What is an endangered species?

An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Endangerment is most often caused by human activities, either directly through hunting or habitat destruction, or indirectly by introducing species that compete with or prey upon the endangered one.

Species are designated as endangered by either the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) or by national governments. The IUCN Red List is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. It uses a set of criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies. The criteria consider factors such as population size, rate of decline, geographic range, and threats.

Species are classified into one of several categories based on their risk of extinction:

• Extinct (EX) – No known individuals of the species remain alive

• Extinct in the Wild (EW) – The species survives only in captivity, with no populations remaining in their natural habitat

• Critically Endangered (CR) – The species faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

• Endangered (EN) – The species faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild

• Vulnerable (VU) – The species faces a high risk of endangerment in the wild

• Near Threatened (NT) – The species is close to being considered vulnerable, but does not yet meet the criteria for that category

• Least Concern (LC) – The species is widespread and abundant, with a low risk of extinction

• Data Deficient (DD) – There is insufficient information to make an assessment of the species’ risk of extinction

• Not Evaluated (NE) – The species has not yet been assessed for its risk of extinction

The IUCN Red List is a dynamic tool that is constantly updated as new information becomes available. This allows for the identification of species that are in need of conservation action and for the tracking of the progress of conservation efforts.