Many of the planet’s most endangered animals are also its remarkable. Here are a few of nature’s superstars from Asia, the Americas, the Pacific and elsewhere that may soon be no more
Javan Rhinoceros
Indonesia and VietnamNumber remaining: fewer than 60Perhaps the planet's rarest large mammal. Its horn is prized by poachers, and its forests are prized by developers. Both could spell doom for the species.Alain Compost / Peter Arnold / Biosphoto
Mekong Giant Catfish
Mekong region of Southeast AsiaNumber remaining: hundredsPrized for its enormous size (the largest ever caught was 646 lb., or 293 kg), it is now protected in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, but fishing goes on.Zeb Hogan
Vaquita
Gulf of CaliforniaNumber remaining: 200 to 300One of the rarest cetaceans in the world, the is endangered by both its limited range and the ease with which it gets caught in fishing nets.Samara King Eques Inc.
Cross River Gorilla
Nigeria and CameroonNumber remaining: fewer than 300Thought to be extinct in the 1980s, the species is holding on, for now. Hunted for bush meat and crowded out by development, it may not last long.Arend De Haas / African Conservation Foundation
Sumatran Tiger
Sumatra, in IndonesiaNumber remaining: fewer than 600This small tiger has lived only in Sumatra for a million years, making it hard to escape human expansion. Most survivors dwell in reserves, but about 100 live beyond the borders of the protected areas.Tom Brakefield / Corbis
Golden-Headed Langur
VietnamNumber remaining: fewer than 70All but wiped out, this primate was placed under protection in 2000. It is still in grave danger, but in 2003 its numbers rose for the first time in decades.Terry Whittaker
Black-Footed Ferret
North American Great PlainsNumber remaining: about 1,000The continent's only native ferret is one of its most endangered mammals. In 1986, there were only 18 individuals left, but the species is clawing back.Steve Kaufman / Perter Arnold
Borneo Pygmy Elephant
Northern BorneoNumber remaining: about 1,500Shorter than the Asian elephant by about 20 in. (50 cm), the Borneo pygmy elephant is also more docile. Palm plantations have reduced its range, leaving it crowded for space.
Giant Panda
China, Burma, VietnamNumber remaining: fewer than 2,000Loss and fragmentation of habitat are to blame for the panda's perilous state. Captive breeding and species protection are helping the panda hang on—barely.Wildlife / Peter Arnold
Polar Bear
The circumpolar ArcticNumber remaining: fewer than 25,000Human development and poaching have long threatened the polar bear, but climate change and the loss of sea ice are now pushing it onto the critical list.Kennan Ward / Corbis
