breeding programs were implemented, in which wildlife breeding
took place in controlled environments such as wildlife reserves or
zoos. When eagle chicks hatched and were deemed old enough
to survive on their own, they were released into the wild. Thanks
to these and other measures, the population of bald eagles has
soared. According to the National Wildlife Federation, more than
seven thousand breeding pairs live throughout the United States
today—a startling increase from just four hundred breeding pairs
in the late 1960s.
Numerous other wildlife species have also been saved by the
ESA, including the Florida panther, humpback whale, grizzly bear,
Source: IUCN, “The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species,” 2017.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) every year surveys
thousands of animal and plant species to monitor the status of the planet’s
biodiversity. Using these surveys the organization has identified certain trends.
For example, between 1980 and 2012 coral species moved more rapidly
toward extinction than any other species. And amphibians, on average during
that same period, had the most threatened species. The threat status of
species is generally categorized in one of three ways: critically endangered,
endangered, and vulnerable. The IUCN statistics for six classes of animals
reveal that in 2017 amphibians represented the largest critically endangered
and endangered class, and fish represented the largest vulnerable class.
While there are many reasons species struggle, habitat loss may represent
the biggest threat of all.
Critically Endangered
Endangered
Vulnerable
Group
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians
Fish
Insects
203
225
240
545
461
226
2017
Group
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians
Fish
Insects
464
448
424
852
660
419
2017
Group
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians
Fish
Insects
527
787
426
670
1,238
653
2017
Threatened Animal Species, 2017
7
