So, I’ve been working on a little project, a visual reminder of a fantastic day I spent at Chester Zoo. I’ve created a collage of some of the incredible animals I encountered, and looking at it now, it strikes me just how wonderfully diverse the animal kingdom is. Let me tell you a little bit about the stars of my zoo adventure!
First up, the magnificent Sumatran Tiger. Just look at those bold, black stripes against the fiery orange – a true masterpiece of nature’s design! Did you know that these tigers are critically endangered, with fewer than 400 estimated to be left in the wild? Their stripes aren’t just for show either; like human fingerprints, no two tigers have the same pattern, helping them blend seamlessly into the dappled light of their rainforest home in Indonesia. Seeing one up close is both breathtaking and a stark reminder of the urgent need for conservation.
Next in my collage is the almost otherworldly Parson’s Chameleon. This guy was a serious showstopper! Hailing from the island of Madagascar, these chameleons are among the largest in the world, and their colour-changing abilities are simply mesmerizing. But here’s a cool fact: they don’t change colour to camouflage themselves as much as to communicate! Their skin reflects their mood, temperature, and even their mating intentions. And those incredible, independently moving eyes? They can look in two different directions at once, giving them a full 360-degree view of their surroundings – talk about being aware of your environment!
Then we have the surprisingly charismatic Wild Boar. Often seen as a more common creature, these sturdy animals are actually incredibly intelligent and play a vital role in their ecosystems, from Europe to Asia. Their tough snouts are powerful tools for rooting around in the soil for food, and they live in complex social groups called sounders, often led by a dominant female. They’re a reminder that even the creatures we might see as less “exotic” have fascinating lives and intricate social structures.
Finally, my collage features the elegant Red Forest Duiker. This beautiful antelope, with its rich, reddish-brown coat, is a more secretive resident of the forests of Central and West Africa. Their name “duiker” comes from the Afrikaans word for “diver,” which perfectly describes their habit of diving into dense undergrowth when threatened. They’re also surprisingly adaptable, with a diet that includes fruits, leaves, and even insects. Spotting one of these shy creatures felt like a real privilege, a glimpse into the quieter corners of the zoo’s diverse collection.
Putting this collage together has been a lovely way to relive my day at Chester Zoo and to really appreciate the sheer variety of life our planet supports. It’s a powerful reminder of the importance of zoos in conservation, education, and inspiring us all to care for these incredible animals and their fragile habitats. What animals have you encountered that have left a lasting impression? I’d love to hear about your own wild adventures!
List of 100 Endangered Species.
Tap here for a list of 100 endangered animals and plants.
100 Endangered plant and animal species
* Abies beshanzuensis (Baishan fir) – Plant (Tree) – Baishanzu Mountain, Zhejiang, China – Three mature individuals
* Actinote zikani – Insect (butterfly) – Near São Paulo, Atlantic forest, Brazil – Unknown numbers
* Aipysurus foliosquama (Leaf scaled sea-snake) – Reptile – Ashmore Reef and Hibernia Reef, Timor Sea – Unknown numbers
* Amanipodagrion gilliesi (Amani flatwing) – Insect (damselfly) – Amani-Sigi Forest, Usamabara Mountains, Tanzania – < 500 individuals
* Antisolabis seychellensis – Insect – Morne Blanc, Mahé island, Seychelles – Unknown numbers
* Antilophia bokermanni (Araripe manakin) – Bird – Chapado do Araripe, South Ceará, Brazil – 779 individuals
* Aphanius transgrediens (Aci Göl toothcarp) – Fish – south-eastern shore of former Lake Aci, Turkey – Few hundred pairs
* Aproteles bulmerae (Bulmer’s fruit bat) – Mammal – Luplupwintern Cave, Western Province, Papua New Guinea – 150
* Ardea insignis (White bellied heron) – Bird – Bhutan, North East India and Myanmar – 70–400 individuals
* Ardeotis nigriceps (Great Indian bustard) – Bird – Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya, India – 50–249 mature individuals
* Astrochelys yniphora (Ploughshare tortoise) – Reptile – Baly Bay region, northwestern Madagascar – 440–770
* Atelopus balios (Rio Pescado stubfoot toad) – Amphibian – Azuay, Cañar and Guyas provinces, south-western Ecuador – Unknown numbers
* Aythya innotata (Madagascar pochard) – Bird – volcanic lakes north of Bealanana, Madagascar – 80 mature individuals
* Azurina eupalama (Galapagos damsel fish) – Fish – Unknown numbers – Unknown numbers
* Bahaba taipingensis (Giant yellow croaker) – Fish – Chinese coast from Yangtze River, China to Hong Kong – Unknown numbers
* Batagur baska (Common batagur) – Reptile (turtle) – Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia – Unknown numbers
* Bazzania bhutanica – Plant – Budini and Lafeti Khola, Bhutan – 2 sub-populations
* Beatragus hunteri (Hirola) – Mammal (antelope) – South-east Kenya and possibly south-west Somalia – < 1,000 individuals
* Bombus franklini (Franklin’s bumblebee) – Insect (bee) – Oregon and California – Unknown numbers
* Brachyteles hypoxanthus (Northern muriqui / Woolly spider monkey) – Mammal (primate) – Atlantic forest, south-eastern Brazil – < 1,000
* Bradypus pygmaeus (Pygmy three-toed sloth) – Mammal – Isla Escudo de Veraguas, Panama – < 500
* Callitriche pulchra – Plant (freshwater) – pool on Gavdos, Greece – Unknown numbers
* Calumma tarzan (Tarzan’s chameleon) – Reptile – Anosibe An’Ala region, eastern Madagascar – < 100
* Cavia intermedia (Santa Catarina’s guinea pig) – Mammal (rodent) – Moleques do Sul Island, Santa Catarina, Brazil – 40–60
* Cercopithecus roloway (Roloway guenon) – Mammal (primate) – Côte d’Ivoire – Unknown numbers
* Coleura seychellensis (Seychelles sheath-tailed bat) – Mammal (bat) – Two small caves on Silhouette and Mahé, Seychelles – < 100
* Cryptomyces maximus (Willow blister) – Fungi – Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom – Unknown numbers
* Cryptotis nelsoni (Nelson’s small-eared shrew) – Mammal (shrew) – Volcán San Martín Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico – Unknown numbers
* Cyclura collei (Jamaican iguana / Jamaican rock iguana) – Reptile – Hellshire Hills, Jamaica – Unknown numbers
* Daubentonia madagascariensis (Aye-aye) – Mammal (primate) – Deciduous forest, East Madagascar – Unknown numbers
* Dendrophylax fawcettii (Cayman Islands ghost orchid) – Plant (orchid) – Ironwood Forest, George Town, Grand Cayman – Unknown numbers
* Dicerorhinus sumatrensis (Sumatran rhino) – Mammal (rhino) – Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, Kalimantan and Sumatra, Indonesia – < 100 (more recent estimates suggest 34-47)
* Diomedea amsterdamensis (Amsterdam albatross) – Bird – Breeds on Plateuau des Tourbières, Amsterdam Island, Indian Ocean. – 100 mature individuals
* Dioscorea strydomiana (Wild yam) – Plant – Oshoek area, Mpumalanga, South Africa – 200
* Diospyros katendei – Plant (tree) – Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve, Uganda – 20 individuals in a single population
* Dipterocarpus lamellatus – Plant (tree) – Siangau Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia – 12 individuals
* Discoglossus nigriventer (Hula painted frog) – Amphibian – Hula Valley, Israel – Unknown numbers
* Dombeya mauritiana – Plant – Mauritius – Unknown numbers * Elaeocarpus bojeri (Bois Dentelle) – Plant (tree) – Grand Bassin, Mauritius – < 10 individuals
* Eleutherodactylus glandulifer (La Hotte glanded frog) – Amphibian – Massif de la Hotte, Haiti – Unknown numbers
* Eleutherodactylus thorectes (Macaya breast-spot frog) – Amphibian – Formon and Macaya peaks, Masif de la Hotte, Haiti – Unknown numbers
* Eriosyce chilensis (Chilenito (cactus)) – Plant – Pta Molles and Pichidungui, Chile – < 500 individuals
* Erythrina schliebenii (Coral tree) – Plant – Namatimbili-Ngarama Forest, Tanzania – < 50 individuals
* Euphorbia tanaensis – Plant (tree) – Witu Forest Reserve, Kenya – 4 mature individuals
* Eurynorhyncus pygmeus (Spoon-billed sandpiper) – Bird – Breeds in Russia, migrates along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway to wintering grounds in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar – 100 breeding pairs
* Ficus katendei – Plant – Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve, Ishasha River, Uganda – < 50 mature individuals
* Geronticus eremita (Northern bald ibis) – Bird – Breeds in Morocco, Turkey and Syria. Syrian population winters in central Ethiopia. – About 3000 individuals
* Gigasiphon macrosiphon – Plant (flower) – Kaya Muhaka, Gongoni and Mrima Forest Reserves, Kenya, Amani Nature Reserve, West Kilombero Scarp Forest Reserve, and Kihansi Gorge, Tanzania – 33
* Gocea ohridana – Mollusc – Lake Ohrid, Macedonia – Unknown numbers
* Heleophryne rosei (Table mountain ghost frog) – Amphibian – Table Mountain, Western Cape Province, South Africa – Unknown numbers
* Hemicycla paeteliana – Mollusc (land snail) – Jandia peninsula, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands – Unknown numbers
* Heteromirafa sidamoensis (Liben lark) – Bird – Liben Plains, southern Ethiopia – 90–256
* Hibiscadelphus woodii – Plant (tree) – Kalalau Valley, Hawaii – Unknown numbers
* Hucho perryi (Sakhalin taimen) – Fish – Russian and Japanese rivers, Pacific Ocean between Russia and Japan – Unknown numbers
* Johora singaporensis (Singapore freshwater crab) – Crustacean – Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and streamlet near Bukit Batok, Singapore – Unknown numbers
* Lathyrus belinensis (Belin vetchling) – Plant – Outskirts of Belin village, Antalya, Turkey – < 1,000
* Leiopelma archeyi (Archey’s frog) – Amphibian – Coromandel peninsula and Whareorino Forest, New Zealand – Unknown numbers
* Lithobates sevosus (Dusky gopher frog) – Amphibian – Harrison County, Mississippi, USA – 60–100
* Lophura edwardsi (Edwards’s pheasant) – Bird – Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, Viet Nam – Unknown numbers
* Magnolia wolfii – Plant (tree) – Risaralda, Colombia – 3
* Margaritifera marocana – Mollusc – Oued Denna, Oued Abid and Oued Beth, Morocco – < 250
* Moominia willii – Mollusc (snail) – Silhouette Island, Seychelles – < 500
* Natalus primus (Cuban greater funnel eared bat) – Mammal (bat) – Cueva La Barca, Isle of Pines, Cuba – < 100
* Nepenthes attenboroughii (Attenborough’s pitcher plant) – Plant – Mount Victoria, Palawan, Philippines – Unknown numbers
* Nomascus hainanus (Hainan black crested gibbon) – Mammal (primate) – Hainan Island, China – 20
* Neurergus kaiseri (Luristan newt) – Amphibian – Zagros Mountains, Lorestan, Iran – < 1,000
* Oreocnemis phoenix (Mulanje red damsel) – Insect (damselfly) – Mulanje Plateau, Malawi – Unknown numbers
* Pangasius sanitwongsei (Pangasid catfish) – Fish – Chao Phraya and Mekong basins in Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam – Unknown numbers
* Parides burchellanus – Insect (butterfly) – Cerrado, Brazil – < 100
* Phocoena sinus (Vaquita) – Mammal (porpoise) – Northern Gulf of California, Mexico – 12
* Picea neoveitchii (Type of spruce tree) – Plant (tree) – Qinling Range, China – Unknown numbers
* Pinus squamata (Qiaojia pine) – Plant (tree) – Qiaojia, Yunnan, China – < 25
* Poecilotheria metallica (Gooty tarantula / Metallic tarantula / Peacock tarantula / Salepurgu) – Spider – Nandyal and Giddalur, Andhra Pradesh, India – Unknown numbers
* Pomarea whitneyi (Fatuhiva monarch) – Bird – Fatu Hiva, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia – 50
* Pristis pristis (Common sawfish) – Fish – Coastal tropical and subtropical waters of Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Currently largely restricted to northern Australia – Unknown numbers
* Hapalemur simus (Greater bamboo lemur) – Mammal (primate) – Southeastern and southcentral rainforests of Madagascar – 500
* Propithecus candidus (Silky sifaka) – Mammal (primate) – Maroantsetra to Andapa basin, and Marojeju Massif, Madagascar – 100–1,000
* Psammobates geometricus (Geometric tortoise) – Reptile – Western Cape Province, South Africa – Unknown numbers
* Pseudoryx nghetinhensis (Saola) – Mammal – Annamite mountains, on the Viet Nam – PDR Laos border – Unknown numbers
* Psiadia cataractae – Plant – Mauritius – Unknown numbers
* Psorodonotus ebneri (Beydaglari bush-cricket) – Insect – Beydaglari range, Antalaya, Turkey – Unknown numbers
* Rafetus swinhoei (Red River giant softshell turtle) – Reptile – Hoan Kiem Lake and Dong Mo Lake, Viet Nam, and Suzhou Zoo, China – 3
* Rhinoceros sondaicus (Javan rhino) – Mammal (rhino) – Ujung Kulon National Park, Java, Indonesia – < 100
* Rhinopithecus avunculus (Tonkin snub-nosed monkey) – Mammal (primate) – Northeastern Vietnam – < 200
* Rhizanthella gardneri (West Australian underground orchid) – Plant (orchid) – Western Australia, Australia – < 100
* Rhynchocyon spp. (Boni giant sengi) – Mammal – Boni-Dodori Forest, Lamu area, Kenya – Unknown numbers
* Risiocnemis seidenschwarzi (Cebu frill-wing) – Insect (damselfly) – Rivulet beside the Kawasan River, Cebu, Philippines – Unknown numbers
* Rosa arabica – Plant – St Katherine Mountains, Egypt – Unknown numbers, 10 sub-populations
* Salanoia durrelli (Durrell’s vontsira) – Mammal (mongoose) – Marshes of Lake Alaotra, Madagascar – Unknown numbers
* Santamartamys rufodorsalis (Red crested tree rat) – Mammal (rodent) – Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia – Unknown numbers
* Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis (Red-finned blue-eye) – Fish – Edgbaston Station, central western Queensland, Australia – 2,000–4,000
* Squatina squatina (Angel shark) – Fish – Canary Islands – Unknown numbers
* Sterna bernsteini (Chinese crested tern) – Bird – Breeding in Zhejiang and Fujian, China. Outside breeding season in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand. – < 50
* Syngnathus watermeyeri (Estuarine pipefish) – Fish – Kariega Estuary to East Kleinemonde Estuary, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa – Unknown numbers
* Tahina spectabilis (Suicide palm / Dimaka) – Plant – Analalava district, north-western Madagascar – 90
* Telmatobufo bullocki (Bullock’s false toad) – Amphibian (frog) – Nahuelbuta, Arauco Province, Chile – Unknown numbers
* Tokudaia muenninki (Okinawa spiny rat) – Mammal (rodent) – Okinawa Island, Japan – Unknown numbers
* Trigonostigma somphongsi (Somphongs’s rasbora) – Fish – Mae Khlong basin, Thailand – Unknown numbers
* Valencia letourneuxi – Fish – Southern Albania and Western Greece – Unknown numbers
* Voanioala gerardii (Forest coconut) – Plant – Masoala peninsula, Madagascar – < 10
* Zaglossus attenboroughi (Attenborough’s echidna) – Mammal – Cyclops Mountains, Papua Province, Indonesia – Unknown numbers
Here are some other Chester Zoo posts: Crocodiles, Cats at the Zoo.
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