Recovery of Endangered Animals

The recovery of endangered animals is the main mission of the Endangered Species Program, which was developed from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. Through the act's provisions the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Fisheries employ several methods to protect endangered animals and their ecosystems.

  1. What Animals Need to Be Protected?

    • Animals and plants that need ESA protection are those facing extinction. Any species on the federal lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants is under this protection. Once an animal's population has increased where it has a good chance of long-term survival and extinction threats have been removed, that species will be delisted and considered no longer in need of protection.

    Program Methods

    • Through the Endangered Species Program various methods will be used to protect endangered species. The FWS works with federal, state, local agencies, tribal governments, businesses, conservation organizations, private landowners and individuals to achieve its goals. Program methods include creating wildlife refuges and breeding programs, securing habitats, removing invasive plant species or introduced predators, monitoring individual populations and taking surveys.

    Conservation Groups

    • Some of the program methods are put into action with the help of conservation organizations that have partnered with the FWS. Through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the FWS breeding programs at various zoos and aquariums, endangered species have been reintroduced to the wild, like Wyoming toads, Oregon silverspot butterflies and American burying beetles. Another FWS partner is the Center for Plant Conservation, a group dedicated to plant preservation.

    Flexible Management

    • The FWS is allowed to create "special rules" by making conservation regulations work harmoniously and effectively for the organization, the threatened species and individual citizens. For instance, the Apache trout is a protected species that is sometimes caught while anglers are fishing for other fish. The "special rule" in this case allows an angler to catch Apache trout only on a catch-and-release basis.

    Incentives

    • The FWS also provides incentives to private landowners, states and territories to conserve wildlife. For example, the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund allows the FWS to grant them millions of dollars in annual funds for getting involved in conservation projects.

    Success Stories

    • Due to the work of the FWS and its partners and the EPA, there has been significant success in the recovery of endangered animals. Species like the gray wolf, the brown pelican, the American peregrine falcon, the bald eagle and the American alligator have been removed from the endangered species list. In addition, 99 percent of the species listed have not become extinct because of FWS.