Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)

There are fewer than 25,000 blue whales, the largest animals on the planet. Comprising several subspecies, blue whales are found in all of the world’s oceans. The current population is thought to have been reduced by up to 90% by whaling in the 20th century. Commercial hunting of the species was ultimately banned in 1966. The National Marine Fisheries Service of the U.S. spelled out a recovery plan in 1998.

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Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)

The best guess on the current population of Asian elephants, which inhabit 13 countries, is around 40,000–50,000. Over 50% of the population is concentrated in India. The flourishing human population there—and elsewhere in Asia—creates conflicts for space and resources. And while the tusks of Asian elephants are much smaller than those of their African counterparts, the Asian species is still poached for its ivory, meat, and skin.

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Snow leopard (Panthera uncia)

Though it’s called a leopard—and certainly resembles a frosted version of those spotted animals - the snow leopard is actually more closely related to the tiger, at least to genetic analysis. Probably fewer than 6,500 remain in the wild, though due to the remote mountainous terrain preferred by the species, and its elusive nature, data is hard to come by. The largest populations are in China and Mongolia, with significant populations in India and Kyrgyzstan as well. Its natural preys include blue sheep and ibex, but in some areas, it is heavily dependent on domestic animals. Poaching still constitutes a major threat to the species.

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Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

Between 1996 and 2008, the population of Tasmanian devils dropped to 60% due to a contagious cancer known as Devil Facial Tumour Disease. It continues to decrease the populations of the species, which only occurs on the Australian island of Tasmania. There may only be 10,000 wild individuals remaining. Captive breeding of uninfected individuals has been instituted and efforts have been made to develop a vaccine for the cancer, which is thought to have stemmed from mutated cells from a single specimen.

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Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)

“Orangutan” is Malaysian for “person of the forest.” Though morphologically they may resemble melted Muppets more than people, their sophisticated cognitive abilities are very human indeed. Like gorillas and chimpanzees, they have been known to use tools. Due to logging and capture for the exotic pet trade, orangutans—restricted to the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra—number is fewer than 60,000 according to 2004 study. Unlike other great apes, they are usually solitary or live in groups of fewer than three, making them difficult to track and study.