Picture yourself being in a zoo or any other sort of animal enclosure. If you ask around about the animals you see, there is a big chance that you will be told that most, if not all of them came from Africa.

Movies and television series have us picture Africa as a picturesque continent full of wildlife, exotic plants, and a host of indigenous tribes with their own unique traditions and rituals. While this may be true, the continent is no stranger to the worldwide demand to keep up with the times. Therefore, Africa is also no stranger to the fact that there are certain species being pushed to the brink of extinction as an effect of urbanization.

1. The White Rhinocerous

The Northern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) is one of these endangered animals. This massive creature is one of the five species of Rhinoceros that still exist.

The reason why it is known as the “White” Rhinoceros is due to mere misinterpretation; back then, when asked about this creature, the Afrikaans speaking locals would use the word ‘wyd’ – derived from the Dutch ‘wijd’ – referring to its wide mouth

English settling in South Africa at the time heard ‘wyd’ as ‘White’, and that is where it all started. The Northern White Rhinoceros comes from the east and central parts of Africa in particular.

This creature is hunted mostly for its horn which is used for necklaces, if not for traditional medicine. Despite intervention from conservationist groups, poachers have hunted this particular species well near extinction; it is said that there are only thirteen northern white rhinos alive as of 2007.

2. The Cheetah

The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) can run, but it may not be able to hide from being included in the list of extinct animals. It is famous as being the fastest land animal, putting many cars to shame with its ability to start from 0 to 110 kilometers per hour in three seconds.

The Cheetah’s body seems to be naturally constructed for speed and agility, making it a very efficient hunter.

Inbreeding, or reproduction performed by close relatives, has been a major setback to the Cheetah’s survival as a species.

3. The Cuvier’s Gazelle

Another example of an endangered animal is Cuvier’s Gazelle. Named for the French naturalist and zoologist Georges Cuvier, this particular species of gazelle is known for the black spot above its nose, among other distinct marks.

It is rare in the sense that it is the only species of its kind that is native to North Africa, in the areas above the Sahara Desert to be specific.

Humans are likely to hunt Cuvier’s Gazelle for its meat and skin.

Also, the growing demand for domestic livestock such as sheep and goats results in stiffer competition with this species for choice grazing spots, limiting their options in finding areas to feed and flourish.

As of 1997, it was estimated that there are only 500 to 1500 of these species left in the wild.

5. The African Elephant

The African Elephant is also being pushed into extinction. Known as the largest living land animal, it has a sloping head, and larger ears and tusks compared to its Asian counterpart.

The African Elephant, which can easily consume up to 225 kilograms of fruit, grass, and leaves in a day, is divided into two subspecies: The African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana), and the African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis).

The differences between the two are merely on the physical aspect – The African Forest Elephant tends to have rounder ears and is significantly smaller than its counterpart.

This species as a whole has many threats to its survival. African Elephant calves have chances of dying in a drought, or falling prey to lions and crocodiles. Adults are always vulnerable to the human hunter wishing to shoot them for its meat and tusks, which are used for piano keys and billiard balls. The known number of these elephants dropped from 300,000 in 1970 to 10,000 in 2006.

It is no wonder that you may see some of these creatures the next time you visit the zoo. They are not only there for display, but for preservation. While environmentalist groups and governments are fighting to push animals away from extinction not only in Africa but in the rest of the world, that Northern White Rhinoceros, African Elephant, Cheetah, or Cuvier’s Gazelle that you see behind iron bars may be thinking about a time when they can roam, not only freely, but safely.

If nothing more is done to stop the exploitation of these creatures, then those thoughts may never come true.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 27th, 2007 at 6:44 am and is filed under Africa. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.