Endangered animals in South Africa and how you can help

Albert Einstein, in all his scientific glory once said, ‘Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.’

Endangered animals – there’s more to this than rhinos! Here are some other endangered animals in South Africa, as well as easy ways to contribute towards their conservation.

This is not a difficult task in South Africa, seeing as we have such a magnitude of inspiring creatures that live in our midst.

We all know that the rhino is in a very vulnerable position – the western black rhino is already declared extinct and elephants are also constantly hunted for their ivory, but there are many less obvious animals that are currently endangered in South Africa.

Pickergill’s Reedfrog

IUCN Red List status: Critically endangered

It’s easy to overlook an animal that is only 3cm long, but once you know of its existence, it’s hard not to care about its future. The Pickersgill’s reed frog is one of the most endangered amphibians in South Africa. It’s endemic to the coastline of KwaZulu-Natal where their numbers are shockingly low and vastly spread out along the coast.

Major threats?
Coastal development, habitat fragmentation, and draining of water used for agricultural and urban development.

Current conservation efforts?
Two of the wetland areas where they live are currently protected. South Africa’s very first captive breeding project for the conservation of a threatened amphibian species has included the Pickersgill’s reed frog. The project is run by the African Association of Zoos and Aquaria. The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) has named the Pickersgill’s reed frog its flagship species for its amphibian conservation programme.