Endangered (EN):
Species that are classified as "Endangered (EN)" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) encounter a very high risk of extinction in the wild, positioned just below the critical urgency associated with Critically Endangered species. This category encompasses species that have met rigorous criteria demonstrating significant threats to their survival, such as substantial population decline, limited geographic distribution, and critically low population numbers. For a species to be designated as Endangered, it must exhibit a population decrease of at least 50% over the past decade or three generations, inhabit a severely fragmented or exceedingly small range, or have a total mature population of fewer than 2,500 individuals with ongoing decline.
Examples illustrating the dire predicaments faced by endangered species include the African elephant, which was severely impacted by poaching and habitat destruction, and the Siberian Tiger, which suffers from habitat loss due to deforestation and decreased prey populations. Such designations call for urgent conservation actions to prevent further decline, highlighting the need for protective regulations, habitat conservation, and targeted recovery plans. These conservation efforts aim to stabilize and increase populations to a point where they may be reclassified to a less threatened status, demonstrating a successful intervention and recovery process.
Discover Animals that are Endangered (EN):
