Vaquita

• Poulation: About 10
• Location: Nothern Part of Gulf of California
• Current Conservation Status: Critically Endenagered

The Vaquita is currently the rarest animal in the world, and quite possibly the most endangered, with only about 10 individuals left in the wild. That estimate comes from a report published by the IUCN in early 2019 that stated that only about 10 vaquitas remained alive in 2018, as per an acoustic monitoring program conducted in the Gulf, though there is a 95% chance they number between 6 and 22. Since the Vaquita was first discovered in 1958, its numbers have always been pretty low. Vaquitas are the smallest species of porpoise and easily get caught in gillnets (nets that catch fish by their gills) used by illegal fishing operations. Also Vaquitas have such a small population because they are only found in one area of the world, the northern part of the Gulf of California. Additionally, there are no Vaquita in captivity and there is currently no successful breeding program to help bring their numbers back up.

Black-Footed Ferret

• Poulation: 300-400
• Location: Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana, USA
• Current Conservation Status:Endenagered

The population of the Black-footed Ferret sharply declined throughout the 20th century and was declared extinct in 1979. A few years later, in 1981, the Black-footed Ferret was re-discovered by a dog in Wyoming. That remaining population only survived until 1987 and the Black-footed Ferret was extinct in the wild again. Since then, a captive breeding program was launched by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and thousands of Black-footed Ferrets were re-released in Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana throughout the last few decades. While, the program has mostly been a success, recent updates only put the wild Black-footed Ferret population between 300 to 400 individuals.

Saola

• Poulation: About 250
• Location: Annamite Range of Vietnam and Laos
• Current Conservation Status: Critically Endenagered

Of all the animals on this list, none are as mysterious as the Saola, which has been aptly dubbed the “Asian Unicorn.” So little is known about the Saola that there is no real data on the elusive animal’s current population. Because the Saola has only been seen in the wild a handful of times since its remains were first discovered in 1992, population estimates wildly vary from as little as 25 individuals to as many as 750. However, researchers believe that the Saola population is much lower, and most likely less than 250.