Elephants
The greatest threats facing elephants today are poaching, conflict with humans, and habitat loss and degradation. Poaching in Africa and Asia is becoming more common.
Pygmy elephants are found only in the northeastern tip of Borneo. They grow to between 8 and 10ft, so relatively small for elephants and as a consequence have oversized ears. Dumbo, eat your heart out. There are approximately 1,500 of them left in the wild. 14 of them recently died in Borneo through suspected poisoning.
How to see them: Reef and Rainforest (www.reefandrainforest.co.uk/borneo/) offers a tailor-made wildlife itinerary called Bare Necessities, that includes an orang-utan sanctuary, a walk to find rafflesia plants and, hopefully, elephant sightings. From £1773 per person.
Mountain gorillas
Mountain gorillas live between 8,00 and 13,000ft up in the highlands of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their fur is thicker than other gorilla species to help them withstand temperatures below freezing.
The mountain gorilla’s habitat has decreased in size and suffered from disease as contact with humans has increased. While populations have recovered in recent years there are currently only 880 left in the wild.
How to see them: Explore (www.explore.co.uk) has a 12-day trip to Uganda staying in an eco-lodge and travelling deep in to the rainforest near Bwindi to see mountain gorillas up close. From £2,996 per person.
Turtles
Nearly all species of marine turtle are endangered. This includes green, hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback and olive ridley.
How to see them: Travel to northeast Brazil with Veloso Tours (veloso.com) to witness green and hawksbill turtles hatching on the mainland at beaches around Natal, such as Praia do Pipa, and on the island of Fernando de Noronha.
Bengal tigers
Despite being the most numerous of the five tiger sub-species, today there are less than 2,500 Bengal Tigers remaining in the wild. The establishment of tiger reserves in India - the natural habitat of the Bengal Tiger – during the 1970s helped stem the tide of rapidly falling numbers, but since then poaching has again increased to meet demand in Asian markets.
How to see them: Visit Ranthambore National Park in India with Explore (www.explore.co.uk) for three days to go on tiger safaris and later in the trip discover the architectural and cultural delights of New and Old Delhi. From £1,254 per person.
Lemurs and tortoises in Madagascar
The Radiated Tortoise is considered to be one of the most beautiful of all tortoises in the world. It takes it name from the striking yellow lines which radiate outwards from the centre of its shell. They have been classified as “critically endangered” due to massive habit loss and in some cases have been hunted for food.
Also in Madagascar, the Sahamalaza Sportive Lemur has distinctive, large “pop" eyes and is only found in a very small section of forest in the northwest. These specific habitat conditions coupled with the severe threat it faces from humans, means the existence of the Sahamalaza Sportive Lemur is in peril.
How to see them: Explore (www.explore.co.uk) has a 15-day tour travelling across Madagascar with the chance to explore rainforests, nature reserves and national parks looking for lemurs. From £2,323 per person.
Tarsiers
Tarsiers are one of the world’s smallest primates, with rotating eyes and keen hearing that make it a very successful nocturnal hunter. They are delicate and palm-sized and at risk because they are hunted and due to their habitat disappearing.
How to see them: Audley Travel (www.audleytravel.com) can organise tailor-made trips to the Philippines that include a visit to the Tarsier sanctuary on Bohol island.
Giant pandas
With its black and white fur, the giant panda has become one of the most recognisable creatures in the world. It eats up to 80 pounds of bamboo each day and is an excellent tree climber. There are thought to be 1,600 left in the wild, from a low of 1,100 in the 1980s.
The species is threatened by hunting and habitat loss. Mating patterns are severely disrupted by the encroachment of roads and railways through the bamboo forests of the Yangtze Basin.
How to see them: Wendy Wu Tours (www.wendywutours.co.uk) has trips to the Sichuan region of China where there are 16 giant pandas nature reserves. The Sichuan Explorer tour heads to Chengdu to see them and costs from £2790 per person, for 13 days.
Polar bears
Because of the ongoing loss of their sea ice habitat resulting from climate change, polar bears were listed as a threatened species in the U.S under the Endangered Species Act in May 2008.
How to see them: In Svalbard, if you are fortunate you can see polar bears wandering about at a distance. Hurtigruten has a cruise that takes in the region (www.hurtigruten.co.uk/explorer-voyages/spitsbergen/).
Rhinos
Sumatran rhinos are critically endangered. They are the smallest rhinoceros and are the only Asian rhino with two horns. They are a bit furry when born and are the most closely related to extinct woolly rhinos of any species alive today.
How to see them: Tours to Aceh in northern Sumatra offer the possibility of a sighting. Sumatra Eco Tourism (www.sumatraecotourism.com/leuser.html) has information on Leuser National Park, where they roam. Audley Travel (www.audleytravel.com) offers tailor-made trips to Sumatra, which include a stop at the Bohorok Rehabilitation Centre.
There is also a petition running currently to save their rainforest habitat. See here for more information.www.change.org/saveaceh
Source: WWF
