Endangered Animals in North Dakota

Congress put the Endangered Species Act into place in 1973. This act protects certain plants, animals and fish from hunting and trapping by humans. The purpose of this act helps to conserve species that are diminishing in quantity and to ward off extinction.



A species becomes endangered as the specimens of plants or animals begin to die faster than they can reproduce. Environmental factors, ecological imbalance and hunting are several factors that explain how a species becomes endangered. As of March, 2010 a number of animals indigenous to North America and residing in North Dakota are on the endangered list. A number of animals listed on the endangered list in North Dakota have been on this list for more than twenty years.

  1. The Least Tern

    • The least tern is a type of bird that lives and breeds near major water systems. In North Dakota, a least tern survives in the sandbars located in the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers. These birds live anywhere from 1 to 5 years and subsist on small fish and aquatic animals in the river. Least terns have suffered because of major ecological changes to their habitat. Dams and river channelization have forcibly removed sandbars as part of natural habitat. Least terns have stayed on the endangered list since 1985.

    The Gray Wolf

    • Since 1978, the gray wolf species has been on the endangered species list. The reason for their decline largely involves the shooting, trapping or poisoning of wolves by man. The exact number of gray wolves in North Dakota is difficult to ascertain as they migrate to neighboring Minnesota and Canada.

      The gray wolf subsists on a variety of animals including, moose, deer and beaver. After turning 2 years old, young wolves leave their birthplace and can travel hundreds of miles to form a new pack. Wolves generally live in the woodlands of North Dakota.

    The Black-footed Ferret

    • The black-footed ferret species has stayed on the endangered list since 1970 and suffers from a variety of reasons for its decline; change in habitat, lack of food source and hunted for its fur. This type of ferret gets most of its food from prairie dogs, which have largely been eradicated from their natural habitat. Black-footed ferrets are found in the Southwestern part of North Dakota as well as neighboring states of Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota. The life expectancy of these animals is low, most living less than five years.