At MiniZoo we love animals and we hope to encourage your little ones in their love for animals, nature, and the world around them. Sadly, several beautiful species of animals are endangered for a variety of different reasons and we hope that people continue to raise awareness for these as we want our future generations to learn about and enjoy all the incredible animals on our wonderful planet.

So, if you want to educate your kids about these precious species with the help of MiniZoo animal figures, here are 10 different endangered animals that we need to protect:

1. Amur Leopard

With around 80 Amur Leopards left in the wild, it is considered the most critically endangered species on the planet. Despite being faster than Usain Bolt, their population is threatened mainly by poachers (for their beautiful fur) and habitat loss. They live in the forests between Russia and China (not the savannah like most assume) and are the only type of leopard that can survive in both extremes of snowy and summer climates. They are nocturnal and prefer a solitary life, only making leopard friends when they wish to mate. If you’d like to encourage your kids and their learning about this beautiful creature, MiniZoo’s CollectA Amur Leopard shows the feline in a walking pose, likely on the hunt, with its bushy tail trailing behind it. 

2. Lowland Gorilla

There are two types of Lowland Gorilla subspecies’: the Eastern and the Western, mainly differing in size. They inhabit dense and remote rainforests and are highly intelligent, as they can use tools and communicate with simple sign language. Their biggest threats are poachers, habitat loss and the deadly Ebola virus. The World Wildlife Fund are trying to support researchers in developing a vaccine for these beautiful creatures. MiniZoo’s Safari collection includes a couple of different replicas of this species, including a single Lowland Gorilla, one with a baby on its back, and a baby on its own, so you could recreate an entire gorilla family.

3. Bornean Orangutan 

This guy is another species on the critically endangered list. Native to the island of Borneo, they enjoy habitats of rainforests, swamps and mountains. Orangutans, like gorillas, are very intelligent and can use tools as well, which is pretty cool. Their arms are quite long, some growing to 1.5 metres! They have coarse, grey skin on their hands, feet and areas of their face called flanges (which are fatty cheek pads). Everywhere else they have long, shaggy, auburn-coloured fur, and they also show off their reddish beard and moustache to match. This is evident in the Safari Bornean Orangutan where it is featured in a standing position and its fur is sculpted in incredible detail. Major threats to orangutans and their habitat include hunting, fires, logging, mining, and agricultural plantations.

4. Saola

Often nicknamed the Asian Unicorn, this elusive animal was only discovered 25 years ago and has only been seen and officially documented 4 times! Despite his nickname, this guy actually has 2 sharp horns and looks similar to an antelope, living in the forests of Vietnam and Laos. Since its discovery, hunting and habitat loss has already placed this incredibly rare and beautiful animal on the critically endangered list. As well as its horns, MiniZoo’s CollectA Saola shows its unique white facial markings and red-brown fur.

5. Vaquita 

This little guy is sadly the most endangered marine mammal in the world, on the very brink of extinction with only 30 remaining. They live in the Gulf of California, an incredibly biodiverse area off the coast of Mexico, and shares its home with thousands of extraordinary marine species. Smaller than a dolphin, the Vaquita has a unique ring around each eye and dark patches on its mouth which makes it looks as though he’s always smiling, which is evident on the MiniZoo Safari figurine. Illegal fishing is their number one threat, often getting caught and drowning in nets that were not meant for them.

6. Sumatran Rhino 

Sumatran Rhinos are the smallest species of rhinos and the only Asian rhino that has 2 horns. They are typically covered in long hair which is red in their young adulthood (as seen in MiniZoo’s Safari figure of the Sumatran Rhino) and turns darker as they get older. They are also the closest living relative to the extinct Woolly Rhino. Hunted for their horns and continually losing their habitats to road construction and agricultural expansion, they are also on the critically endangered list.

7. Pangolin

Pangolins are nocturnal mammals who like to feast on ants and termites (yum). They are unusual-looking creatures, covered in scales and can roll themselves up into a ball for protection. There are 8 different types of Pangolins living across Africa and Asia, and all 8 are protected, with 4 being critically endangered. For many years, they have been hunted for their meat and scales and have also lost huge amount of their habitats due to deforestation. The Safari Pangolin and the Mojo Indian Pangolin both highlight their beautifully unique appearance allowing your little one to learn about this one-of-a-kind creature. The Pangolin is also featured in the Schleich Assorted Wildlife Set.

8. Kakapo 

Native to New Zealand, the Kakapo is the world’s only flightless, nocturnal parrot. Due to the introduction of predators, the Kakapo became extirpated from the mainland (which means it is extinct on the mainland where it used to reside). Thankfully some were found on a smaller nearby island, but is now “extinct to the wild” with less than 60 birds living on a couple of predator-free islands off the coast of New Zealand. With so few remaining, all living Kakapo parrots have been given names. MiniZoo’s Science and Nature replica of the Kakapo is small but features the bird’s strikingly vibrant colouring.

9. Red Panda

Slightly bigger than a cat, and similar build to a bear cub, the Red Panda lives mostly in the forests of the Eastern Himalayas. As they often get caught in hunting traps, their endangered title means we need to protect these adorable guys. Their unique colouring and bushy tail is evident in the MiniZoo figures from CollectA, Science and Nature, Safari and Papo so take your pick and help your little ones learn about these precious animals.

10. Tasmanian Devil

Found on the island of Tasmania, Australia, this marsupial is a strong and ferocious little guy despite only being about the size of small dog. Originally thought to be a threat to livestock, the devils were hunted and their population severely reduced. In recent years, a huge number began contracting a cancerous facial tumour which placed the species on the endangered list. To try to combat this, the government has put in place programs in an effort to build up the population of healthy devils. Several MiniZoo brand collections include replicas of the Tasmanian devil, including Southlands Replicas, Safari, CollectA and Science and Nature.

At MiniZoo we are also doing what we can to help protect our planet and reduce waste to minimise our impact on the environment. When you’re shopping, you can now choose our Green Choice option which means we will remove plastic packaging for your order and recycle this plastic on your behalf. If you’d like some more information on this, see our Environmental Policy here.

MiniZoo ships worldwide and offers free shipping within Australia on qualified orders, so grab a few of these endangered beauties to add to your collection and educate your kids to protect our precious pals.

Jenna @ MiniZoo