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Introduction Which are these endangered species?

Introduction

Among species that are close to extinction, there

The humpback whale is a recognized endangered species. It is only one among many other endangered whale species. Credit: USFWS/ Robin Hunter

is a system of classification to indicate the level of endangerment. The following classification is supported by the United States Endangered Species Act of 1973.

• Critically Endangered Species- these species are the closest to extinction. They exist in small numbers within their communities. Often, they cannot be raised back to their original numbers without support from humans.
• Threatened Species-these species are on their way to becoming critically endangered species.
• Rare Species-rare species exist in low numbers in their range as well. However, it is hard to tell whether they are really endangered or not.

Which are these endangered species?

Public awareness and international involvement in the conservation of species has been fairly recent. However, extinction of animals due to human activities can be traced as far as the early 1600s. What is surprising is that endangered species include not only remote species but also well-known majestic species like the blue whale, African rhinoceros, elephant, cheetah, leopard, Asiatic lion, catfish, Goliath frog, etc. However, the real list of endangered and threatened species is too long for discussion. The recently released 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants estimates that over 33, 798 species of plants are in danger of extinction. Although this is a very comprehensive study, there are species of animals and plants that are yet to be discovered. Will there be species that become extinct before they are known to the world? Such unfortunate incidents represents huge losses in biodiversity and natural resources.

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