The total number of animals across the world has declined by a third since 1970, according to wildlife campaigners. The WWF's Living Planet Report revealed that land-based species decreased by 31 per cent, freshwater species by 28 per cent and marine species by 27 per cent in the 33 years between 1970 to 2003.
To raise awareness of the declining figures, a project on ITV will find out more about the world's most endangered animals. Stars such as Michael Portillo, Graeme le Saux, Pauline Collins and David Suchet will journey to the far corners of the globe to experience the animals' struggle for survival. Animals featuring in the programme include the mountain gorilla, leatherback turtle, Bengal tiger and polar bear.
The prime time show, called Extinct, will be broadcast live across one week in December and will be presented by Sir Trevor McDonald and Zoe Ball. It is thought Extinct will be the first "carbon neutral" terrestrial TV programme. In a bid to offset the effects of carbon dioxide emitted during production, ITV has committed funds towards carbon reduction schemes.
In the gallery below, we’ve taken a look at ten of the most endangered species on the planet. The list by no means constitutes a top ten, and does not pretend to be an exhaustive list of threatened animals. The information here has been sourced from the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), which provides much more information on species at risk and details of how you can get involved with conservation efforts.
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