The Brink of Extinction: The Most Endangered Animals in the World

Kathleen Corrigan | November 9, 2018

Orangutans

The word “orangutan” in Malay means “Man of the Forest” and genetically speaking they’re among the closest species to us; but we’re certainly not treating these red furred mammals like brethren. Experts estimate that there are only 104,700 Bornean, 14,613 Sumatran, and 800 Tapanuli orangutans left on the planet yet despite this knowledge, these species continue to face the threat of extinction due to excessive deforestation.

Their home rainforests in Indonesia and Malaysia have been cut down to make room to harvest palm oil, an ingredient that can be found in everything from processed foods to face wash. Experts say that if the palm oil industry’s destructive deforestation continues to go unchecked, orangutans will be completely extinct by 2026.

Mathias Hübener / Getty Images

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