SANTIAGO, Chile â Hannah, a 13-year-old white rhinoceros, has delivered a newborn calf in a rare zoo birth for the almost-endangered species.
The arrival of the male calf, named Silverio, late last month marked only the third time a white rhino was born in South America. The Buin Zoo in Chile's capital of Santiago unveiled Silverio to the public as he took his first giant-footed steps after 12 days of medical care in confinement.
The zoo hailed his birth as a âbig achievementâ for conservationists worldwide. Over the past year, only eight other southern white rhinos have been born.
![Chile Zoo White Rhino](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/d3/2d32c108-36cd-5224-b22b-bc5c0526307c/6684a9fac8cbc.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/d3/2d32c108-36cd-5224-b22b-bc5c0526307c/6684a9fac8cbc.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/d3/2d32c108-36cd-5224-b22b-bc5c0526307c/6684a9fac8cbc.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/d3/2d32c108-36cd-5224-b22b-bc5c0526307c/6684a9fac8cbc.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/d3/2d32c108-36cd-5224-b22b-bc5c0526307c/6684a9fac8cbc.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/d3/2d32c108-36cd-5224-b22b-bc5c0526307c/6684a9fac8cbc.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/d3/2d32c108-36cd-5224-b22b-bc5c0526307c/6684a9fac8cbc.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1133 1700w)
Silverio, a 12-day-old white rhino, stands next to his mother Hannah during his presentation Tuesday at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile. The baby rhinoâs birth is the third of this nearly endangered species born at the Buin. Â
The director of Buin Zoo explained that a recent string of failed rhino romances had dashed the hopes of conservationists attempting to breed the species across the continent. But Hannah and Oliver â a pair of southern white rhinos shipped to Santiago all the way from sub-Saharan Africa just over a decade ago â hit it off, producing three calves in this one zoo.
âThere are several zoos in Latin America that have a rhino pair and did not manage to reproduce,â said zoo director Ignacio Idalsoaga. âWe are contributing with a ninth calf to a species that has only a few left in the wild.â
A team of veterinarians closely monitoring Silverio declared him healthy Tuesday.
The success story comes as fewer and fewer white rhinos roam the African plains. Northern white rhinos have effectively gone extinct, although the international scientific community has started to revive the species through assisted reproduction and stem-cell research.
![APTOPIX Chile Zoo White Rhino](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/d0/1d097a9c-d5ef-52a9-bcf4-8db04cce786c/6684a9f83ae9d.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/d0/1d097a9c-d5ef-52a9-bcf4-8db04cce786c/6684a9f83ae9d.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/d0/1d097a9c-d5ef-52a9-bcf4-8db04cce786c/6684a9f83ae9d.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/d0/1d097a9c-d5ef-52a9-bcf4-8db04cce786c/6684a9f83ae9d.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/d0/1d097a9c-d5ef-52a9-bcf4-8db04cce786c/6684a9f83ae9d.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/d0/1d097a9c-d5ef-52a9-bcf4-8db04cce786c/6684a9f83ae9d.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/d0/1d097a9c-d5ef-52a9-bcf4-8db04cce786c/6684a9f83ae9d.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1133 1700w)
Silverio, a 12-day-old white rhino, runs next to his mother Hannah during his presentation Tuesday at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile. Over the past year, only eight other southern white rhinos have been born.
![Chile Zoo Rhino](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/ad/1ad8b82e-4300-5022-a238-8dcdee53b479/6684a9ffe8275.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/ad/1ad8b82e-4300-5022-a238-8dcdee53b479/6684a9ffe8275.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/ad/1ad8b82e-4300-5022-a238-8dcdee53b479/6684a9ffe8275.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/ad/1ad8b82e-4300-5022-a238-8dcdee53b479/6684a9ffe8275.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/ad/1ad8b82e-4300-5022-a238-8dcdee53b479/6684a9ffe8275.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/ad/1ad8b82e-4300-5022-a238-8dcdee53b479/6684a9ffe8275.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/ad/1ad8b82e-4300-5022-a238-8dcdee53b479/6684a9ffe8275.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1133 1700w)
Silverio's birth at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile, is a âbig achievementâ for conservationists worldwide; there are just over 10,000 individual southern white rhinos left in the world, the vast majority of them in zoos.
Southern white rhinos, the northern's close cousin and a more common species, have been classified as ânearly endangeredâ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the worldâs main scientific authority on the status of species. There are just over 10,000 individual southern white rhinos left in the world, the vast majority of them in zoos.
That's still a major improvement from the turn of the 19th century, when the species was hunted to near oblivion. Intensive conservation efforts in the last few decades pulled southern white rhinos away from the brink of extinction, a rare example of robust recovery in the face of peril.
But that could change, conservationists say, as hunters continue to kill rhinos for their horns and the mammals can struggle to reproduce in captivity, with a gestation period of 18 months and often more than one male needed to stimulate reproduction.
![Chile Zoo White Rhino](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/8e/d8efd7a5-5462-533d-87f9-5ca12daa2224/6684a9fd5f147.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/8e/d8efd7a5-5462-533d-87f9-5ca12daa2224/6684a9fd5f147.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/8e/d8efd7a5-5462-533d-87f9-5ca12daa2224/6684a9fd5f147.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/8e/d8efd7a5-5462-533d-87f9-5ca12daa2224/6684a9fd5f147.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/8e/d8efd7a5-5462-533d-87f9-5ca12daa2224/6684a9fd5f147.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/8e/d8efd7a5-5462-533d-87f9-5ca12daa2224/6684a9fd5f147.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/8e/d8efd7a5-5462-533d-87f9-5ca12daa2224/6684a9fd5f147.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1133 1700w)
Little Silverio's success story comes as fewer and fewer white rhinos roam the African plains. Northern white rhinos have effectively gone extinct, although the international scientific community has started to revive the species through assisted reproduction and stem-cell research.
Humans are the only predators to rhinos, reports the international conservation union, with hunters killing an estimated 1,000 rhinos a year. It says that roughly 17 rhinos are born each year.
14 endangered or threatened species that play crucial roles
Monarch butterflies
Updated![Monarch butterflies](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/f1/af182962-e4ef-52b0-b077-9b60775b86e0/62d94271da96e.image.jpg?resize=200%2C150 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/f1/af182962-e4ef-52b0-b077-9b60775b86e0/62d94271da96e.image.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/f1/af182962-e4ef-52b0-b077-9b60775b86e0/62d94271da96e.image.jpg?resize=400%2C300 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/f1/af182962-e4ef-52b0-b077-9b60775b86e0/62d94271da96e.image.jpg?resize=540%2C405 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/f1/af182962-e4ef-52b0-b077-9b60775b86e0/62d94271da96e.image.jpg?resize=750%2C563 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/f1/af182962-e4ef-52b0-b077-9b60775b86e0/62d94271da96e.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C900 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/f1/af182962-e4ef-52b0-b077-9b60775b86e0/62d94271da96e.image.jpg?resize=1662%2C1247 1700w)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been petitioned to determine the endangered status of monarch butterflies, which pollinate wildflowers that support ecosystems.
Cork oak
Updated![Cork oak](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/64/a649ab78-e012-554e-96b8-1d81ce118373/62d94275a9a45.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/64/a649ab78-e012-554e-96b8-1d81ce118373/62d94275a9a45.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/64/a649ab78-e012-554e-96b8-1d81ce118373/62d94275a9a45.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/64/a649ab78-e012-554e-96b8-1d81ce118373/62d94275a9a45.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/64/a649ab78-e012-554e-96b8-1d81ce118373/62d94275a9a45.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/64/a649ab78-e012-554e-96b8-1d81ce118373/62d94275a9a45.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/64/a649ab78-e012-554e-96b8-1d81ce118373/62d94275a9a45.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1133 1700w)
The tree from which wine corks come is home to endangered species like the Iberian lynx and Iberian Imperial Eagle, according to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature. The industry that makes wine corks is environmentally sustainable and provides a home for these creatures, but the rise in artificial wine corks threatens the trees and the shelter they create. While the trees themselves arenât endangered, threats to the cork industry threaten the endangered species that call these trees home.
Bats
Updated![Bats](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c3/1c34dda5-9d74-543c-84ea-e86dbe25ffc2/62d9427907925.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c3/1c34dda5-9d74-543c-84ea-e86dbe25ffc2/62d9427907925.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c3/1c34dda5-9d74-543c-84ea-e86dbe25ffc2/62d9427907925.image.jpg?resize=400%2C266 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c3/1c34dda5-9d74-543c-84ea-e86dbe25ffc2/62d9427907925.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c3/1c34dda5-9d74-543c-84ea-e86dbe25ffc2/62d9427907925.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c3/1c34dda5-9d74-543c-84ea-e86dbe25ffc2/62d9427907925.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C799 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c3/1c34dda5-9d74-543c-84ea-e86dbe25ffc2/62d9427907925.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1132 1700w)
Many bat species consume insects, including agricultural pests. Many also pollinate plants and disperse seeds. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists 24 bat species as critically endangered, three as endangered and 104 as vulnerable.
Sharks
Updated![Sharks](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/db/1db63fca-9d3e-5117-ad88-003ed3f0ac65/62d9427c58adf.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/db/1db63fca-9d3e-5117-ad88-003ed3f0ac65/62d9427c58adf.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/db/1db63fca-9d3e-5117-ad88-003ed3f0ac65/62d9427c58adf.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/db/1db63fca-9d3e-5117-ad88-003ed3f0ac65/62d9427c58adf.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/db/1db63fca-9d3e-5117-ad88-003ed3f0ac65/62d9427c58adf.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/db/1db63fca-9d3e-5117-ad88-003ed3f0ac65/62d9427c58adf.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/db/1db63fca-9d3e-5117-ad88-003ed3f0ac65/62d9427c58adf.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1133 1700w)
As a top predator, sharks maintain population levels in their environment. Shark populations are threatened by overfishing and bycatch (being caught accidentally by fishers fishing for other species). Scalloped and great hammerhead sharks are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Bees
Updated![Bees](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/83/b83ac04e-31e0-5427-a2a0-399b36cacfd9/62d9427fdcb8e.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/83/b83ac04e-31e0-5427-a2a0-399b36cacfd9/62d9427fdcb8e.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/83/b83ac04e-31e0-5427-a2a0-399b36cacfd9/62d9427fdcb8e.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/83/b83ac04e-31e0-5427-a2a0-399b36cacfd9/62d9427fdcb8e.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/83/b83ac04e-31e0-5427-a2a0-399b36cacfd9/62d9427fdcb8e.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/83/b83ac04e-31e0-5427-a2a0-399b36cacfd9/62d9427fdcb8e.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/83/b83ac04e-31e0-5427-a2a0-399b36cacfd9/62d9427fdcb8e.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1133 1700w)
Between $235 billion and $577 billion in annual food production relies on pollinators like bees. Colony collapse disorder and pesticides threaten bee populations, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Although many species of bees are not officially endangered, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added seven species of bees native to Hawaii to the endangered species list in 2016.
Whales
Updated![Whales](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/4a/b4ac0d2c-df04-5977-8cad-c45893898934/62d94283e6279.image.jpg?resize=200%2C121 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/4a/b4ac0d2c-df04-5977-8cad-c45893898934/62d94283e6279.image.jpg?resize=300%2C182 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/4a/b4ac0d2c-df04-5977-8cad-c45893898934/62d94283e6279.image.jpg?resize=400%2C242 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/4a/b4ac0d2c-df04-5977-8cad-c45893898934/62d94283e6279.image.jpg?resize=540%2C327 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/4a/b4ac0d2c-df04-5977-8cad-c45893898934/62d94283e6279.image.jpg?resize=750%2C454 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/4a/b4ac0d2c-df04-5977-8cad-c45893898934/62d94283e6279.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C727 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/4a/b4ac0d2c-df04-5977-8cad-c45893898934/62d94283e6279.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1030 1700w)
Many large whales serve their ecosystem by managing populations and distributing nutrients by feeding deep in the ocean and disposing of waste closer to the surface, according to the University of Vermont. Six of the 13 great whale species are listed as endangered.
Cacti
Updated![Cacti](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/0b/30bc6032-b666-5246-8199-631b39ed599a/62d942875dfa4.image.jpg?resize=200%2C139 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/0b/30bc6032-b666-5246-8199-631b39ed599a/62d942875dfa4.image.jpg?resize=300%2C209 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/0b/30bc6032-b666-5246-8199-631b39ed599a/62d942875dfa4.image.jpg?resize=400%2C278 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/0b/30bc6032-b666-5246-8199-631b39ed599a/62d942875dfa4.image.jpg?resize=540%2C375 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/0b/30bc6032-b666-5246-8199-631b39ed599a/62d942875dfa4.image.jpg?resize=750%2C521 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/0b/30bc6032-b666-5246-8199-631b39ed599a/62d942875dfa4.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C834 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/0b/30bc6032-b666-5246-8199-631b39ed599a/62d942875dfa4.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1182 1700w)
Cacti are an important source of food and water to desert animals. Illegal collection of seeds and plants threatens cacti, and so does habitat loss. The IUCN lists 25 species of cacti as endangered and 27 as critically endangered.
African teak
Updated![African teak](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/1f/81f86637-e59d-5c6c-8c83-5f95e023ed0e/62d9428b20c6d.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/1f/81f86637-e59d-5c6c-8c83-5f95e023ed0e/62d9428b20c6d.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/1f/81f86637-e59d-5c6c-8c83-5f95e023ed0e/62d9428b20c6d.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/1f/81f86637-e59d-5c6c-8c83-5f95e023ed0e/62d9428b20c6d.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/1f/81f86637-e59d-5c6c-8c83-5f95e023ed0e/62d9428b20c6d.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/1f/81f86637-e59d-5c6c-8c83-5f95e023ed0e/62d9428b20c6d.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/1f/81f86637-e59d-5c6c-8c83-5f95e023ed0e/62d9428b20c6d.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1133 1700w)
The African teak is a tree that grows up to about 50 yards tall and is used for boat building, joinery, flooring and decoration, according to WWF. It is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Gorillas
Updated![Gorillas](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/c9/9c91f1c1-ef85-5c5c-8e7c-3833a1fba572/62d9428f3da1d.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/c9/9c91f1c1-ef85-5c5c-8e7c-3833a1fba572/62d9428f3da1d.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/c9/9c91f1c1-ef85-5c5c-8e7c-3833a1fba572/62d9428f3da1d.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/c9/9c91f1c1-ef85-5c5c-8e7c-3833a1fba572/62d9428f3da1d.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/c9/9c91f1c1-ef85-5c5c-8e7c-3833a1fba572/62d9428f3da1d.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/c9/9c91f1c1-ef85-5c5c-8e7c-3833a1fba572/62d9428f3da1d.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/c9/9c91f1c1-ef85-5c5c-8e7c-3833a1fba572/62d9428f3da1d.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1133 1700w)
Gorillas are important to biodiversity, spreading seeds of the fruit they eat as they roam through large areas. All subspecies of gorilla are considered either endangered or critically endangered by the IUCN.
Coral
Updated![Coral](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d9/0d957b86-7bbf-5b6b-822c-767ba691a997/62d94294d75cb.image.jpg?resize=200%2C150 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d9/0d957b86-7bbf-5b6b-822c-767ba691a997/62d94294d75cb.image.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d9/0d957b86-7bbf-5b6b-822c-767ba691a997/62d94294d75cb.image.jpg?resize=400%2C300 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d9/0d957b86-7bbf-5b6b-822c-767ba691a997/62d94294d75cb.image.jpg?resize=540%2C405 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d9/0d957b86-7bbf-5b6b-822c-767ba691a997/62d94294d75cb.image.jpg?resize=750%2C563 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d9/0d957b86-7bbf-5b6b-822c-767ba691a997/62d94294d75cb.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C900 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d9/0d957b86-7bbf-5b6b-822c-767ba691a997/62d94294d75cb.image.jpg?resize=1662%2C1247 1700w)
There are 22 coral species listed as threatened and three listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Coral reefs not only provide habitats for an entire ecosystem, but they also protect coastlines from erosion and storm damage and provide nutrients to marine life.
Sea otters
Updated![Sea otters](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/41/64112c1e-131f-5220-9b01-5183407637d7/62d942997d0cc.image.jpg?resize=200%2C125 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/41/64112c1e-131f-5220-9b01-5183407637d7/62d942997d0cc.image.jpg?resize=300%2C187 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/41/64112c1e-131f-5220-9b01-5183407637d7/62d942997d0cc.image.jpg?resize=400%2C250 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/41/64112c1e-131f-5220-9b01-5183407637d7/62d942997d0cc.image.jpg?resize=540%2C337 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/41/64112c1e-131f-5220-9b01-5183407637d7/62d942997d0cc.image.jpg?resize=750%2C469 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/41/64112c1e-131f-5220-9b01-5183407637d7/62d942997d0cc.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C750 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/41/64112c1e-131f-5220-9b01-5183407637d7/62d942997d0cc.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1062 1700w)
Sea otters are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They are considered vital to their ecosystem, partially because they eat sea urchins, which would otherwise destroy kelp forests, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Tuna
Updated![Tuna](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/4b/c4b421b1-9fe9-5921-9cbb-0321acf4fe8e/62d9429d611c1.image.jpg?resize=200%2C134 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/4b/c4b421b1-9fe9-5921-9cbb-0321acf4fe8e/62d9429d611c1.image.jpg?resize=300%2C201 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/4b/c4b421b1-9fe9-5921-9cbb-0321acf4fe8e/62d9429d611c1.image.jpg?resize=400%2C269 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/4b/c4b421b1-9fe9-5921-9cbb-0321acf4fe8e/62d9429d611c1.image.jpg?resize=540%2C363 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/4b/c4b421b1-9fe9-5921-9cbb-0321acf4fe8e/62d9429d611c1.image.jpg?resize=750%2C504 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/4b/c4b421b1-9fe9-5921-9cbb-0321acf4fe8e/62d9429d611c1.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C806 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/4b/c4b421b1-9fe9-5921-9cbb-0321acf4fe8e/62d9429d611c1.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1142 1700w)
Tuna is a highly commercially valuable fish. Some species, particularly the endangered bluefin tuna, have been hit hard by overfishing.
Polar bears
Updated![Polar bears](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/78/c78b6edd-bff3-502f-a88d-2c6359e4fd55/62d9429f7bfaa.image.jpg?resize=200%2C169 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/78/c78b6edd-bff3-502f-a88d-2c6359e4fd55/62d9429f7bfaa.image.jpg?resize=300%2C254 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/78/c78b6edd-bff3-502f-a88d-2c6359e4fd55/62d9429f7bfaa.image.jpg?resize=400%2C338 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/78/c78b6edd-bff3-502f-a88d-2c6359e4fd55/62d9429f7bfaa.image.jpg?resize=500%2C423 540w)
At the top of the food pyramid in the arctic, polar bears play an important role in managing marine populations. Their International Union for Conservation of Nature status is vulnerable, one step above endangered.
Orangutans
Updated![Orangutans](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4c2190-d3aa-503d-afa9-07855ae61e8b/62d942a324012.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4c2190-d3aa-503d-afa9-07855ae61e8b/62d942a324012.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4c2190-d3aa-503d-afa9-07855ae61e8b/62d942a324012.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4c2190-d3aa-503d-afa9-07855ae61e8b/62d942a324012.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4c2190-d3aa-503d-afa9-07855ae61e8b/62d942a324012.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4c2190-d3aa-503d-afa9-07855ae61e8b/62d942a324012.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4c2190-d3aa-503d-afa9-07855ae61e8b/62d942a324012.image.jpg?resize=1700%2C1133 1700w)
Similar to gorillas, orangutans improve biodiversity by spreading seeds of fruit they eat. The Tapanuli orangutan is the most endangered great ape, with no more than 800 alive, according to the WWF.