While 2016 was a difficult year in the human world, in the animal kingdom it wasn't much better. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, 41% of amphibians and 25% of mammals are under threat of extinction. The giraffe population has suffered, there is only one male northern white rhino left alive. African Savannah elephants are down 30% since 2007 and apes, orangutans and certain zebras are also critically endangered.
2016 did bring some good news. The snow leopard is coming back and new species found in the Mekong region are lending hope to conservationists that all is not lost. Many environmentalists are working hard to change human attitudes toward consumption that impact endangered species. Focusing efforts on sustainable habitats is also an area where much can be done to keep some of these animals from existing only in history books.
