Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuary but their chief prey is the spotted deer ("Axis axis") and the wild boar ("Sus scrofa"). There are three species of wild cat, the leopard cat ("Prionailurus bengalensis"), the fishing cat ("Prionailurus viverrinus") and the jungle cat ("Felis chaus"). Also present are three species of otter, one of which, the smooth-coated otter ("Lutrogale perspicillata"), has been domesticated by local fishermen. The South Asian river dolphin ("Platanista gangetica") inhabits some of the larger water channels. Birds are plentiful with over 270 having been recorded in the area including 38 species of raptor, 95 species of waterfowl and 9 of kingfisher. On
Endangered species and eighteen percent of the United States' known animals, fungi and plants are near extinction. This total is substantially more than the number of species protected in the United States under the Endangered Species Act. Ever since mankind began hunting to preserve itself, over-hunting and fishing has been a large and dangerous problem. Of all the species who became extinct due to interference from mankind, the dodo, passenger pigeon, great auk, Tasmanian tiger and Steller's sea cow are some of the more well known examples; with the bald eagle, grizzly bear, American bison, Eastern timber wolf and sea turtle having