- [Narrator] How many species do you think go extinct every day? One, two, maybe three at a push? I'm sorry to break it to you, but according to scientists, as many as 200 species go
extinct every 24 hours. That means every year there
are up to 73,000 fish, insects, mammals, and plants we might never see again. So, we're currently living through one of the greatest mass extinctions since the dinosaurs died
off 65 million years ago. But while some of these creatures
are unique and beautiful, others are just downright weird. With that, let's take a look
at some really amazing animals on the verge of extinction. (bright music) The beautiful black-footed cat. What's the deadliest
predator you can think of? Is it a pack of wolves? Maybe a huge lion? Well, why don't you try this
little creature on for size. Despite its appearance, this isn't your neighborhood's local tabby out on a big adventure. It's Africa's black-footed cat, one of the most effective
killing machines in the world. Even though, fully grown, it's just about 20 inches long and weighs in at little over 4 pounds, the black-footed cat has an impressive hunting success rate of 60%. That puts it far ahead of wolves at 14% and even lions at 25%. But even though they can make a quick meal of many small mammals and birds, the black-footed cat is a
vulnerable creature itself. This is because farmed animals overgraze in the cat's natural habitat, which reduces the amount
of prey it has to hunt. Not only that, but poisons used to kill
locusts and larger predators like jackals and caracals have caused serious harm to the black-footed cat's population. So much so, it's believed less than 10,000
of these mature furry felines are left in the world. Well, at least little ones like
this have nine lives, right? Right? Incredible Irish wolfhound. Now, if you prefer dogs to cats, then this next animal will
be your big best friend. This is the Irish wolfhound, and it's been a resident of Ireland since the days of ancient Rome. On average, the Irish wolfhound
is the largest breed of dog in the world. It can weigh up to 180 pounds and measure as long as
seven feet from toe to tip. These absolute giants were
bred for a number of reasons, from hunting to warfare. In ancient battles the Irish wolfhound was
used to pull enemy soldiers off their horses, and in times of peace they
were used to cull wolves, hence their name. They were also used to
hunt big game such as boar and even elk. But as the number of wolves
and elk decreased in Ireland, so too did the demand
for such an enormous dog. By the early 1800s, the breed was in the process of dying out before a man named Augustus Graham made it his life's mission to save them. Graham bred the dogs for 20 years, focusing on preserving the breed's unique size and appearance, and managed to bring
them back from the brink. Today the Irish wolfhound
is still a rare breed considered vulnerable to extinction, and there's fear that their gene pool simply isn't diverse enough for them to continue much longer. Still, the fact that
there are any left at all may all be down to Augustus Graham, a man who was truly dog's best friend. Perfect pangolins. Hold on, back up. Is that an anteater wearing chain mail? Close, it's actually a pangolin. Found in Asia and parts of Africa, these armored animals
can weigh up to 73 pounds and have an incredibly strange anatomy. Their outer scales are made of keratin, the same stuff a rhino's
horn is made from, so they're super tough. When they're startled,
they roll up into a ball, completely covering themselves up to keep any predators at bay. A pangolin's armor is
reportedly tough enough to withstand a bite from a lion. And that's not all though. Pangolin's primarily
eat ants and small bugs which live in hard-to-reach crevices. As such, pangolins have
evolved long, weird tongues that can reach 15 inches in length. That's somehow creepy and cute. Though you may not have seen one before, this adorable animal is one of
the most trafficked creatures in the world. They're poached primarily
for their meat and scales, which are used for food and folk remedies. While exact worldwide
numbers aren't known, more than 200,000 of them are poached from the wild each year. That means even though there are eight different species of pangolin, all of them are currently
at risk of extinction. That's the kind of fact that just makes you want to
curl up into a ball and cry. Cute kakapo. Over in the forests of New Zealand is an animal often called the owl parrot, although, adorably, they
act more like owl cats. This fat, forest-dwelling
bird is the kakapo, the heaviest species
of parrot in the world, with adults weighing up to nine pounds. They were once a common
species in New Zealand, but when colonizers arrived they began hunting them and introduced new predators
into their habitat. There were as few as 51
kakapo left in the wild by the 1990s, and though there are now over 200 thanks to conservation efforts, that's still a critically
low number for a species. This is especially tragic as the kakapo is known to be a charming, friendly and trusting bird. They're so gentle, in fact, that when they're startled or scared, they tend to just freeze
in place wherever they are. What's even more heart-pulling
is that Kakapo can't fly, and only really use their wings to balance and parachute down
after climbing up trees. Their sweet nature may make
them seem like an ideal pet, but most parrots tend to live a long time, and the kakapo is no exception. Kakapo can live as long
as 90 years in the wild, so even if they are critically endangered, at least the few that are still around will be here a little while longer. Terrifying tarsiers. If you ever wanted to know
what Baby Yoda would look like covered in hair, you're in luck. This tiny, weird primate is the tarsier and it's found in the Philippines as well as other Southeast Asian islands. Their enormous, emerald eyes are their most striking characteristic and are so large they're actually as big as the creature's brain. Unlike most nocturnal animals, tarsiers don't have a reflective lens at the back of their eyes to
help them see in the dark. Instead, they've just evolved gargantuan, non-reflective eyes to take in as much light as possible, which is why they look so
wide-eyed and spooky at night. While their eyes are definitely their most distinctive feature, these creepy little tree-goblins have plenty of other unsettling traits. Being predators, they
have sharp, pointy teeth and fast hands. Tarsiers can even turn their
heads a full 180 degrees, and leap backwards from tree to tree. Sadly, the tarsier is endangered
due to logging and mining, along with being sold off
as pets on the black market. There are only between
5,000 and 10,000 tarsiers left in the Philippines. You may feel sorry for this animal, but imagine one leaping at
you backwards in the dark, with those teeth and creepy hands, ugh. Bizarre bald ibis. With a skull-like bald head,
spiky jet-black feathers around its neck, and a long, thin beak, the Northern bald ibis looks
more like a plague doctor from times of old than an actual bird. This ancient bird is
found in very dry climates like the Middle East and Northern Africa, with fossil records of its family dating back 60 million years. That means this bird's
ancestors were walking the Earth only a few million years
after the dinosaurs. Even though it's a relatively
averaged sized bird, measuring just over 30 inches
in height when fully grown, it was huge in Ancient Egyptian culture, with the birds featuring heavily in Ancient Egyptian artworks. Some archeologists speculate they were seen as messengers
from the other world. With the way these birds look,
you can hardly blame them. But even though they've been
around for millions of years, they might not be around for much longer. Climate change and human use of pesticides have reduced the bird's
population dramatically, and it is now believed
that less than 1,000 exist in the wild. Yikes, no wonder they look so grim. Amazing Mangalitsa pig. You might have heard of a
wolf in sheep's clothing, but what about a pig? This fine, fabulous, fluffy
creature is the Mangalitsa pig, and just like a sheep, it's got a fancy fleece coating its body. Native to Hungary, these perky pigs are the
result of interbreeding between regular farm pigs and Hungary's population of wild boar. The aim was to create a breed
of pig that was fat and large but didn't require as much
hands-on care as regular pigs. The result was a huge pig
that produced great meat, loads of lard, and an unusual, fuzzy fur. Thanks to their coats, these pigs are able to
thrive outside all year-long, even in the cold. Although the reason you've
probably never heard of them, let alone seen one before, is because they too very
nearly went extinct. In the industrial farming
boom of the mid-20th century, the Mangalitsa became a
less important livestock. They required lots of
space and time to grow, so farmers stopped rearing Mangalista pigs in favor of other breeds. By the 1990s, just 198 Mangalista pigs
were left in existence. Fortunately, forward-thinking
geneticist Peter Toth rescued what pigs he could and began raising and protecting them. Today, Hungary produces around 60,000 Mangalitsa piglets a year. This means they're just
out of extinction's reach, until the world gets a hunkering for incredibly flavorful
albeit furry bacon. Adorable Otterhounds. If you live in the UK and aren't currently being
swarmed by hundreds of otters, you can thank the Otterhound. The Otterhound is a large dog originally bred in the 1300s in England to hunt river otters. The dogs were very
effective at their jobs, as their webbed feet,
powerful legs, and tails made them excellent swimmers. They were bred for such a singular purpose that to this day they
make for difficult pets, as it's hard to control them once they pick up a scent
they're interested in. And, being fairly large dogs
at around 27 inches tall, they tend to require a lot of exercise. Oh, and they're very noisy. (dogs howling) Otter hunting was outlawed in the 1960s, after which many Otterhounds
were sadly put down. Since then, demand for the
dogs hasn't been very high, and there was less
interest in breeding them. Today, there are thought to
be fewer than 800 Otterhounds left in the world. These poor pooches seem to be victims of their own efficiency. Insane Indus River dolphin. There are few mammals that are as rare, strange and interesting as the Indus River dolphin. Only found in the lower parts
of the Indus River in Pakistan and River Beas in India, this dolphin species, which can grow up to 8.2 feet, has a sharper, nastier set of teeth than its ocean-dwelling brethren. The creature has up to 39
teeth in its upper jaw, and slightly fewer in its lower jaw, which it uses to efficiently snap up its river-dwelling prey. It's also unique in that
its eyes are so small, it's almost completely blind. They navigate by producing
sound from a fatty lump towards the top of the
head called the melon. When the sound waves bounce back, the dolphin uses them to create
a map of their surroundings, like they're seeing with sound. This echolocation is
apparently so precise, they can locate a kernel
of corn in the water from over 50 feet away. Talk about using your melon. The species is believed to have originated in the ancient Tethys Sea, an ocean that dried up
around 50 million years ago. As the sea slowly shrank, the dolphins were forced into smaller and smaller bodies of water. As if that weren't hard
enough on the poor creatures, dam construction and pollution has reduced their numbers even further. Today, it's believed there are only around 1,800 Indus River dolphins left. Looks like this dolphin is
close to being dol-phinished. Fantastic flapshell turtle. What you're looking at right now isn't the filling of a
grilled-cheese sandwich that spilled into someone's hands, it's a living thing. This is the yellow flapshell turtle, and it's pretty unique. The flapshell is a species of
turtle found in South Asia, which is distinctive for
its oval-shaped shell. While the flapshell
turtle is currently marked as a vulnerable species due to poaching, the yellow flapshell is
an even rarer variant that has only been seen
a few times in the wild. It's afflicted with a
rare genetic mutation which affects the amount of melanin, the pigment that colors living cells, that the creature produces. It's unknown whether this is albinism, a complete lack of melanin production, or leucism, a partial lack of melanin, but the end result is a turtle with a distinctive yellow coloring. It's a hugely rare sight, as only two have ever
been spotted in India. Personally, I can't
decide whether the turtle looks more like a slab of
butter or slice of cheese. Maybe they should rename
it the dairy shell turtle? Strange sage grouse. Now, this next animal is a real showboat. The sage grouse is what's
called an obligate inhabitant of America's sagebrush, and this means that it
cannot and does not live in any other habitat. They use sagebrush to hide from predators, shelter themselves from harsh weather, and they eat it's leaves and buds. You can rightly imagine what
will happen to them, then, if sagebrush itself is threatened. Sadly, infrastructure
and energy development has damaged the sage
grouse's habitat over time, with the Canadian population declining by a staggering 98% in the last 30 years. And by 2013 they were also eradicated from five of the 16 US
states they used to inhabit. But for all that, the sage grouse is a
textbook attention-seeker. Male sage grouse compete
for female attention in a stomping ground called a lek. The bird will strut around the place, puffing itself up, and inflating a strange sac in its chest. What's more, this dance and inflation creates a truly unique warbling noise to impress potential mates. (bird gurgling) Well, I know I'm impressed. Gorgeous golden tiger. Now, something as dramatic
sounding as a golden tiger can't actually exist, can it? Seriously, it sounds like the
name of an old kung-fu movie. Wait a minute. I knew it. Make no mistake though, what you're looking at right
now is a very real animal. These beautiful beasts are called golden tigers, strawberry tigers, and sometimes, adorably,
golden tabby tigers. Whatever you call them,
they're extremely rare, and there may be as few
as 30 in the entire world. Golden tigers have more
white on their bodies, along with patches of gold
and much lighter stripes than their typically
colored Bengal brethren. Here's a handy color chart when compared to a regular Bengal tiger. While they're drastically
different colors from all angles, they're still equally majestic. Though not an actual sub-species, the golden tiger is an exceptionally rare coloration of tiger whose appearance is caused by an incredibly rare recessive gene. In addition to the difference in color, golden tigers tend to be slightly bigger than their normal-colored counterparts, with denser and softer fur. As gorgeous as they look, just remember, these cuddly looking cats are actually golden-colored killing machines. Pig-nosed turtle. (chuckles) Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that these
turtles' unusual noses make it look like they're
constantly pressing their face up against glass. The appropriately-if-cruelly
named pig-nosed turtle can be found primarily in fresh water in Australia and New Guinea, where it can grow up to
27.5 inches in length and weigh up to 66 pounds. They're also known as the far
less mean fly river turtle but with a face like this, nobody's calling them that. However, the turtle's unusual snout is actually a survival tool. It allows the turtle to poke
its nose out of the water while the rest of it stays
submerged in the water, safe from predators. Their nose also helps them search for food in the murky waters they call home. Sadly, the endangered creature
is currently threatened due to its illegal trade on
the black market as a pet, and the sale of its eggs for food. I wonder if that's because
it tastes like bacon? Flat-headed cat. Would you rather be called
pig-nosed or flat-headed? Some poor animals just can't
catch a break with these names. This is the flat-headed cat, and it can be found in
Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Myanmar, and Thailand. This cat's diet consists mostly of fish, and its unusual shape
makes it a great fisher. Its large eyes, sloped head, and small ears are all great features for an animal that wants to
quickly dive into the water and ambush unsuspecting fish. The cat's molars are
also larger and sharper than many other felines, meaning they can chomp down and hold onto slippery fish with ease. The flat-headed cat also
has completely webbed feet. If you can believe it, another species of cat got the
name the fishing cat first, so our friend here was left with the goofy flat-headed cat moniker. Scientists can be so cruel, but other humans can be crueler. Devastatingly, it's one
of the most threatened species of cat in the world, as over 70% of its natural swampy habitat has been converted to
plantations and croplands. It's believed there are less
than 2,500 left in the wild, with that number quickly decreasing. This cat may be able to catch fish, but it can't catch a break. Dandie Dinmont Terrier. Meet the fabulously titled
Dandie Dinmont Terrier. If the name didn't tip you off, these dogs are very, very British. Bred in the 1700's to hunt small animals, these dogs were originally called mustard or pepper terriers, due to their unique coloring. They were bequeathed their fancy name by British author Sir Walter Scott, who wrote about a farmer
named Dandie Dinmont, who had six of the little rascals. At a little over 11 inches in height, and weighing up to just 24 pounds, these tiny terriers are undeniably cute. But sadly, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier is considered one of the rarest and most endangered
purebred dogs in the world. In 2015, only 79 Dinmont
puppies were born in the UK, with many speculations the dog
is now closer to extinction than the famously endangered panda. The reason for the small dog's demise is as simple as it is sad. It's just not popular anymore. Right now, designer dogs
and fancy crossbreeds like labradoodles and cockapoos are all the rage. Nobody wants these
little Dandie's anymore. But would you ever consider
giving one of these pups a home? Let me know in the comments. Soft-shelled turtle. If you had to name one fact,
off the top of your head, about turtles, what would it be? I think most people would answer that they have round, hard shells. In the case of the
soft-shelled turtle, however, it's the complete opposite. In fact, they kind of look like a pancake. A flat, fleshy, pancake. This is the narrow-headed
softshell turtle, and it's primarily found in the rivers of Pakistan and India. Though their reproductive
rates are fairly high, the turtle is widely sold
on the Asian black market for food and medicinal purposes, and if its sale is left unregulated it risks becoming extinct in
the not-so-distant future. If you didn't already
think this thing was weird, it can also grow up to four feet long. That's basically big enough to surf on. And though it may not look like it, this weird creature actually
has a fairly long neck. It hangs around at the bottom of rivers, placing itself flat against the ground. When a tasty-looking fish swims by, it quickly extends its
neck and gobbles it up. Can you imagine how
undignified it would be to get eaten by this thing? I'm sorry, but when it
comes to this thing's looks, there's just no way to soften the blow. Delightful dugong. These buoyant, beautiful, bulbous bodies belong to the one and only dugong. These pudgy, playful creatures can be found throughout
Indo-Pacific waters, but mainly near Australia's
northern coasts. The dugong is currently listed
as vulnerable to extinction due to loss of habitat and their long history of
being hunted for meat and oil. One of their close relatives, the Steller's sea cow, has already been hunted to extinction. Dugong's have been dubbed sea cows for their big, bulky bodies and habit of spending their
days grazing on sea grass. Speaking of which, it takes a lot of sea grass for dugongs to retain their healthy hourglass shape. With adults typically weighing
in at more than 550 pounds, a dugong will reportedly eat as much as 90 pounds of seagrass a day. That's like eating six
bowling balls worth of food every 24 hours. They don't eat anything else, either. These gentle giants are
strictly herbivores. Though dugongs are closely
related to manatees, their closest land relative
is, bizarrely, the elephant. I mean, I can sort of see
the family resemblance. Ghastly gharial. While they're one of the biggest species of crocodilians in existence, gharials might be one
of the oddest looking, yet least known, reptiles on the planet. The males of the species can
reach up to 20 feet in length, although that's not what
makes them stand out. Their thin, weird snouts
aren't just for show, they're a specialized piece of equipment engineered for their diets. Unlike alligators and crocodiles, gharials primarily eat fish and
creatures beneath the water. As their prey is more slippery and agile, gharials have evolved
to be fast and reactive. While their thin snouts mean their bite isn't all that powerful, they can cut through the
water and swim much faster than an alligator or a crocodile. They were once found across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar,
Nepal, and Pakistan. However, since the 1940s, the progressive destruction
of the gharial's habitat has seen its populations
decline by up to 98%, with around 250 left in the
wild in India and Nepal. Wow, it's hard to see what
this creature is smiling about. Roti Island snake-necked turtle. The Roti Island snake-necked turtle is a bizarre creature with a name that, ironically, fits perfectly with the "Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles" tune. These tiny turtles have a shell that can measure just over
nine inches in length. But their long necks
can be the same length as their shells. Other long necked turtle of this species, such as the broad shelled turtle, use these hilariously long necks to snap and lunge at passing prey. Their necks are so long, in fact, that they can't actually
withdraw them into their shells. Instead, they have to
tuck them off to one side. Kinda defeats the purpose
of having a defensive shell if you have to present your neck to a potential predator, no? Regardless, it can only be found on the island of Rote in Indonesia. However, this turtle's bright eyes, cute little face and long neck have worked against it. The animal is just too charmingly weird, and it's in high demand in
the international pet trade. This has pushed the strange turtle to the brink of extinction in the wild. Though it's unknown how many are currently
still alive as pets, those turtles won't exactly be breeding and increasing the wild population. Cowabummer, dude. Well, there you have it, a collection of curious critters all teetering on the very edge. Which animal was your favorite? And have you ever been lucky enough to see one of these endangered
creatures with your own eyes? Let me know down in the comments below, and thanks for watching. (bright music)
