What animals are going extinct in 2025? You might believe that extinction has historically only affected large cats, saber-toothed tigers, and dinosaurs.

The truth is, even today, several animal species face extinction. Current scientific consensus holds that human activities are primarily responsible for the sixth mass extinction in Earth’s history.

Over the past few decades, numerous species have become extinct, primarily due to human activities. Humans sometimes fail to exercise self-control and end up causing harm for selfish reasons. 

Extinction typically has multiple causes; however, in the case of certain species, humans play the bigger role. Let’s have a look at some of the animals going extinct soon.

 What Animals Are Going Extinct in 2025?

Northern White Rhino

Presently, two northern white rhinoceroses are remaining in the globe. The Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya houses the two female rhinos Najin and Fatu from poachers. 

Sudan had the final male of his subspecies until his passing on March 19, 2018 rendering the species extinct.

Several suspicious reports have occurred in the expansive Southern National Park of South Sudan during the last decade of northern white rhino sightings. 

Nonetheless, it is confirmed the species is near extinct, with the only documentation showing the two females remaining.

To prevent the extinction of the northern white rhinoceros, researchers are devising methods to produce embryos that southern white rhinoceroses can mature into. 

One potential approach was to obtain sperm from male northern white rhinos and fertilize some viable embryos from the female northern white rhinoceroses. 

A number of viable embryos generated via in vitro conception have been retained to facilitate advancements in rhino embryo transfer. 

An alternative approach involves reprogramming skin cells derived from northern white rhinoceroses into stem cells capable of generating sperm and egg cells.

While rhinoceroses have poor vision, they have exceptional senses of hearing and scent. Most of them attempt to avoid humans; males and females with young may charge without provocation.

The black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is frequently angry and unpredictable; it may charge in response to an unusual odor or sound. 

Despite their enormous size, rhinoceroses are relatively swift. Even in dense vegetation, the black rhinoceros can reach up to 45 kilometers per hour (30 miles per hour).

Elephants and rhinoceroses both communicate at infrasonic frequencies that are inaudible to humans. Additionally, females communicate with males via these frequencies when ready to mate.

Conservation Efforts

Four of the world’s last seven northern white rhinoceroses were transferred to the Ol Pejeta on December 20, 2009. Najin, Fatu, Sudan, and Suni resided at the Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic.

Conservationists believed that Ol Pejeta provided the animals’ natural habitat with its verdant fields and mild climate. This would be a more suitable location for breeding than the zoo.

To ensure the health and safety of the northern white rhinos, Ol Pejeta provides them with a 700-acre enclosure, armed protection 24 hours a day, and a nutritious diet consisting of fresh vegetables.

Breeding efforts were futile, and Suni died in 2014. This meant Sudan was the last remaining male white rhino alive in the enclosure. 

Sudan had a low sperm count; research showed that females could not breed. Sudan died in 2018; it is believed it was due to health issues and infections. He was too weak, and the vets opted for euthanasia.

Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Hawksbills got their name from the narrow, pointed beaks. Their shells have a serrated appearance due to a distinctive pattern of overlapping scales. The shells are valuable and sometimes called the “tortoiseshell.”

Hawksbills inhabit tropical regions, primarily coral reefs across the globe. Their diet consists of sponges primarily through coral fissures using their slender, pointed beaks.

Sea turtles are believed to have inhabited our oceans for the past 100 million years. They are vital components of marine ecosystems because they maintain the health of coral reefs and seagrass fields.

As one of seven species of marine turtles, the hawksbill turtle is among the endangered species. It has a variety of patterns on its shell with bony structures that interlock like roof tiles. 

Hawksbills encounter significant threats, including global warming, pollution, overfishing, and the loss of nesting habitats. All these factors contribute to the extinction of the turtle.

Poaching of the Turtle

Their aesthetically pleasing shells have prized the hawksbill turtles for millennia. They are hunted for their streaked scutes, later transformed into jewelry thanks to their color variations.

Hawksbill turtles are killed, and their shells are sold to markets in Asia, Europe, and the United States. 

Despite international and intra-national trade regulations, the trade of tortoise shells remains a significant issue in the Americas and Southeast Asia. The World Health Organization (WHO) claims that eating hawksbill turtles is unhealthy. 

Hawksbills consume primarily toxin-laden sponges, which are potentially fatal or cause birth defects in young children and are toxic to the kidneys, liver, and nervous system. Humans still hunt them for food.

People still go for hawksbill turtle eggs as numerous cultures hold the belief that they possess the ability to stimulate sexual desire. 

However, scientific evidence does not support this claim. Scientists believe sea turtle eggs contain pathogens that harm fertility. Additionally, some hunt the turtles for shark bait.

Human Activities and Pollution

The presence of beach furniture and other items abandoned on the shoreline impedes females’ nesting process and hinders emerging hatchlings. This generally affects the whole nesting process.

Additionally, nighttime beachgoers may disturb reproductive females, preventing them from nesting altogether. 

Artificial lighting on beaches also causes mothers and hatchlings to become disoriented and bewildered. As a consequence, tortoises migrate upstream rather than returning to the ocean. 

They are more susceptible to predation and die due to fatigue and dehydration. Additionally, marine debris poses a significant threat to every sea turtle, including the critically endangered hawksbill turtle.

The enormous amount of plastic in the ocean annually kills over one hundred million marine animals. According to scientists, most sea turtles consume plastic, leading to complications and eventually death.

Climate Change 

Climate change poses a severe threat to Hawksbills. Coral reefs are a favorite food source for hawksbill turtles but are also affected and threatened by climate change. 

Concurrent coral bleaching and increased global temperature may harm hawksbill and coral reef populations.

Conservation Efforts

Despite numerous obstacles, hawksbill turtle species still have a chance of survival. The public is more enthusiastic than ever about hawksbill turtles and other sea turtle species, and the ecotourism industry is expanding rapidly.

As a result, higher funding is becoming accessible for academic pursuits. This research can assist conservationists in locating areas with dense populations and help in conservation efforts.

Also Read: What Will Happen To Miami in 2025?

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)

There are nine distinct species of leopards, including the Amur Leopard. It is also known as the Far East Leopard, the Manchurian Leopard, and the Korean Leopard.

This elusive leopard is mainly found in the Korean Peninsula, the Russian Far East, and Northern China. 

They have undergone numerous physical adaptations to survive in the temperate, high-altitude forests, where temperatures are frequently extremely low.

It was once believed that Amur leopards inhabited the states where they naturally thrived in vast, dispersed populations. 

However, in the 1970s, habitat destruction, poaching, and a shortage of prey led to a steep decline in the population.

With a population size of slightly more than one hundred, the subspecies is critically threatened with extinction unless substantial protection measures are implemented.

Like other leopard subspecies, Amur leopards face threats such as habitat degradation, poaching, and trophy hunting that deviates from established protocols.

The Amur leopard population is believed to be relatively small despite inhabiting a substantial expanse along the eastern foothills of the East Manchurian Mountains (an arc separating Russia and China.)

Poaching Threats

The Amur leopard have dense, exquisite coats that help them survive the low temperatures of the area. Additionally, these jackets enhance their appeal to poachers, who can trade them for $500 to $1,000 in Russia.

Even more detrimental is that their forest regions frequently intersect with agricultural and residential zones. This increases their vulnerability to poaching and forces them to fight for prey with humans.

Leopards are forced to hunt for various farm livestock, including goats and calves. This prompts humans to hunt and kill them as a protective measure.

Land Fragmentation

By the 1970s, the Amur leopard’s range had decreased from 139,674 square miles (traditionally its habitat) to 27,788 square kilometers (farmland) due to deforestation, forestry, and land conversion.

The current extent of its range is a mere 2.96 percent, encompassing an estimated 4,134 square miles in the Russian Far East and northeastern China. Forest fires are also problematic as they convert forests, which leopards prefer, to arid plains. 

Furthermore, the limited natural population of Amur leopards poses a threat by increasing the likelihood of interbreeding, which can result in genetic complications and decreased birth rates.

Prey Competition

Hunting is a problem for the leopards, not only them but their prey too, which includes the deer. Without larger predators such as deer, moose, and wild boar, Amur leopards will occasionally pursue lesser mammals such as mice, birds, and rabbits.

Each of these are significant prey species, and their populations have the potential to disrupt a balanced ecosystem. The decline in prey to hunt prompts the leopard’s predators, the Siberian tigers, to pursue them instead. 

Conservation Efforts

Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) delineates numerous leopard species, including the Amur leopard. This designates them as a critically endangered plant and animal species on the list.

Consequently, CITES prohibits the international trade of Amur leopards’ coats, except for imports justified by scientific research or other non-commercial objectives.

Despite hunting, there is also the problem of degrading their natural habitats. Illegal logging, forest fires, road construction, agriculture, and industrial expansion cause this.

Amur leopards are adaptable to a wide variety of habitats. Much of Russia and China contain an abundance of suitable territory. 

Long-term protection for the Amur leopard could require an end to poaching and hunting for prey and restrictions on illicit logging.

A new study, however, indicates that efforts to protect Amur leopards are bearing fruit. Present estimates place the Amur leopard population in northeast China and Russia at least 120. Despite the efforts, the Amur leopard is still considered an endangered species.

Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus)

The Sumatran elephant is a subspecies of the Asian elephant exclusive to the Sumatran lowlands and jungles. 

It was an endangered species, but in 2011 it became critically endangered after losing over 69% of its habitat in twenty-five years.

The devastation represented one of the most rapid deforestation rates in the Asian elephant range, encompassing Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, at the time.

Sumatran elephants coexist with leopards, rhinoceroses, and orangutans, all facing imminent extinction. 

The elephants going extinct will have adverse effects on the Sumatra ecosystems. The elephants typically help in seed dispersal across the system. 

With them out of the picture, we will lose these beautiful elephants, and the ecosystem will be fragile and possibly collapse.

Deforestation and Loss of Habitat

The oil palm plantations and pulp and paper industry in the Riau province of Sumatra have contributed to some of the most rapid rates of deforestation on a global scale.

The elephant population has decreased by eighty percent in less than twenty-five years, and some groups can now only survive in tiny forest patches. 

The herds are greatly affected by deforestation. The population of elephant herds in the province of Lampung decreased from twelve in the 1980s to three by 2002. According to research, only two of the remaining herds remain viable.

Destruction of trees and the loss of suitable habitats for elephants have aggravated the conflicts between humans and elephants in Sumatra.

Elephants frequently seek food in human settlements, a behavior that can cause damage to crops and occasionally endanger humans. 

People residing in impoverished regions where agriculture is vital may resolve to kill the elephants in retaliation.

The elephant’s natural habitat is the Sumatran’s Aceh Province, but the population has been progressively declining due to excessive human contact.

Poaching

The Sumatran elephant tusks are way smaller in size in comparison to African or other Asian elephants. However, determined poachers persist in their efforts to poach them for their ivory. 

Even worse, poaching alters the sex ratio of elephants, making reproduction more difficult because tusks are exclusive to males.

Asian elephants are hunted for food, while the young are taken for ceremonials and entertainment.

Conservation Efforts

Protected landscapes, such as national parks and other conservation areas, ensure the safety of elephant habitats. 

They also provide long-term employment for locals by employing wildlife guardians to patrol and monitor the elephants’ forests.

Likewise, the Indonesian government must collaborate with other nations to establish regulations prohibiting palm oil companies from exploiting forests. 

Tesso Nilo National Park, established in 2004, is one of the few remaining forested areas large enough to accommodate a considerable population of Sumatran elephants.

It boasts of being one of the initial significant measures implemented to safeguard Sumatra’s critically endangered species. Still, the park occupies a mere quarter of the land that the local government had in mind.

The deforestation trend in Sumatra is increasing the likelihood that elephants will constantly invade human villages and agricultural land in search of food. Therefore, achieving a balance between the locals and elephants is crucial for the subspecies’ survival.

When devising efficacious strategies to mitigate animal conflicts, it is critical to consider the well-being and security of both Sumatran inhabitants and employees.

This may entail providing employment opportunities in the conservation industry and public awareness of how humans can coexist harmoniously with elephants.

They could also help the communities construct physical barriers and early warning systems. Establishing reinforced barriers and ecological corridors between human settlements and elephant habitats might mitigate future conflicts.

It is critical to safeguard elephant territory and ensure the elephants’ safety. Conservation teams are constantly patrolling the forests of central Sumatra, pursuing poachers, and even investigating wildlife-related offenses.

For instance, the UNESCO Rapid Response Facility program collaborates with local conservation organizations to search elephant habitats for traps and snares. 

In the first five months of 2014, environmentalists discovered 139 elephant snares in Aceh province alone, more than in 2013.

Conclusion

Now that we know what animals are going extinct in 2025, it’s clear that the extinction of an animal species is always an issue on a global scale.

At the same time, poaching garners considerable media attention, and pollution and ecosystem degradation also claim the lives of several animal species. 

At the rate of deforestation, climate change, and human activities, it is believed that one of every six species will go extinct. 

Presently, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has classified seventeen species as critically endangered, comprising six primates, two large cats, and three species of rhinoceroses. We wouldn’t want to have a repeat of what happened to the wooly mammoths, do we?