The representatives of the fauna of our planet, noted in the top 10 of the most unusual and rare animals of , are now under threat of extinction. Many of them were considered extinct, but they were rediscovered thanks to the efforts of enthusiastic scientists. Others are so rare that their way of life and habits to this day are a mystery for researchers.
In any case, unless significant efforts are made, our descendants may never see these amazing animals.
10. Bushman hare( Bunolagus monticularis) lives in the Carr desert in the Cape of South Africa. The population of this rare species of lagiformes does not exceed 500 adults. In the Red Book, the species is assigned the status of "in critical condition".
9. Sumatran rhinoceros( Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is the rarest and smallest of rhinoceroses. The weight of the "baby" is 800-2000 kg, height 112-145 cm. Today the number of Sumatran rhinoceroses, presumably about 270 individuals. The extinction of these animals is facilitated by the popularity of their horns in Chinese non-traditional medicine. The cost of a kilogram of horns in poachers can exceed one thousand dollars. 
8. Cuban Cleft( Solenodon cubanus) is a nightlife mammal that feeds on insects, shellfish and plant fruits. The gradual disappearance of the animal from the face of the Earth began in the 19th century, after the introduction of cats, dogs and mongooses brought by man in Cuba. Researchers see the possibility of rescuing a spate in its resettlement on unoccupied islands in the vicinity of Cuba. 
7. The Haitian crackle( Solenodon paradoxus) lives exclusively in Haiti, it is smaller than the Cuban one and does not exceed 35 cm in length. These burrowing animals create a real system of communicating tunnels in their habitats, causing significant damage to the roots of plants. However, today the population of the spits is so small that they are listed in the Red Book as a species on the verge of extinction. 
6. Mountain couscous or possum( Burramys parvus) from Southeast Australia until 1966 was known to scientists only on fossils. However, live animals were found at the ski resort of Melbourne University. This small marsupial animal resembles a mouse and has a size of only 10-13 cm, and weight from 30 to 60 grams. The current population of Mountain couscous is 2600 individuals. 
5. Chinese river dolphin( Lipotes vexillifer) , which lives in the Yangtze River, today is considered the national treasure of China. Since 1983, this water mammal has been banned from hunting, however, since 1996 its status in the "Red Book" sounds like "a kind in a critical condition".According to researchers, the population of Chinese river dolphins totals from 5 to 13 individuals, and most likely, this species will disappear from the face of the Earth for a decade. In captivity, these beautiful animals do not breed. 
4. The New Zealand bat( Mystacina robusta ) is the only one of the varieties of bats that leads a predominantly terrestrial lifestyle. Unfortunately, with the arrival of settlers from Europe in New Zealand, the number of these bats fell by 98%.And today a small number of these animals are threatened by rats imported to New Zealand, cats and martens. 
3. The Western Prodigal( Zaglossus bruijnii) from the Indonesian part of New Guinea is an oviparous mammal that differs from the more common and known echidna primarily in larger sizes - up to 80 cm. The species "Proehidna" is listed in the Red Data Book. These animals live exclusively in the territory of New Guinea and almost nothing is known about their way of life. 
2. Oriental proehyde( Zaglossus bartoni) or prochidna Barton is another representative of the rare and unusual species inhabiting New Guinea. From the remaining species, this animal, discovered in 1907, is distinguished by a rather large size of the skull, uncharacteristic for the other proehids. 
1. Prohidna Attenborough( Zaglossus attenboroughi) was also opened in New Guinea. His name was given to the beast in honor of the English TV presenter and director-naturalist David Attenborough. This is the smallest of the species proehidn - only about 30 cm in length. At the disposal of scientists was only one specimen of the animal, discovered in 1961.Then more than 50 years, this animal was considered extinct. And only in 2007 researchers noticed burrows and traces, possibly belonging to Zaglossus attenboroughi. 