The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, often referred to simply as “the Red List,” ranks how close some 163,000 plants, animals, and other species are to extinction. Using the latest research, scientists assign a status to each listed species, ranging from “Least Concern” to “Endangered” to “Extinct.”
The Red List was established in 1964 to track the world’s biodiversity, and to give nonprofits, government agencies, and other organizations a way to track conservation progress — or failings. Wild Hope’s ongoing “Conservation Comeback” series shares inspiring stories of some of the species whose status has improved thanks to dedicated conservation action.