Endangered

The pygmy hippopotamus (or Hexaprotodon liberiensis) is a species of medium-sized mammal that lives in the rainforests and swamps of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. They have grey-brown skin, small ears and sturdy legs with four-toed feet, and can usually be found near rivers, where they spend most of their time wallowing and sleeping. On average they are between 75 to 100cm tall, 150 to 175cm long and weigh between 180 and 275kg.

The okapi (or Okapia johnstoni) is a secretive species native to the dense forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They have a distinctive appearance with a grey-white face, dark brown coat across their torso, as well as bright white stripes across their legs and hindquarters. The sexes differ slightly as the males also have small horns, whereas females have whorls of hair in the equivalent area. Both average 1.4 to 1.6m tall and 2.4 to 2.6m long.

Native to both Central and Southeast Asia, the Indian or Asian elephant (or Elephas maximus indicus) is a species distinguishable by a distinctive trunk, small ears, and grey skin with pink mottling around the face. They are smaller than their African counterparts, with males reaching an average height of 2.75m and weighing 4000kg, compared to the female average of 2.40m and 2400kg. They are large herbivores and live in a variety of different environments, including forests, grasslands and mountains, wherein they feed on tree leaves, bark and grasses.

The Goliath frog (or Conraua goliath) is an extremely large species that lives in the African rainforests of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, specifically in the fast-flowing rivers and streams. It can be green to dark brown in colour, with a paler underbelly, large yellow eyes, and may also have small, ridged bumps on its skin. Males are larger than females, weighing between 0.6 and 3kg and measuring between 17 and 30cm long. The species is endangered due to being over-hunted for food, as trophies and by the pet trade.

The golden poison frog (or Phyllobates terribilis) is a species of poison dart frog endemic to the rainforests of the Pacific Coast of Colombia. Although being called ‘golden’ frogs, they are actually found in mint green, yellow and orange colour morphs. All variants measure an average of 50 to 55mm and have extremely poisonous skin that’s used as a defense mechanism against predators, while their bright colouration acts as a warning signal to potential threats.

Bonobos (or Pan paniscus) live in the forests and wetlands of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and are most closely related to the common chimpanzee (or Pan troglodytes). Out of any species in nature, these two types of ape have the most DNA in common with humans. Bonobos have pink lips and dark, forward-facing eyes, small ears, a flat nose with wide nostrils, as well as black hair. Male bonobos are larger than females – averaging 73 to 83cm tall and weighing 39kg – whereas a female stands 70 to 76cm tall and weighs 31kg.

The Bengal tiger (or Panthera tigris tigris) is native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Western China. It can live in all kinds of environments, including grassland, forests and mangroves, and will hunt large prey such as cloven-hoofed animals like goats, deer and cows (collectively known as ungulates). The Bengal tiger can be identified by its bright orange coat and brown or black stripes, along with a large head, muscular limbs and large teeth.

Baird’s tapir (or Tapirus bairdii) is an endangered mammal native to the woodlands of Central America. It’s one of five species of tapir – four of which live in Central and/or South America. Males and females are similar sizes,  although females are slightly larger, and both have a dark brown to black coat, as well as a pale chin and chest when fully grown. Calves, meanwhile, are tan with white spots and stripes; their colouration provides them with camouflage in the dappled light of the woodland where they live.

African wild dogs (or Lycaon pictus) are also known as African hunting dogs or painted wolves. They live throughout sub-Saharan Africa – the continent has several different populations and five subspecies in total. The dogs are slim and tall in comparison to other canines, with extremely large rounded ears and distinctive colouration. Generally they have yellow and black mottled fur with white patches on their legs, chest and tail, however this varies on the subspecies. Some may also have a spot-like patterning on parts of their body.