The Animal Kingdom Today

INTRODUCTION

This pages show statistics about the animal kingdom today including intelligence, extinction threats, subspecies and populations.

Charts

1. Non-domesticated Carnivorans by Population and Clade/Family

2. Elephant Species by Population Share

3. Big Cats by Number of Subspecies

4. Share of non-Human Great Apes in Wild

5. Invertebrate Species Group by Number of Species Under Threat

6. Non-Human Mammal Species by Encephalization Quotient (EQ)

The bar chart illustrates the population sizes of the top 10 non-domesticated carnivorans by population, grouped into three families: pinnipeds (seals), ursidae (bears), and canidae (dogs). Overall, pinnipeds dominate the chart, with significantly larger populations than terrestrial carnivores.

Among all species, the harp seal has the largest population at approximately 4.5 million, followed by the crabeater seal with around 4 million individuals. The brown fur seal also shows a substantial population of just over 1 million, reinforcing the strong representation of marine carnivores. The northern fur seal ranks next with about 650,000 individuals, while other pinnipeds—including the hooded seal, southern elephant seal, grey seal, and harbor seal—range between roughly 300,000 and 400,000.

In contrast, terrestrial species are less numerous. The American black bear, representing the Ursidae family, has a population close to 900,000, placing it below several seal species. The grey wolf, the only representative of the Canidae family on the chart, has the smallest population at approximately 300,000.

These differences may be explained by habitat capacity and human pressures. Marine environments can support very large populations, whereas land-based carnivores often face habitat loss, hunting, and human conflict. Overall, the chart highlights the overwhelming numerical dominance of pinnipeds compared with terrestrial carnivoran species.

The chart illustrates the global population distribution among three major elephant species, highlighting significant differences in their relative abundance. The African bush elephant dominates the population share at 64.9%, making it by far the most numerous of the three species. This large proportion reflects its wider geographic range across sub‑Saharan Africa and its historically larger population base, despite ongoing threats such as habitat loss and poaching.

The African forest elephant accounts for 25.8% of the total population. Although still substantial, this species has experienced sharper declines in recent decades due to its more restricted habitat in Central and West African forests and the increased vulnerability of forest ecosystems. Its smaller size and slower reproductive rate also contribute to its reduced numbers compared with its savannah‑dwelling counterpart.

The Asian elephant represents just 9.2% of the global elephant population, underscoring its status as the most threatened of the three species. Its limited distribution across fragmented habitats in South and Southeast Asia, combined with intense human‑elephant conflict and land‑use pressures, has kept its population comparatively low.

Overall, the chart emphasizes the uneven distribution of elephant populations worldwide and highlights the conservation urgency for forest and Asian elephants in particular.

The bar chart shows variation in the number of living subspecies among major big cat species, and these differences can be partly explained by geography, habitat range, and evolutionary history.

Jaguars and leopards have the highest numbers of subspecies, with nine and eight respectively. One reason for this is their wide geographic distribution. Jaguars are found across Central and South America, occupying diverse habitats such as rainforests, wetlands, and grasslands. Similarly, leopards have an extremely broad range across Africa and parts of Asia. Living in varied environments over long periods can lead to geographic isolation between populations, encouraging the development of distinct subspecies through adaptation to local conditions.

Cheetahs and snow leopards, which have four and three subspecies respectively, have more limited or specialized habitats. Snow leopards, for example, are restricted to mountainous regions in Central and South Asia. Such specialization can reduce opportunities for diversification compared to species spread across multiple continents.

Tigers, lions, and cougars have the fewest subspecies, with two each. In some cases, this may reflect historical population declines, habitat loss, or reclassification by scientists, which has reduced the number of recognized subspecies. Overall, species with larger ranges and more varied environments tend to develop greater subspecies diversity over time.

The pie chart illustrates the percentage distribution of different great ape species currently living in natural habitats. Overall, chimpanzees and western gorillas make up the vast majority of the wild population, while several other species represent only a very small fraction.

Chimpanzees account for 41.3% of the total share, making them one of the most numerous great apes in the wild. Similarly, western gorillas also represent 41.3%, meaning that together these two species comprise over 80% of the total population shown. Their relatively larger populations may be linked to their wider geographic ranges across parts of Central and West Africa.

In contrast, Bornean orangutans represent 12.6% of the total. Although this is a significant proportion compared to some others, it is still far lower than that of chimpanzees and western gorillas. The remaining species—bonobos, eastern gorillas, Sumatran orangutans, and Tapanuli orangutans—each account for only a very small percentage. Their limited shares can be explained by restricted habitats and severe threats such as deforestation, poaching, and habitat fragmentation.

Overall, the chart highlights a highly uneven distribution, with two species dominating the wild population while others face much greater vulnerability.