US NewsClimate change is becoming a defining issue of 2020

From polar bears to elephants and frogs to wombats, climate change is threatening the existence of several species of terrestrial and marine animals across the world. These creatures are being hit hard by disappearing habitats, warming oceans, droughts and wildfires. Check out some of these endangered animals.

All data taken from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and correct as of April 12, 2019.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: 2,154-3,159

Found mainly in the forests of tropical Asia (with a subspecies in the eastern forests of Russia), the biggest threat these big cats face is poaching; everything from their skin to body parts is valued highly in the illegal wildlife trade. In addition, vast stretches of its habitat are now subject to rapid urbanization and/or conversion to agricultural use.

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IUCN status: Vulnerable

Number of mature individuals: 2,710-3,386

Snow leopards are found in the mountainous regions of the Himalayan and Tibetan plateaus, at elevations of at least 9,840 feet (3,000 meters). Like their larger cousins, the tigers, the snow leopard is at risk from poaching. The demand from China and Eastern European markets drives this threat; poachers kill the animals for their skin, bones and body parts. They also face threats from declining prey numbers, climate change and habitat degradation.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: 50-249

Native to Canada and the U.S. (regionally extinct in Mexico), the Whooping Crane’s only (known) self-sustaining breeding population is in Canada’s Northwestern Territories/Alberta region. Although the population trend signs are encouraging, over-hunting, habitat conversion, drought, storms, flooding and human encroachment still pose a major threat to its existence in the wild.

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IUCN status: Vulnerable

Number of mature individuals: 500-1,000

Found primarily in China’s Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces (they were once found throughout southern China and even as far down as Southeast Asia), the panda’s present range is punctured by human settlements, resulting in highly fragmented and isolated populations. Infrastructure development (construction of roads, mining for resources and creation of dams), climate change, severe weather (drought and temperature extremes), wood harvesting, mining and quarrying has further threatened its fight for survival.

IUCN status: Vulnerable

Number of mature individuals: 100,000-500,000

Found primarily throughout northeastern, central and southeastern Queensland, Australia, at first glance the koala may not seem particularly endangered. There are large populations in the wild, these populations aren’t fragmented, and they aren’t all in one part of the country.

However, the general population trend is decreasing (including the numbers of mature individuals) and existing populations are threatened by habitat destruction, bushfires, diseases, climate change, droughts and human encroachment. Koalas were once hunted for their fur, with millions killed; the hunting took place as recently as the mid-20th century.

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IUCN status: Vulnerable

Number of mature individuals: 2,575

Found in the riverine grasslands along the Terai and Brahmaputra Basins, the Indian Rhinoceros (also called Greater One-horned Rhino and the Great Indian Rhinoceros) faces several severe threats, including invasion of its feeding range by alien plants, habitat loss (reduction in grasslands and wetlands) and encroachment by human communities and their domestic livestock. The rhino also faces threats from storms and flooding as well as poachers looking to cut off and sell its horn on the illegal wildlife market.

IUCN status: Vulnerable

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

Despite drastic reductions in wild populations, African elephants are found across sub-Saharan Africa. They can be found in a variety of habitats, ranging from the deserts of Mali to the rainforests of central and West Africa. The largest wild populations are in southern African countries like Botswana and South Africa.

The African elephant has been hunted to the brink of extinction for its ivory and meat. Poaching for illegal markets remains the biggest challenge to its survival in the wild. Factors like droughts as well as habitat loss and fragmentation of habitat due to human encroachment don’t help its chances.

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IUCN status: Critically endangered

Number of mature individuals: N.A

Orangutans are the largest arboreal mammals in the world. Native to Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as in four of the five Indonesian provinces of Kalimantan (North, East, Central and West Kalimantan), orangutans face a number of threats to their existence. These include habitat loss, illegal hunting, habitat fragmentation, forest fires and climate change (habitat shifting and alteration).

IUCN status: Vulnerable

Number of mature individuals: 2,890,400

Found across the Arctic regions of the U.S., Canada, Finland, Norway and Russia, caribou are threatened by the destruction of forests and unregulated hunting. In addition, the effects of climate change are felt more keenly in the Arctic than most other parts of the world and changes like the melting of snow and rising water levels could severely impact their population levels.

IUCN status: Vulnerable

Number of mature individuals: 6,674

Cheetahs are found in eastern and southern African parks, while their distribution in Asia is limited to central deserts of Iran. They face threat from fragmentation and habitat loss, hunting, infectious diseases and unregulated tourism.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

Native to Australia, the reasons for decline in corroboree frog's population are largely unknown. However, the possible factors have been listed as invasive exotic plant species, excavation by feral pigs and change in weather patterns.

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IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

Found along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Japan, this member of the weasel family faces threat from oil spills, severe weather, periodic climatic events (storms and flooding) and predation by killer whales, great white sharks or coyotes.

IUCN status: Critically endangered

Number of mature individuals: 80

Found in Australia, the species declined due to broad-scale habitat destruction, competition with sheep and cattle mainly during droughts, loss of genetic variation and predators.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

Native to China's Xinjiang, it is speculated that increase in grazing pressure and climate change are the causes of decline in their population.

(Pictured): A digital illustration of an Ili Pika (Ochotona iliensis)

IUCN status: Vulnerable

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

Found in the Arctic Circle (Canada, Russian Federation, Alaska, Greenland and Norway), the species are threatened due to erratic weather changes, shift in main food sources, changes in pathogen evolution and co-infections with multiple agents.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: 1,200

Found in Galapagos, Ecuador, this species is mainly threatened due to climate change, disease outbreaks, oil spills and predation.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

Found in most tropical (and sometimes subtropical) waters across the world, Green turtles are native to a number of countries on the coasts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. They are, however, regionally extinct in the Cayman Islands and Mauritius.

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They are highly migratory animals – both males and females travel – traveling across ocean zones and over thousands of miles. This, unfortunately, increases the chances of population loss of a species that is already susceptible to human involvement in its lifespan. From getting caught in fishing nets to having its eggs and hatchlings stolen for human consumption, Green turtles face severe threats. Habitat degradation in the marine environment could also adversely affect green turtle populations.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

Also called the Black Right Whale, the North Atlantic Right Whale used to be found on both sides of the North Atlantic. Now, however, it appears to be extinct from the eastern part of the ocean. In the western part, it migrates from off the Florida coast along the eastern seaboard, ranging as far north as Iceland and Norway.

Today, it faces threats from entanglement in fishing nets of trawlers and fishing ships, as well as collision with ships off the eastern U.S. coast and pollution (excess energy).

IUCN status: Near threatened

Number of mature individuals: 38,000-52,000

Native to Canada, Greenland, Russia Federation, Svalbard and Jan Mayen and the U.S., the population of these birds is being affected by climate change, loss of sea ice and hunting. In addition, diamond mining in Canada and oil spills at sea are also causing habitat degradation and disturbance to breeding colonies.

IUCN status: Vulnerable

Number of mature individuals: 1,12,500

Native to Canada, Greenland, Russian Federation, Svalbard and Jan Mayen and the U.S., wild populations of the walrus are threatened by global warming, sedimentation from industrial development and oil pollution that impact most of their diet.

IUCN status: Vulnerable

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

Found in warm coastal waters between East Africa and the islands of Vanuatu (off Australia's eastern coast), including the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the major threats faced by the species are hunting, boating activities, damage/modification of habitat, chemical pollution (oil spills) and climate change (storms and flooding).

IUCN status: Critically endangered

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

Native to western central Atlantic, this species (Acropora cervicornis) faces a major threat from factors such as disease, loss of habitat, climate change, temperature extremes, fisheries, pollution, human recreation and tourism activities.

IUCN status: Near threatened

Number of mature individuals: 1,600,000

These birds are mainly found in Canada, Japan, Mexico, Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. and Marshall Islands. There has been a significant decline in their population due to fisheries, illegal high seas driftnet operations, habitat shifting and alteration, oil spills, plastic ingestion, lead poisoning and human disturbance.

IUCN status: Vulnerable

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

Native to Syria and Turkey, the population of this species is declining due to habitat loss caused by increased human settlements.

IUCN status: Vulnerable

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

Found mainly in Bulgaria, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Serbia and Ukraine, these birds are facing threats due to hunting, habitat shift/loss and climate change.

IUCN status: Critically endangered

Number of mature individuals: 23-200

Native to Eritrea and Ethopia in East Africa, the major threat these animals face is being hunted for food and the use of its body parts in traditional medicine. In addition, limited access to drinking water and food – a function of both climate change and human encroachment – are also threats to their survival.

IUCN status: Critically endangered

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

They are native to Colombia. Hunting and habitat loss are the major reasons for the decline in their population. In addition, the lowland forests in the Andean Mountains are being destroyed by commercial logging.

IUCN status: Critically endangered

Number of mature individuals: 950

Found in China's Xinjiang territory and Mongolia, the population of these camels is declining due to predation by wolves due to reduction in water points (oases) and droughts as well as hunting.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: 1,300-4,000

Native to most countries in Africa (wild populations in Angola, Somalia and Yemen are classified as vagrant), the main threat to these birds is habitat loss. Specifically, it is the loss of wetlands as they are converted to rice fields.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: 2,500

Native to Bhutan, India, Nepal and Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar, wild populations of the Asian Buffalo (also called Wild Water Buffalo) are threatened by inbreeding with domestic animals and habitat loss and degradation, in addition to being hunted by humans for food.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: 632

Native to Hawaii in the U.S., the seals' existence is threatened by limited food supplies (due to climate changes affecting ocean conditions), entanglement with marine debris (often thrown by humans) and predation by sharks.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: 197

Found in Ethiopia and also called Simien Fox and Simien Jackal, the population of these species is declining due to factors such as habitat loss, the building of infrastructure like roads and the increasing presence of commercial sheep farms.

IUCN status: Critically endangered

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

The species is found in the western central Atlantic, including Bermuda, Florida, Bahamas, Caribbean Sea and along the southern coast to Venezuela. The major threats faced by them are heavy fishing and loss of quality coral reef habitat caused by climate change.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: 178

Native to China, the existence of these species is threatened due to significant cultural changes, military exercises, competition with livestock, increasing land use pressure, hunting and climate change-influenced events like droughts, temperature extremes, storms and flooding.

IUCN status: Critically endangered

Number of mature individuals: 180-500

As the name suggests, the birds are native to Philippines. They are mainly threatened due to forest destruction and fragmentation, uncontrolled hunting and severe weather events such as storms and flooding.

IUCN status: Critically endangered

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

These species are native to India's Jharkhand and West Bengal states. Habitat loss and degradation as well as incidents of smuggling threaten the survival of this species.

IUCN status: Critically endangered

Number of mature individuals: Unknown

Found in very restricted areas of north-central Vietnam, the threats faced by the species include hunting (for the purpose of traditional medicine), quarrying for limestone and loss of forest cover, which can adversely impact the climate.

IUCN status: Critically endangered

Number of mature individuals: 240-456

Originating along the Chukotsk peninsula and southwards to the isthmus of the Kamchatka peninsula in north-eastern Russia, these birds migrate down the western Pacific coast through countries like Japan, China, North Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, to its main winter grounds in Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar. The major threats faced by them includes hunting, climate change and associated habitat shifts.

IUCN status: Endangered

Number of mature individuals: 50,000

Native to Namibia and South Africa, the population of these species has declined due to food shortage, oil spill, human disturbance and climate change (habitat shifting and alteration) and climate-induced food shortage (shift in fish stocks).

Since 1992, the frozen continent has lost more than 3.3 trillion tons of ice, resulting in rise in global sea levels by a quarter inch (0.63 centimeters), according to a study published in the journal Nature. Researchers estimate that the rate at which ice is lost has soared from 73 billion metric tons per year in 2007 to 219 billion tons in 2017 – a triple increase that could increase sea levels six inches (15.2 centimeters) by 2100.

The west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most rapidly warming parts of the planet. This has affected the distribution of penguin colonies along the coast as sea ice conditions have changed, reports Discovering Antarctica. Melting snow has seen increased plant coverage. Many glaciers have retreated and ice shelves have collapsed.

The world’s largest tropical rainforest (it covers approximately 40 percent of the continent) has not only experienced rising deforestation but also extreme drought that has left it susceptible to fires, says a report published by the United Nations Environment Program. Entire species of vegetation and animals are on the brink of extinction.

The saltwater lake has shrunk by a third over the last 40 years since development in the region started. Sinkholes are appearing where the water has receded, while mineral extraction by cosmetic companies has further eroded it. Rainfall in the region has declined and a study conducted by Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory found that thousands of years ago, when temperatures were similarly rising, the entire region suffered a megadrought worse than any ever recorded.

One of the oldest living organisms in Africa, these trees can live up to 3,000 years and are often called “the tree of life.” However, over the past 12 years, five of the six largest and nine of the 13 oldest have died, either completely or partially. According to a study published in Nature Plants, this may be due to climate change. “We suspect the demise of monumental baobabs may be associated at least in part with significant modifications of climate conditions that affect southern Africa in particular,” the report says.

Popular with tourists, this coastal city came perilously close to literally running out of water early in 2018. The situation forced officials to restrict the amount of water an individual, home or building could use in a day. At their most extreme, these restrictions capped daily usage at a maximum of 50 liters per person.

As of December 2018, the mayor’s office has raised that limit to 105 liters but other rules, like the flushing of toilets (only with greywater or non-drinking water, and only when absolutely necessary) remain in force.

Locals have slowly come to accept the flooding of Piazza San Marco (pictured) and other low-lying areas of the city but, with ocean levels rising, Venice is inundating further. The city of canals is sinking fast enough to become uninhabitable by the end of this century, scientists at the Venice in Peril fund have warned.

The largest coral reef in the world, covering more than 132,973.5 square miles (344,400 square kilometers), has started showing signs of damage due to rising ocean temperatures. Vast regions have experienced coral bleaching – a condition where the coral turns white and is prone to mass death. A report by the ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies found that around 93 percent has experienced bleaching to some degree.

The winemaking region has sprawling vineyards that are slowly being affected by increasing temperatures. In a profession where even a small degree change can cause differences in the produce, or even completely ruin it, a report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences forecasts an 85 percent decrease in wine production in the combined Bordeaux, Rhone and Tuscany region.

Erratic rainfall and increasing desertification, accompanied by intense droughts, have pushed temperatures so high in the north African country that harvests are being ruined. Warming temperatures have rendered farmlands unsuitable and will continue to affect the country’s food security, according to a report published by the World Food Program and the UK Met Office. Gigantic dust storms called haboob (pictured) have also become more commonplace in recent years.

The city is made up of a mainland and a series of islands that are all at risk of flooding with increasing sea levels. To prevent that, efforts are on to build an artificial mega city, named Eko Atlantic, on reclaimed land and then build a seawall. Researchers like environmental writer Martin Lukacs have named this “climate apartheid,” as the wall will push storm surges from more affluent locales to neighboring unprotected areas.

Floods during the Atlantic hurricane season have caused increasing damage in the archipelago. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates sea levels will rise 15 inches (38 centimeters) over the next 30 years, submerging many parts of the city.

The coastal city is growing so quickly it has been unable to consider the harm it is causing to the ecosystem. With increased rainfall, it is increasingly prone to floods and downpours, causing $47.3 million worth of damages in just the area surrounding the Msimbazi River, according to the World Bank.

Researchers at the University of Exeter have found that elevated surface ocean temperatures during the 2016 El Niño led to a major coral die-off event in the Maldives. Further rise in temperatures due to global warming will only worsen the situation of the coral reefs, scientists warn.

In Russia’s far north, permafrost is melting as the weather has become increasingly unpredictable. Giant craters (pictured) are forming as frozen grounds start thawing. The winter season has shortened and unusually warm temperatures caused an outbreak of anthrax in 2016. “Such anomalous heat is rare for Yamal, and that’s probably a manifestation of climate change,” said Alexei Kokorin, head of WWF Russia’s climate and energy program.

The Arctic is warming at almost twice the global average with sea ice disappearing from the ecosystem. While this has made the waters more navigable through the Northwest Passage, it is also contributing to a rise in global sea level. In the future, this could make Arctic fisheries disappear and harm the coastline, according to the WWF.

Situated along the Atlantic Coast, the city’s coastline, and specifically the harbor areas, are experiencing high erosion rates, according to news reports. The Ebrie lagoon has also become increasingly polluted and this has led to the loss of fisheries. Heavy and untimely rains are also threatening cocoa growers in the region.

Over the last 150 years, snowfall in south-central Alaska has increased dramatically by 117 percent due to climate change, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. Another report, by the Alaska Division of Public Health, states that additional diseases, lower air quality from more wildfires, melting permafrost, and disturbances to local food sources are some of the outcomes of climate change affecting the area.

A mild 2007 winter in the region allowed Asian tiger mosquitoes to breed and when a tourist returned from India with chikungunya, the mosquitoes became the carriers of the new disease. According to the WHO, this was the first European outbreak of a tropical disease. The localized epidemic was repeated in 2017. In a study that year, researchers at the University of Bayreuth reported the spread of the virus was facilitated by climate change and that the "risk of infection will continue to increase in many regions of the world through the end of the 21st century. If climate change continues unchecked, the virus could even spread to southern Europe and the U.S."

The changing monsoon season that has caused intense flooding in the economic capital over the past decades has been attributed to climate change in a report published by global development research resource Eldis. The World Bank found that changing rainfall patterns in India was one of many impacts of climate change. "An extremely wet monsoon that currently has a chance of occurring only once in 100 years is projected to occur every 10 years by the end of the century," according to the report.

The 2.69 million people of the city have been battered by unseasonable typhoons and torrential rains that cause extensive floods. If temperatures continue to rise, the entire commercial region of Osaka could go under water by the 2070s, predict the Union of Concerned Scientists.

One of the most famous skiing regions in the world, the Alps stretch across eight countries. Due to their low altitude, they have seen significant snow melt during shorter winter periods over the years. Around three percent of Alpine glacial ice is lost per year and experts from the University of Innsbruck in Austria believe the glaciers could disappear by 2050 if the melting continues.

One of the largest ice fields in the world is receding at shockingly fast speeds. A Nature Geoscience paper found that accelerated melting ice fields account for nearly 10 percent of the global sea-level change from mountain glaciers. Over the last few years, dozens of glacier lakes have virtually disappeared.

These Pacific island nations are slowly being submerged and, by 2100, many of the lower islands could be uninhabitable, news agencies have reported. The Pacific Climate Change Science Program study found Tuvalu (pictured) would not only see a rise in sea level but also more extreme rainfall and intense cyclones. Five reef islands in the Solomon Islands have already been lost, while another six are eroding quickly.

Once home to over 150 glaciers, Montana’s majestic park now has just about 26 left. Scientists, including those from the U.S. Geological Survey, believe rapid climate change could see that number shrink to zero between 2030 and 2080, which would not only leave the park without a glacier but also severely disrupt its ecosystem.

Flooding every rainy season is becoming a common event on the Caribbean island. The reefs around the area have been mined to build up the islands to prevent sinking, reported Reuters. A scientist from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute quoted in the report said, “It’s another example that climate change is here, and it’s here to stay.” The report also cites natives are prepared to relocate if the rise in sea level continues.