An '''endangered species''' is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in number, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Human beings are currently causing the greatest mass extinction of species since the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. If present trends continue one half of all species of life on earth will be extinct in less than 100 years, as a result of habitat destruction, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. [http://www.well.com/~davidu/extinction.html] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction#Modern_mass_extinction] ~~Examples -~~ http://z.about.com/d/animals/1/0/4/6/shutterstock_304343.jpg|right [http://www.sfondideldesktop.com/Images-Animals/Elephant/Afwld-African-Elephants-Mom-Nbabies-Walking-In-Lineup/Afwld-African-Elephants-Mom-Nbabies-Walking-In-Lineup.Jpg] African Elephant [http://www.shunya.net/Pictures/WesternIndia/Gujarat/LittleRannKutch/AsiaticWildAss02.jpg] African Wild Ass [http://www.wcs.org/media/image/webdog1.jpg] African Wild Dog [http://www.usgs.gov/125/articles/images/herp_alligator.jpg] American Alligator [http://hoglezoo.org/animal.photos/american.white.pelican2.jpg] American White Pelican [http://www.wcs.org/media/image/Asianele.jpg] Asian Elephant [http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/asian-lion.jpg] Asian Lion [http://www.streamlife.org.uk/images/gallery/copyrighted/l_Atlantic_Salmon.jpg] Atlantic Salmon [http://photos.igougo.com/images/p132253-Nosy_Be-Black_Lemur_-_Lokobe_Lookout.jpg] Black Lemur [http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/08/10/black_footedferret1_wideweb__470x314,0.jpg] Black-footed Ferret [http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/faq/images/beached_blue_whalebb.jpg] Blue Whale http://www.butterflypalace.org/b14.jpg|right [http://pictopia.com/perl/get_image?provider_id=318&size=550x550_mb&ptp_photo_id=1112913] Bowhead Whale [http://www.mrnussbaum.com/cheetah.jpg] Cheetah [http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/chimp-peeking-through-leaves.jpg] Chimpanzee [http://www.thickets.net/toren/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/toast.jpg] Coelacanth [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Hawaii_turtle_2.JPG/300px-Hawaii_turtle_2.JPG] Common Green Turtle [http://www.brim.ac.cn/brime/bdinchn/photo/18.jpg] Crested Ibis [http://www.appalachianvoice.org/images/voicearchive/jan06/large/NatNotebook_Cougar.jpg] Eastern Cougar [http://www.birdingamerica.com/images/eskimocurlewbkmfullx.jpg] Eskimo Curlew [http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/read/protspp/RightWhale/fin.JPG] Fin Whale [http://www.v-liz.com/galapagos/isabela/urvina~1/f-less1.jpg] Flightless Cormorant http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e7/Loggerhead_close_up.jpg/240px-Loggerhead_close_up.jpg|right [http://www.indianjungles.com/images/gaur_goru.jpg] Gaur [http://www.herper.com/stockturtle/gavial.jpg] Gavial [http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t054/T054572A.jpg] Giant Anteater [http://armadillos-for-you.com/images/medium/p1060292.jpg] Giant Armadillo [http://www.danmex.org/Upload/Giant%20Panda.jpg] Giant Panda http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/humpback-whales-singing.jpg|right12 [http://williamcalvin.com/portraits/gorilla/WPZ%20gorilla%20020crop300x340.jpg] Gorilla [http://www.bookingcenter.com/images/packages/species_grey_whale.jpg] Grey Whale [http://www.firstpeople.us/pictures/bear/1600x1200/Feeling_Grizzly-1600x1200.jpg] Grizzly [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Humpback_Whale_underwater_shot.jpg/800px-Humpback_Whale_underwater_shot.jpg] Humpback Whale [http://www.cityparrots.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/imperialparrot.jpg] Imperial Amazon [http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38196000/jpg/_38196675_rhino6.jpg] Indian Rhinoceros [http://library.thinkquest.org/5053/SouthAmerica/jaguar.jpg] Jaguar [http://www.rockjumper.co.za/images/ncal_kagu_p_morin.jpg] Kagu [http://www.australianstamp.com/Coin-web/feature/nature/kakapo2.gif] Kakapo http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Uncia_uncia.jpg/250px-Uncia_uncia.jpg|right [http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/images/turtles/kempsridley_noaa.jpg] Kemp's Ridley Turtle [http://homepage.mac.com/wildlifeweb/reptile/komodo_dragon/komodo_dragon_01tfk.jpg] Komodo Dragon [http://www.uoregon.edu/~shejohn/images/leatherbackturtle.jpg] Leatherback Turtle [http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/leopard-sleeping-in-tree.jpg] Leopard [http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wildlife/reptiles/images/loggerhead-returned-florida.jpg] Loggerhead Turtle [http://www.cdnn.info/news/eco/hawaiian_monk_seal_250358.jpg] Mediterranean Monk Seal [http://7art-screensavers.com/screenshots/wild-animals/deer.jpg] Manipur Brow-Antlered Deer [http://news.satimagingcorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/mountain-gorilla.jpg] Mountain Gorilla [http://z.about.com/d/healing/1/0/C/O/gtotem_orangutan.jpg] Orangutan [http://www.firstpeople.us/pictures/bear/Polar_Bears/1600x1200/Sleeping_Beauty_Polar_Bear-1600x1200.jpg] Polar Bear [http://www.lakbaypilipinas.com/images/philippine-eagle.jpg] Philippine Eagle [http://www.birdsasart.com/piping-Plover-on-wet-sand-winter-plum-_T9J1761--Little-Estero-Lagoon,-FL.jpg] Piping Plover http://www.messiah.edu/offices/publications/the_bridge/winter06/bbc_professor/images/copy%20of%20female%20zeteki%201.jpg|right [http://www.nwf.org/yellowstone/images/pronghorn.jpg] Pronghorn [http://esp.cr.usgs.gov/research/alaska/figures/figure33.jpg] Przewalski's Horse [http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/dn10962/dn10962-4_700.jpg] Pygmy Hippopotamus [http://www.saturdays.net/img/seaotter600.jpg] Sea Otter [http://www.oceanalliance.org/images/gallery/sperm_head_500.jpg] Sei Whale [http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/art/rteShortnoseSturgeon_adult.jpg] Shortnose Sturgeon [http://www.bergoiata.org/fe/felins/Calculation,%20Snow%20Leopard.jpg] Snow Leopard [http://www.terranature.org/takahe_inGrass.jpg] Takahe http://www.srcsd.com/gif/laguna-ext-owl.jpg|right [http://tapirblog.tapirdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/l2451430.jpg] Tapirs [http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/bengal-tigers-two-cubs.jpg] Tiger [http://www.fws.gov/northdakotafieldoffice/images/Trumpeter%20Swan%20Brood.jpg] Trumpeter Swan [http://www.islandnet.com/~marmot/jpegs/yrlng5.jpg] Vancouver Island Marmot [http://www.manateetoursusa.com/images/MTDpicsmisc/marinoman6.jpg] West Indian Manatee [http://www.therhinoguide.com/images/white-rhino-grazing.jpg] White Rhinoceros [http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/Diversity/Digest%20Articles/whooping%20crane.jpg] Whooping Crane [http://www.project-himalaya.com/i-khumbu/s2-yak.jpg] Yak