Extinct: the last remaining member of the species has died, or is presumed beyond reasonable doubt to have died. Examples:  Dodo, Caribbean Monk Seal, Passenger Pigeon

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Extinct in the wild: captive individuals survive, but there is no free-living, natural population. Examples:South China Tiger, Alagoas Curassow

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Critically endangered: faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future. Examples: Arakan Forest Turtle, Javan Rhino, Brazilian Merganser

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Endangered: faces a very high risk of extinction in the near future. Examples: Blue Whale, Giant Panda, Snow Leopard, African Wild Dog, Tiger, Albatross, Crowned Solitary Eagle, Dhole

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Vulnerable: faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term. Examples: Cheetah,  Sloth Bear, Lion

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Conservation Dependent: The following animal is not severely threatened, but the animal must depend on conservation programs. Examples: Spotted Hyena, Leopard Shark, Black Caiman

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Near Threatened: may be considered threatened in the near future. Examples: Blue-billed Duck, Maned Wolf, Small-clawed Otter

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Least Concern: no immediate threat to the survival of the species. Examples: Brown Rat, Wood Pigeon, Harp Seal

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Honshū Wolf, extict due to agression and deforestation

Passenger Pigeon, extinct due to habitat loss and massive hunting

Chinese River dophine, since 2006 functionally extict

Others?

Giant pandas, tigers, polar bears, whales and dolphins, rhinos, elephants, marine turtles and great apes are currently in danger of extinction like them. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has indicated that 40 percent of all organisms is currently included in the category of endangered species.

Among the reasons why we should protect the endangered species, the experts count “aesthetic and moral justifications; the importance of wild species as providers of products and services essential to human welfare; the value of particular species as indicators of environmental health or as keystone species crucial to the functioning of ecosystems; and the scientific breakthroughs that have come from the study of wild organisms” (Wilcove & Master, 2008, p. 418).

This explanation is true on its own: humans NEED these organisms and the health of the ecosystem for their very own survival. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service claims that loss of one plant species can result in the loss of up to 30 other insect, plant and higher animal species. On the other hand, apart from the homo-centric perspective, protecting the wild species, is an ethical must; since most of these extinctions are stemming from the human impact in one way or another. “As human use of resources, energy, and space intensified over the past few centuries, the diversity of life has been substantially diminished in most parts of the world” (Ishwaran & Erdelen, 2006, p.179).  In other words, we are responsible!

Major Human Induced Factors Endangering Wild Species

1) Habitat Destruction

Wild habitats are always in a process of change. But this change tends to occur gradually. When we intervene in the wild and trigger a fast change, we leave little or no time for individual species to react and adjust to new circumstances.
“Habitat loss is the most widespread cause of species endangerment in the U.S., affecting 85% of imperiled species” (Wilcove & Master, 2008, p. 416).

2) Introduction of Exotic Species

Exotic species are interlopers, introduced into new environments by way of human activities. These interlopers threathen the purebred, naturally evolved, region specific native species, through genetic pollution or as predators and food competitors. The new organisms grew in numbers in expense of the wild species. Moreover, in case of uncontrolled hybridization, introgression hybrid animals and plants which are  weaker in comparison to the naturally evolved species, can not able to cope with natural environs over the long run.

3) Overexploitation

Due to the commercialization of animal parts, many species suffer high rates of unsustainable exploitation. High demands for items such as rhino horns and tiger bones, for instance, endanger these species.

4) Climate Change

Recently, researchers have concluded that global warming may drive one quarter of all land animals and plants to extinction by 2050 (Global warming threatens millions of species). The first mammal to be named extinct due to global warming is the white lemuroid possum, only found in the mountain forests of northern Queensland.