Learn how species that faced extinction are bouncing back
From the fin whale and albatross to the gecko, populations are drawing back from the brink of extinction—thanks to intensive conservation efforts.
More than a quarter of all species assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature are considered threatened. Many species have moved through several of the IUCN Red List categories—from least concern to vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, and ultimately extinct. But every once in a while, a species takes a step away from the brink—in other words, it’s downlisted. That doesn’t always happen without help. Conservation measures over the years helped improve the status of 13 animal species worldwide in 2018. Such downlistings are worth celebrating, but some scientists worry that they’ll slow the momentum required to keep an animal safe. In assessments so far in 2019 where the status changed, in every case the species declined.
