Top 5 Rarest Animals in the World

Endangered, rare, precious, hunted, traded, no matter what you say, these animals have the least chances of survival of all the creature's on earth. They are at the verge of extinction. This is the list of the 5 rarest and most endangered animals in the world.

The Iberian Lynx is the rarest cat species in the world today. Once found all over Spain and Portugal, the Iberian Lynx is now limited to Andalusia, Spain. The Iberian lynx is smaller than other lynx species and measures about 80 to 110 cm long, stands 60-70 cm tall and weighs about 12.9 kg.

With decreasing habitat, declining numbers of rabbits which are its main prey and illegal hunting, the Iberian Lynx is at the verge of extinction. Studies done in 2005 showed that only 400 lynx existed in the area. After wide conservation projects initiated by the Spanish Government, it is hoped that the conditions will improve for this beautiful cat.

The Red wolf is one of the most endangered species in the world. Red wolves are one of the two species of wolves in the world and is at the verge of extinction. The red wolf is smaller than the grey wolf with 4.5-5.5 ft long, around 26 inches tall, and weighs 50-80 pounds.

In 1973, the red wolf was declared endangered and by 1980 it was officially declared extinct in the wild. Thanks to an extensive breeding program, there are currently 100 red wolves alive in the world. Habitat loss, severe weather, deaths by motor vehicles and illegal hunting are the threats facing the red wolves.

The pygmy tarsier or the mountain tarsier is the rarest primate in the world. Occuring in Sulawesi in Indonesia, the pygmy tarsier was thought to have become extinct in the early 20th century until in 2008, four pygmy tarsiers were found by a research team.

This weird and strange animal is 90-105 mm and weighs less than 2 ounces. The pygmy tarsiers are the only carnivorous primates (insectivorous, to be precise). It is nocturnal (active at night) and spends most of the day sleeping on branches.

The Baiji, or the Chinese River Dolphin is a freshwater dolphin found only in the Yangtze River in China. The population of Baiji declined dramatically after the industrial growth of China and the use of rivers for transportation and fishing. In 2006, after the failure of an expedition to find a Baiji in the river, it was declared extinct. But in April 2007, a Chinese Businessman caught a Baiji in his digital camera to show the world that there is still some chance to save this beautiful creature.

Nicknamed "Goddess of the Yangtze", the Baiji is very close to extinction as there are only about 13 living specimen left.

The rarest animal on earth is the Pinta Island tortoise with only a single living specimen. Meet George, the only living Pinta island Tortoise. The Pinta Island Tortoise was thought to be extinct until the 1960's when a specimen was discovered by rangers in Galapagos Islands. It was named George. George is 90 years old and weighs 198 pounds and is at the Charles Darwin Research station in Galapagos. Poor lonesome George has no mate and the Charles Darwin Research Station has announced a reward of $10,000 for anyone who finds a female for George. So start your search. May be the next Pinta Island Tortoise is waiting for you.