Species Facing Extinction
Global Conservation’s mission is to protect endangered UNESCO World Heritage Sites and national parks in developing countries. By protecting the entire ecosystem, we protect all species. We are not single species-focused, but support protection and science for selected critically endangered keystone species in our projects. We are funding scientific studies, including baseline population studies and threat assessments, to protect these Species Facing Extinction. Click on the species below to learn more!
There are three known species of orangutan, and GC project sites have two of them. These highly intelligent apes are among our closest relatives, sharing 97% of our DNA. Unfortunately, they are highly endangered and may be the first great apes to go extinct in modern times.
African wild dogs, also known as painted dogs or painted wolves, are the largest canids in Africa and the second largest in the world after wolves. Historically destroyed as "problem animals" because of conflicts with livestock, their populations have long been declining and they are now considered Endangered. There are only around 1,400 mature wild dogs left in the wild.
Fewer than 3,500 Komodo dragons remain. They once lived across a huge range, spanning Indonesia’s islands and Australia, but since the 1970s, Komodo National Park has been the only place in the world where they can be found. Often weighing more than 300 pounds, these giant lizards can grow up to 10 feet long, run as fast as 12 miles (19 km) per hour, smell blood from almost 6 miles away, and deliver a powerful bite with venom strong enough to kill a human.
The giant anteater is one of the most unique mammals in the world. They are the most endangered mammal in Central America, and fewer than 5,000 are thought to remain across their range.
So few of these mysterious animals remain that scientists have been unable to estimate their population. Sunda pangolins are one of the world's most trafficked mammals. Over a million pangolins worldwide are estimated to have been poached from the wild since 2000, and they are predicted to decline by an additional 80% within the next two decades if they are not protected. GC is working across five national parks and World Heritage Sites in Asia to help save this critically endangered species.