Species Extinction: Threatened Wildlife in 2026

The Cao-vit gibbon (*Nomascus nasutus*) remains one of the world’s rarest apes and is still classified as **Critically Endangered**. The best recent estimates put the global wild population at **74 individuals in 11 family groups**, based on 2023 research using vocal fingerprinting; researchers and conservation groups say this is a more precise count rather than evidence of a recent crash. The species is confined to a single transboundary karst forest patch on the Vietnam-China border, making it highly vulnerable to disease, inbreeding, and any local disturbance. Recent conservation reporting indicates the population may be **stable or slowly increasing**, with Fauna & Flora noting new groups formed in recent years and 2025 reporting an infant sighting during patrols in Cao Bằng, Vietnam. At the same time, experts warn that the current habitat is far too small for long-term recovery: one assessment says the protected forest can support **no more than about 200 gibbons even in the best case**, so habitat restoration, forest corridor creation, and transboundary management remain urgent priorities.