Global Animal Guide Wildlife Encyclopedia

Vulnerable animals

24 species in the guide are facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. Each profile leads with a direct answer to the most-searched questions.

Adult male lion with a full mane resting on the African savanna at golden hour

Mammal

Lion

The social big cat of the African savanna

Giant panda sitting and eating a stalk of bamboo in a green forest

Mammal

Giant Panda

The bamboo-eating bear of China's mountains

Giraffe standing among acacia trees on the African savanna at golden hour

Mammal

Giraffe

The tallest animal on Earth

Leopard resting on a tree branch with rosette spots in dappled light

Mammal

Leopard

The stealthy, tree-climbing big cat

Polar bear walking across Arctic sea ice under a pale sky

Mammal

Polar Bear

The largest land carnivore, ruler of the Arctic

Cheetah sprinting across golden grassland with legs extended mid-stride

Mammal

Cheetah

The fastest land animal on Earth

Koala with fluffy grey fur clinging to a eucalyptus tree trunk

Mammal

Koala

Australia's iconic eucalyptus-eating marsupial

Snow leopard with thick pale spotted fur standing on a rocky Himalayan slope

Mammal

Snow Leopard

The elusive ghost of the mountains

Hippopotamus half-submerged in an African river with its mouth slightly open

Mammal

Hippopotamus

Africa's deadliest large land mammal

King cobra raised up with its hood spread against a blurred jungle background

Reptile

King Cobra

The world's longest venomous snake

Monarch butterfly with orange and black wings perched on a purple flower

Insect

Monarch Butterfly

The insect that migrates thousands of miles

Seahorse gripping coral with its curled tail underwater

Fish

Seahorse

The tiny fish where fathers give birth

Vibrant blue and red betta fish with flowing fins in an aquarium

Fish

Betta Fish

The colorful fighter of Southeast Asian waters

Giant Galápagos tortoise with a domed shell grazing on grass in a highland meadow

Reptile

Galápagos Tortoise

The giant tortoise that can live over a century

Quokka, a small round-faced marsupial, sitting on the ground appearing to smile

Mammal

Quokka

The smiling marsupial of Western Australia

Snowy owl with white plumage and yellow eyes perched on snow-covered ground

Bird

Snowy Owl

The white owl of the Arctic tundra

Stocky grey bull shark swimming through murky coastal water near the seabed

Fish

Bull Shark

The shark that swims into freshwater

Atlantic horseshoe crab with a domed shell and long pointed tail on a sandy beach

Invertebrate

Atlantic Horseshoe Crab

The ancient living fossil with blue blood

Atlantic puffin with a colorful orange and blue bill standing on a grassy cliff

Bird

Atlantic Puffin

The colorful 'sea parrot' of the North Atlantic

Shaggy yak with long dark hair and curved horns on a high Himalayan plateau

Mammal

Yak

The shaggy ox of the high Himalayas

Giant clam on a coral reef with brightly colored, wavy mantle tissue

Invertebrate

Giant Clam

The reef-dwelling giant of the mollusks

Large flat brown hellbender salamander with wrinkled skin on a streambed rock

Amphibian

Hellbender

North America's giant, fully aquatic salamander

Bald uakari monkey with a bright red bald face and shaggy reddish fur in a rainforest tree

Mammal

Uakari

The crimson-faced monkey of the flooded Amazon

Urial wild sheep with curved horns and a dark neck ruff on dry rocky hills

Mammal

Urial

The wild sheep of the Central Asian hills

Frequently asked questions

What does "Vulnerable" mean?

A species classified as Vulnerable is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. It is one of the conservation categories used to communicate extinction risk.

Which animals are Vulnerable?

The Global Animal Guide lists 24 species as Vulnerable, including Lion, Giant Panda, Giraffe, Leopard, Polar Bear. See the full list below.