leopard
The Amur Leopard might be the World's rarest big cat. This gorgeous feline was once so close to extinction, that there were only 35 of the animals living in the wild. Thanks to successful conservation efforts, the Amur Leopard has seen their population grow. The WWF estimates that there are now between 70 and 80 Amur Leopards left in the wild.
Even though their numbers have doubled over the years, this cat is very close to extinction. Hopefully, with further conservation efforts, we can keep increasing this cats numbers. You can help the WWF save this cat from extinction, by adopting an Amur Leopard.
#1 Asian Cheetah
Everyone is aware of the African Cheetah, but their cousin, the Asian Cheetah, is less well known. Perhaps that is to do with how rare these animals are. They are so rare, that there are just 50 Asian Cheetahs left in the wild - all of then in Iran. A new report out in December 2017 showed how in trouble these animals are as it was reported that the Asian Cheetah was on the brink of extinction, with only 50 of them left.
What could make saving this big cat challenging, is not just how low their numbers are, but also the geopolitics of the country (Iran), could make it difficult to save this big cat. Help save this big cat by adopting one with the WWF. They could now be the rarest big cat in the World!