What are the Different Endangered African Animals?
Some of the most endangered African animals are the chimpanzee, cheetah and African elephant. Many more species are under the threat of becoming extinct, such as the black rhinoceros and Ethiopian wolf. Several species of gazelle are endangered as well. The constantly changing terrain and environment of Africa's wild animal habitats are being threatened. This change is a fundamental aspect of why many wildlife species are on the brink of extinction.
The African lion population has diminished over the years, placing this species on the endangered African animals list. The most threatened 'big cat' of all endangered animals in Africa, however, is the cheetah. Since this animal is threatened by and often becomes easy prey for lions and hyenas, the numbers are dwindling fast. The cheetah is the fastest land mammal on Earth, but apparently not fast enough to escape the threat of human hunters, also responsible for the reduction in their population.

The African elephant is another African animal that faces potential extinction. They are hunted for the valuable ivory that is made from their tusks. Another reason for this animal becoming an endangered species is due to some cultures in certain areas of the continent actually eating the elephant's meat.
The chimpanzee is one of the endangered African animals of the central parts of the continent. They face a threat mainly due to their tropical forest habitats, which have been invaded by humans. Conservation groups have been struggling for many years to help preserve the chimpanzee population. Catching chimps in the wild and selling them as pets is illegal and another major concern for conservationists. Mass slaughtering of chimps for their meat in local areas of the continent is illegal and another reason for the potential threat of extinction.

Farmers in certain areas of Africa have set traps or put down poisons to eradicate a concern of leopards invading their property. This is a contributing factor for the African leopard becoming one of the common endangered African animals. Another equally crucial factor in placing this species on the endangered list is due to the hunting. Trappers kill leopards for their distinctive fur coats.
African wild dogs are notorious killers that can hunt down large prey, and because of this, farmers have taken to poisoning these animals in an effort to protect their land and livestock. This, in turn, contributes to the diminishing numbers of this species. Therefore, the African wild dog is on the endangered species list.
There are organizations dedicated to promoting public awareness of species of animals which are on the verge of extinction. Funding for conservation efforts is another effort to help this cause. Many projects may offer potential solutions.
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Discussion Comments
@umbra21 - I don't know how much disasters contribute to African endangered animal lists, to be honest, compared with just general negligence and greed or mismanagement.
For a modern world we still do an awful lot of poaching for mystic cures like rhino horn and it seems like there is no end in sight.
Education seems to be the most important aspect of the change that is needed if Africa's animals are to survive.
@Ana1234 - It is a tough situation, because you can hardly just ignore or forcibly relocate people in order to save endangered turtles or whatever.
I think the only real solution is to try not to get into that kind of situation in the first place and to make sure that infrastructure is being tended to, rather than just short term issues like food and water.
I guess the other thing is to make sure someone is looking out for the ecosystem in an area, as well as the people specifically, whenever there is a disaster.
I lived in West Africa for a while and I've got to say that one of the threats to endangered species over there is actually misplaced philanthropy. It's a difficult situation, because often what happens is that there is a drought or some other kind of disaster and the people who live there want to continue living there.
Other countries don't want them to starve so they get all kinds of food and water aid as well as medical aid, so they can continue to live on land that has also suffered from the disaster. And they end up putting too much pressure on the land to the point where it can't recover. I mean, if the people in the area are desperate for food and water they will also be competing with any endangered mammals or other species they live near. And people will generally win most competitions for survival.
So you end up ruining the ecosystem permanently. And that means not only that animals go extinct, but that people end up trapped in a cycle where they can no longer live without aid from others.
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