Endangered Animals of Canada

Environmentalists consider several species of animals in Canada endangered. These range from a tiny rat to the largest mammal in North America, a type of bison.

Swift Fox

The northern swift fox has lost much of its Canadian prairie habitat to agriculture. These smallish foxes spend a great deal of time in their underground burrows.

Wood Bison

Hunting brought the number of wood bison in Canada from an estimated 160,000 to as few as 250 by the year 1900. Canadian conservation efforts have bolstered the population to about 9,000.

Kangaroo Rat

Ord's kangaroo rat favors dry grasslands. There are perhaps a few thousand of these rodents left in Canada as agriculture and loss of habitat combine with low survival rates from harsh winters to thin their population.

Woodland Caribou

Poaching and the development of their forest habitat contribute to the woodland caribou's decline in parts of Canada.

Birds

Threatened bird species such as the trumpeter swan, burrowing owl, whooping crane, and peregrine falcon have felt the effects of pesticides, loss of habitat and oil spills.

White Sturgeon

The white sturgeon can live for over 100 years and grow to exceed 1,500 pounds. Pollution, excessive fishing and loss of its habitat in the rivers and bays of British Columbia have endangered this fish.

References

• Defenders of wildlife
• Earth's endangered creatures site
• Endangered animal site