With widespread poaching, a very serious biodiversity crisis and severe habitat destruction, more animals are rapidly becoming endangered. The WWF estimates that between 10,000 and 100,000 species are becoming extinct each year. It’s incredibly sad to watch, but rest assured, there are things you can do to help. Here are just a few of the world’s most incredible animals at risk of extinction and where you can see them.

There are just two white rhino left in the world after the last male, named Sudan, died in Kenya. The two remaining females live in Kenya’s 90,000-acre Ol Pejeta Conservancy, also the largest black rhino sanctuary in east Africa.

The highly-endangered, rarely-seen aye-aye lemur is found in only a few areas of forest in Madagascar. Interestingly, the animal is not only at risk of extinction due to the loss of its habitat, but also because of local superstition: they are considered by many Madagascans to be a bad omen, and as such have been killed on sight. They’re now protected by law.

One of the areas where you can still catch a glimpse of the creature is the Masaola Peninsula with its rustic Masoala Forest Lodge. You can take a tour to this wondrous rainforest where, as well as the aye-aye, you can catch sight of other rare bird, reptile and lemur species in their natural habitat.

One of the least studied cats in the world, the Pallas’s cat is in danger of extinction, with a decreasing population and the lack of knowledge about the species hindering conservation plans.

Nordens Ark, a wildlife sanctuary in west Sweden, focuses on saving animal species threatened with extinction through rearing and conservation. It also releases animals into their natural habitats when possible, and conduct research into various breeds to try to improve their chances of survival. One of the animals it's working to save is the Pallas’s cat.

Nordens Ark has teamed up with the Snow Leopard Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland to understand more about the threats this rare creature faces in the wild, as well as raise awareness of the cats around the world and develop the first global conservation plan for the mysterious creatures.

Also known as Makanyane, painted wolves and Cape hunting dogs, the wild dog is now one of the Africa’s most endangered carnivores, with less than 5,000 in the wild due to persecution by humans, diminishing natural areas and illness from diseases such as rabies.

Thanks to the relocation of wild dogs as part of a huge initiative called Operation Phoenix, there’s now a thriving wild dog population at South Africa’s Madikwe Game Reserve. The dogs have no fear of the vehicles, giving visitors the chance to get close to the fascinating creatures in their natural enviroment.

The Rothschild giraffe is endangered, having already become extinct in Sudan, and with low numbers in both Kenya and Uganda due to human population expansion, poaching and habitat loss.

If journeying to remote rainforests or desolate safari parks isn’t for you, take a trip to Nairobi’s Giraffe Manor, where you can see the endangered creatures incredibly close up. At breakfast, poking their long necks through the window for a snack, for example.

You can also learn about the breeding program, which aims to reintroduce breeding pairs back into the wild.

One of the most trafficked animals in the world, pangolins are increasingly the victims of illegal wildlife crime, with all eight species of pangolin hunted down for their meat and scales.

Sangha Lodge, in the Central African Republic, is certainly off most tourist trails, but here you’re likely to experience sightings of several highly-endangered species, including western lowland gorillas, African forest elephants and, of course, various types of pangolin, including the rare long-tailed pangolin and white-bellied pangolin.

The only bear native to South America, the Andean Bear, or Spectacled Bear, is sadly in decline, with predictions that the population will decrease by over 30% in the next 30 years due to habitat loss, deforestation and conflict with humans.

At Peru’s Inkaterra, a sustainable tourism company offering carbon-neutral luxury hotel stays to guests, you can visit the Spectacled Bear sanctuary, which rehabilitates these charming creatures. You can also learn more about them, as well as Inkaterra’s project to reintroduce bears that have been negatively affected by humans back into their natural habitat.

The magnificent cheetah is sadly in danger of extinction for a number of reasons: loss of habitat, reduced prey and direct persecution. The species is listed as ‘vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but there are calls for it to be listed as ‘endangered’ due to predictions that the numbers of cheetahs could decline by over 50% in the next 15 years.

Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park counts between 50 to 80 cheetahs in the area. As part of the Serengeti Cheetah project, guests of Sanctuary Kusini, located within the Serengeti National Park, are actively encouraged to photograph the cheetahs they spot and leave copies for the research team to help with their conservation work.

You can also spot cheetahs in Namibia, which has the world's highest concentration of the animals, at Etosha National Park or Okonjima Nature Reserve.

Global warming, rising temperatures in the oceans and unsustainable hunting has threatened the polar bear. The species has been listed as a threatened species since 2008, and unfortunately there’s likely to be future decline in the number of polar bears due to ongoing destructive climate change.

As part of an incredible – but pricey (it costs $1 million) – philanthropic expedition with Natural World Safaris, you can see the majestic polar bear up close in the Arctic North of Canada, as well as visiting 11 other countries to spot 18 of the world’s most vulnerable species, including penguins in Antarctica, snow leopards in India, sun bears in Borneo and jaguars in Brazil. If you've not got a million to spare, try G Adventures' Realm of the Polar Bear expedition, which navigates the Svalbard archipelago over 8 days and costs around $3,500 (£2,500). 

The mountain gorilla – a subspecies of the eastern gorilla – has become the most endangered type of gorilla as a result of detrimental human activity, such as poaching, civil war, and habitat destruction.

But despite the dangers to the gorilla, it’s still possible to see one of these rare mammals. Head to the mountains of southwest Uganda and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas live. 

You can embark on a gorilla tracking adventure with an experienced guide and see whole families of the spectacular creatures up close. You might even be visited by gorillas from the comfort of your camp.

Orangutans, currently found only in the declining rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, are critically endangered, with deforestation, habitat loss, illegal pet trade and hunting for bush meat just some of the challenges the species is facing.

Rather than just visiting the rainforest, you can get involved with a wildlife conservation project to help make a difference to these gorgeous beasts. You can learn more about the endangered creatures, help with feeding and education, and work to plant trees to help restore the orangutan population. 

With their narrow, pointed beaks and distinctive shell pattern, Hawksbill turtles are famous for their looks – but their beautiful shells are hunted down to be sold as "tortoiseshell" for jewelry and ornaments. Sadly, the species is now critically endangered, as it’s not just hunting that harms them, but also loss of nesting and feeding habitats, excessive egg collection, fishing-related deaths, pollution and excessive coastal development.

At Florida’s Juno Beach, the non-profit Loggerhead Marinelife Center is dedicated to the conservation and rehabilitation of all kinds of sea turtles, including the Hawksbills.

With outreach programs, educational experiences, a sea turtle hospital and a research lab, the center is the place to go to not only see turtles being rehabilitated, but also to learn about the challenges of conservation. If you go during the summer, you can also witness the fascinating nesting and egg-laying process on the beach.