Extinct in ten years?

Scientific American magazine added a new feature to its "IN FOCUS" section in May 2007: 10 Animals That May Go Extinct in the Next 10 Years. There's a Slide Show with photos and brief descriptions of the plight of these animals (listed below). There are four subspecies of Black Rhinoceros, and one of them, the West African Black Rhinoceros, may already be extinct in the wild according to a press release issued by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in June 2006.

Bactrian camel. Photo source.

Iberian Lynx Sumatran Orangutan Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat Wild Bactrian Camel Dama Gazelle Seychelles Sheath-Tailed Bat Chinese Alligator Black Rhinoceros Pied Tamarin Leatherback Turtle

In May 2007, the World Wildlife Fund released its top ten list of species needing urgent action to reduce threats from trade, noting that some of the species are among the most endangered. The continued existence of a great many species hangs in the balance over the next ten years. Differences of opinion between conservationists are simply about which ones are likely to go first.

1. Tiger: poaching and habitat loss.
2. Porbeagle (migratory shark): overfishing.
3. Sawfish: overfishing.
4. Spiny dogfish (rock salmon): overfishing.
5. Red and pink coral: over-harvesting and destruction by trawling nets.
6. Asian rhinos: poaching.
7. European eel: overfishing.
8. Elephants: poaching.
9. All great apes: poaching and habitat loss.
10. Bigleaf mahogany: illegal logging.