This white rhino subspecies made headlines last year following the death of Sudan, the last known male of his kind, making the species functionally extinct. Some scientists are cautiously optimistic that it could be brought back with the help of IVF technology, while others say time has simply run out for the subspecies, meaning it won't be long before it disappears.

The South China tiger is the most critically endangered of all tiger subspecies. No individual has been sighted in the wild since 1970, while the global captive population is likely to number less than 80. Some researchers have already declared the subspecies functionally extinct, but organizations such as Save China's Tigers (SCT) are persisting with their conservation efforts.

Fewer than 80 Amur leopards are believed to live in the wild, making it one of the rarest cats on the planet. Native to the forests of Southern China, Northern Russia and the Korean Peninsula, the amur leopard is threatened by poaching and deforestation. But there's still some hope — the leopard has found an unlikely refuge in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, which has become a haven for wildlife.

Also known as the gulf porpoise, the vaquita is the rarest marine animal in the world, with less than 15 thought to exist as of March 2018. The porpoise has never been hunted directly but it often becomes entangled in illegal gillnets intended to capture the totoaba, another critically endangered fish found in the Gulf of California. Efforts to stop illegal fishing in the area have largely failed.

Researchers fear the black rhino could suffer the same fate as its northern white cousin if conservation efforts aren't ramped up soon. The population currently numbers just over 5,000 individuals, although three subspecies have already been declared extinct. They are primarily threatened by illegal poaching, driven largely by demand for rhino horn on the black market.

With fewer than 30 remaining in the wild, the red wolf is considered critically endangered and is the focus of conservation efforts. It's actually a genetic mix between the gray wolf and the coyote, and was decimated in the 1960s thanks to intensive predator control programs. The shy subspecies is native to the southeastern US and Florida, but today is only found in eastern North Carolina.

First discovered in 1992, the elusive saola is often dubbed the 'Asian unicorn.' In fact, it's so rare that there have only been four confirmed sightings in the wild by researchers. They are found in the forests of Vietnam and Laos and are threatened by poaching and habitat destruction. The population is believed to have rapidly declined since its discovery, with no more than 100 likely to exist.

The largest living primate is critically endangered thanks to illegal hunting and deforestation. The lowland gorilla subspecies is more populous with 3,800 thought to live in the wild, while only about 880 mountain gorillas are thought to exist. Although conservation efforts have been lauded in recent years, there is still a long way to go before the population will be considered stable.

Catalogued on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as "critically endangered", this unusual looking creature is now known to occur in just three separate populations on Indonesia's tiny Rote Island. Named for its neck, which can grow to lengths of between seven and nine inches, the species commands high prices in the commercial pet trade.

Native to South America, these carnivorous bottom-feeders hang out in the shallows of streams and swamps, where their camouflage gives them the edge over unsuspecting prey. Given its poor eyesight, it relies on other sensory aids, such as nerves near its mouths, to snag small fish and invertebrates. They don't move about much, but poke their long snouts out of the water in order to breathe.

It is from these beautiful ocean-dwellers that tortoiseshell derives its name, and as a result of the coveted material's decorative popularity the species has suffered a decline of more than 80 percent in the past century. Although international trade of hawksbill shells is now illegal, it continues on the black market. They are listed as critically endangered.

Alternatively named the forest softshell turtle, this long-necked animal is found in the fast-flowing streams and quiet muddy backwaters of several Southeast Asian countries. Their shells might be soft, but their jaws are powerful enough to crunch the snails and molluscs that are their prefered food. They use their snout for breathing.

This creature might be wearing a cute smile, but looks can be deceptive. Native to countries across sub-Saharan Africa, these omnivorous turtles will eat whatever they can get their little claws into. They have been observed picking parasites from the bodies of rhinos and warthogs and working in groups to catch and drown birds such as doves.

At home in the lakes and rivers of the southeastern US, these prehistoric-looking creatures can theoretically live for 100 years. They are currently listed by the IUCN as "vulnerable" due to habitat disruption and capture for meat. They feed by luring prey into their open jaws with a worm-like appendage on their tongues. The strategy clearly works, as males can easily weigh 68 kilos (150 pounds).

But that's nothing compared to the leatherback, which can reach lengths of two meters (6.5 ft) and weights of 900 kilos. The world's largest turtles, which as their name suggests, have a leathery rather than a hard shell, are capable of migrating as far as 16,000 kilometers annually. They are listed as "vulnerable" by the IUCN.

Deriving their name from the little snout they use to like a snorkel to breathe, and to forage for food, the pig-nosed turtle is found in freshwater rivers, lagoons and streams in the Northern Territory of Australia and on New Guinea. Exploitation for meat and eggs, habitat loss and the exotic pet trade have contributed to this unique creature's "vulnerable" status on the Red List.