One of the greatest threats that exist today is that many species of birds and animals across the world face extinction. There is a threat of losing their habitat due to the natural forces or by other human activities like farming, deforestation, over-grazing etc which result in major climatic and habitat changes. Areas that have these special and rare species of animals need to be taken care of in an extraordinary way to ensure that they do not face extinction and be wiped out from the face of the earth some day. There are numerous animals endangered, they are both small and large animals and many need some serious action taken to remain protected.

Of these the lesser known but seriously endangered animals are the Tapirs and Ibex. Tapirs are seen in small groups in the Central American and Malaysian rain forests. They have short legs, heavy body, round ears, tiny eyes and small trunk-like structure on their mouth. They have very short body hair, and their main diet consists of shrubs, grass, roots etc. The American variety is brown or gray in color while the Malaysian one is blacker with white patterns. They are usually shy and when spotted hide under water. Since they cannot run fast they fall prey easily to other carnivorous animals.

The ibex is a kind of wild goat found on the mountain slopes, rocks and meadows of Asia, North East Africa and Europe. Their front legs are shorter than their back legs. Both male and female ibexes have horns, and their fur has a yellowish brown color during winter that turns gray in the summer. They live in small groups and are herbivorous. They can leap to about 40 feet. They are becoming extinct mostly due to the hunting activities for amusement or sport by man. These are considered to be protected by the Italian government. Unless we act now, we may not be able to save these rare animals.

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