Tom Levitt, MSN Environment

Most endangered species in the world

The endangered fishing cat (Photo © Mathieu Ourioux)

The number of species at threat from extinction is critically high and never has our help been needed more to conserve the world's biodiversity.

The red list of threatened species is a snapshot of the most endangered animals and is put together by a coalition of bodies led by the IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Although we are discovering new species all the time, the list of endangered ones is also ever-increasing. Campaigners say it is not just animals that need protecting but also the habitats they live in.

"Within our lifetime hundreds of species could be lost as a result of our own actions, a frightening sign of what is happening to the ecosystems where they live," says Julia Marton-Lefèvre, IUCN Director General.

See below to find out more about the animal species most at risk or see a map of their locations.

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