When did the pallid sturgeon become an endangered species?
Pallid sturgeon
Though never believed to be common, pallid sturgeon populations rapidly declined during the late 20th century and the species was listed as endangered on September 6, 1990. The U.S. government and most of the states with pallid sturgeon populations have commenced restoration efforts to save the species from extinction. Wild reproduction of pallid sturgeon is rare to nonexistent in most areas; therefore, human intervention is needed to ensure the survival of the species. Pallid sturgeon were previously considered a prized trophy game fish species, until their numbers declined and they were placed on the endangered species list. All captured pallid sturgeon must now be released back to the wild. The species was known for being very palatable and the roe from females was used as caviar.
Mary River turtle
This species is currently listed as endangered under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992, and under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The international conservation body IUCN lists it as endangered on the IUCN Red List. It is also listed on the Zoological Society of London's Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered list, part of the EDGE of Existence programme. It is Australia's second-most endangered freshwater turtle species, after the western swamp turtle ("Pseudemydura umbrina") of Western Australia. Mary River turtles were listed amongst the world's top 25 most endangered turtle species by the Turtle Conservation Fund in 2003.
Fasciated tiger heron
When the International Union for the Conservation of Nature released its first listing of the conservation status of the world's species in 1988, the fasciated tiger heron was included as a near threatened species. The bird held that ranking until the 2000 list, when its status was changed to least concern. The estimates of its population are quite low: , some are thought to be mature adults. Its population trend is unknown, due in part to the poor quality of data regarding its numbers, and in part to uncertainty surrounding the impact that habitat modifications might have on the species. However, its range is considerable, spanning foothill regions in southern Central America and much of western South America, with isolated lowland populations in Guyana and eastern South America.
Endangered species
Ever since mankind began hunting to preserve itself, over-hunting and fishing has been a large and dangerous problem. Of all the species who became extinct due to interference from mankind, the dodo, passenger pigeon, great auk, Tasmanian tiger and Steller's sea cow are some of the more well known examples; with the bald eagle, grizzly bear, American bison, Eastern timber wolf and sea turtle having been hunted to near-extinction. Many began as food sources seen as necessary for survival but became the target of sport. However, due to major efforts to prevent extinction, the bald eagle, or "Haliaeetus leucocephalus" is now under the category of Least Concern on the red list. A present-day example of the over-hunting of a species can be seen in the oceans as populations of certain whales have been greatly reduced. Large whales like the blue whale, bowhead whale, finback whale, gray whale, sperm whale and humpback whale are some of the eight whales which are currently still included on the Endangered Species List. Actions have been taken to attempt reduction in whaling and increase population sizes, including prohibiting all whaling in United States waters, the formation of the CITES treaty which protects all whales, along with the formation of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). But even though all of these movements have been put in place, countries such as Japan continue to hunt and harvest whales under the claim of "scientific purposes". Over-hunting, climatic change and habitat loss leads in landing species in endangered species list and could mean that extinction rates could increase to a large extent in the future.
Holdridge's toad
The toad was added to the Red List of Endangered Species in 2006. Of the forty recorded visits, Holdridge’s toad has been observed on twenty-two occasions, accounting for sixty-seven organisms. Much of the known range of this species is protected in Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, 20 km north-east of the capital of San José. The two sites where the species is known to persist in 2010 are located in the Cerro Dantos and Jaguarundi Refuges, neither of which has the same protection status as a national park. Even with the lower protection status, the forest cover of these refuges remains intact and seemingly not threatened. Although one might think that the population of "Incilius holdridgei" is 
recovering, information on the only known populations is still very limited; there needs to be more research on the population dynamics, environmental factors of the breeding sites, population health and genetics.
Crested capuchin
Crested capuchins were first classified as vulnerable in 1995 by the IUCN and became classified as endangered in 2008. Although their range includes several conservation areas, they occur only in a relatively small area, where they are under pressure from hunting and habitat destruction by conversion to agriculture.
Yellow-legged pigeon
It was formerly classified as Endangered by the IUCN. But new research has shown it to be not as rare as it was believed. Consequently, it is downlisted to Vulnerable in 2008.
Orange-bellied parrot
The orange-bellied parrot is rated as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s Red List of Endangered species. As of the 2016-17 breeding season, wild population has been counted at 16 confirmed individuals—13 males and 3 females.
Orange-bellied parrot
In 2006, the potential threats to the orange-bellied parrot were cited as the key reason for Commonwealth Minister rejecting the proposal to build the Bald Hills Wind Farm in eastern Victoria. It was found there were no significant risks to the species, and the decision was reversed. The company was provided with approval to proceed (under certain conditions). The intense media scrutiny at this time placed the orange-bellied parrot temporarily into the spotlight. In the subsequent months additional funding was provided for the parrot's recovery, and its status under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 was raised from "endangered" to "critically endangered".
Mount Glorious day frog
"Taudactylus diurnus" was first described by Australian zoologists Straughan and Lee in 1966. The frog was abundant in the south eastern Queensland in the early 1970s but then rapidly began to decline. In a period of about 3 to 4 years, the frog was considered to be endangered, having disappeared from D’Aguilar Range around 1975 and Blackall Range around 1978. The species has not been spotted since approximately 1979. In 1994, the Groombridge Scientific Journal declared the species to be endangered, which was followed up in 1996 with the IUCN Redlist declaring the species to be critically endangered. Efforts to relocate the species continued up until 2004, when the IUCN Redlist determined the species officially as extinct due to a lack of evidence of their existence in the wild for roughly 25 years.
The world's 100 most threatened species
Some of the threatened species are down to only a handful of surviving members. Santa Catarina’s guinea pig, native to a single island in Brazil, is down to its last 40–60 individuals, reduced by hunting and habitat disturbance. The great Indian bustard is threatened by habitat loss resulting from agriculture and human development, and is down to the last 50–249 individuals. "Elaeocarpus bojeri", a flowering plant found only on the island of Mauritius, has fewer than 10 surviving individuals, because of loss of habitat. The Baishan fir ("Abies beshanzuensis"), native to China, is down to five surviving mature individuals. "Priceless or Worthless?" describes the threats that each species is facing, along with measures that would aid their survival.
Brown pelican
The brown pelican is the national bird of Saint Martin, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the official state bird of Louisiana. It has been rated as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It was listed under the United States Endangered Species Act from 1970 to 2009, as pesticides such as dieldrin and DDT threatened its future in the Southeastern United States and California. In 1972, the use of DDT was banned in Florida, followed by the rest of the United States. Since then, the brown pelican's population has increased. In 1903, Theodore Roosevelt set aside the first National Wildlife Refuge, Florida's Pelican Island, to protect the species from hunters.
Pallid cuckoo
English ornithologist John Latham described the pallid cuckoo in 1801 as "Columba pallida" "pale pigeon".
Sprague's pipit
Sprague's pipits were listed in 1999 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife
in Canada (COSEWIC)  as “threatened”; the status was re-examined and confirmed in May 2000. Sprague's pipits were officially listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) as “threatened” on 5 June 2003 (Jones 2010). In the United States, Sprague's pipits are a candidate for listing as “endangered” or “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; however, listing Sprague's pipits is precluded by higher listing priorities
Endangered Species Act of 1969
The Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-669) was passed prior to the 1969 act, and set up a list of species native to the United States that qualified as endangered. The animals on this list were then afforded certain protections from the National Wildlife Refuge System.
For example, the Endangered Species Preservation Act was in part dedicated to raising awareness of endangered species of birds like the peregrine falcon, and to "conserve, protect, restore, and propagate certain species of native fish and wildlife".
Endangered Species Act of 1969
The Endangered Species Act of 1969 was only in effect for four years. It was soon replaced by the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
The 1973 act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon, and expanded the protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act of 1969.
The act is administered by two federal agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service(FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Saliega
The Iberian lynx is critically endangered, and is considered the world's most threatened feline species. Studies conducted in March 2005 estimated the number of surviving Iberian lynx to be as few as 100, which is down from about 400 in 2000 and down from 4,000 in 1960. If the Iberian lynx were to become extinct, it would be the first big cat species to do so since the "Smilodon" became extinct 10,000 years ago.
Challenger (eagle)
Challenger has been an ambassador for his species since 1993. He has raised a great level of public awareness for the habitat destruction of the bald eagle. Since he is so widely recognized, Challenger is noted as a large factor in the bald eagle being taken off the Endangered Species List.
Sturgeon
Sturgeon is the common name for the 27 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. Their evolution dates back to the Triassic some 245 to 208 million years ago. The family is grouped into four genera: "Acipenser", "Huso", "Scaphirhynchus" and "Pseudoscaphirhynchus". Four species may now be extinct. Two closely related species, "Polyodon spathula" (American paddlefish) and "Psephurus gladius" (Chinese paddlefish, possibly extinct) are of the same order, Acipenseriformes, but are in the family Polyodontidae and are not considered to be "true" sturgeons. Both sturgeons and paddlefish have been referred to as "primitive fishes" because their morphological characteristics have remained relatively unchanged since the earliest fossil record. Sturgeons are native to subtropical, temperate and sub-Arctic rivers, lakes and coastlines of Eurasia and North America. 
Sturgeons are long-lived, late-maturing fishes with distinctive characteristics, such as a heterocercal caudal fin similar to that of sharks, and an elongated spindle-like body that is smooth-skinned, scaleless and armored with 5 lateral rows of bony plates called scutes. Several species can grow quite large, typically ranging 7–12 feet (2-3½ m) in length. The largest sturgeon on record was a Beluga female captured in the Volga estuary in 1827, weighing and long. Most sturgeons are anadromous bottom-feeders which migrate upstream to spawn but spend most of their lives feeding in river deltas and estuaries. Some species inhabit freshwater environments exclusively while others primarily inhabit marine environments near coastal areas, and are known to venture into open ocean.
IUCN Red List
On 12 September 2007, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) released the 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In this release, they have raised their classification of both the western lowland gorilla ("Gorilla gorilla gorilla") and the Cross River gorilla ("Gorilla gorilla diehli") from endangered to critically endangered, which is the last category before extinct in the wild, due to Ebola virus and poaching, along with other factors. Russ Mittermeier, chief of Swiss-based IUCN's Primate Specialist Group, stated that 16,306 species are endangered with extinction, 188 more than in 2006 (total of 41,415 species on the Red List). The Red List includes the Sumatran orangutan ("Pongo abelii") in the Critically Endangered category and the Bornean orangutan ("Pongo pygmaeus") in the Endangered category.
Endangered Species Act of 1973
Two examples of animal species recently delisted are: the Virginia northern flying squirrel (subspecies) on August, 2008, which had been listed since 1985, and the gray wolf (Northern Rocky Mountain DPS). On April 15, 2011, President Obama signed the Department of Defense and Full-Year Appropriations Act of 2011. A section of that Appropriations Act directed the Secretary of the Interior to reissue within 60 days of enactment the final rule published on April 2, 2009, that identified the Northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolf ("Canis lupus") as a distinct population segment (DPS) and to revise the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife by removing most of the gray wolves in the DPS.
Mount Graham red squirrel
The Mount Graham subspecies was believed to be extinct in the 1950s, but was "rediscovered" in the 1970s.
After its rediscovery, it was suggested for threatened or endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act in 1982.
On May 21, 1986, the subspecies was officially recommended to become an endangered species, and on June 3, 1987, was officially listed as endangered.
The Mount Graham International Observatory was controversial when it was built in the squirrel's habitat; the observatory has been required to monitor the community near the observatory to determine if its construction is having any negative effects on the population. Habitat loss is also occurring at high levels for a variety of natural and anthropogenic reasons. In 1988, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated most of this area as a refuge, and access to the area is only granted with a special permit.
A lightning strike on June 7, 2017 started a fire that could lead to the extinction of this subspecies.
Sturgeon
Several species of sturgeon are harvested for their roe which is processed into caviar—a luxury food and the reason why caviar-producing sturgeons are among the most valuable of all wildlife resources. They are particularly vulnerable to overexploitation and other threats, including pollution and habitat fragmentation. Most species of sturgeon are considered to be at risk of extinction, making them more critically endangered than any other group of species.
Jaguar
Jaguar populations are rapidly declining. The species is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. The loss of parts of its range, including its virtual elimination from its historic northern areas and the increasing fragmentation of the remaining range, have contributed to this status. Particularly significant declines occurred in the 1960s, when more than 15,000 jaguars were killed for their skins in the Brazilian Amazon yearly; the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of 1973 brought about a sharp decline in the pelt trade. Detailed work performed under the auspices of the Wildlife Conservation Society revealed the species has lost 37% of its historic range, with its status unknown in an additional 18% of the global range. More encouragingly, the probability of long-term survival was considered high in 70% of its remaining range, particularly in the Amazon basin and the adjoining Gran Chaco and Pantanal.
Grey nurse shark conservation
The Grey Nurse shark is one of the most critically endangered shark species and believed to be the first protected shark in the world. It was declared ‘vulnerable’ in the waters of New South Wales (Australia) in 1984 and later throughout the world.
In 1996 the species was listed globally ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and declared ‘vulnerable’ in Commonwealth waters of Australia. 
According to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act 1999) it is believed that there are two separate populations of Grey Nurse shark in Australia. The population in the east coast is listed as ‘critically endangered’ whereas the west coast population is listed as ‘vulnerable’ under the EPBC Act (1999)
The Grey Nurse sharks are also protected under the Fisheries Legislation in New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland. In the Northern Territory the species is classified as ‘data deficient’ by the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act (2000)NTG.
Pallid sturgeon
Six areas were studied for wild pallid sturgeon population estimates and recovery recommendations by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) between 1990, when the species was declared endangered, and 2006. The USFWS has referred to these six areas of wild population studies as "recovery priority management areas" (RPMAs). In the northernmost region of the study, known as RPMA 1, located between the Marias River in Montana and the western reaches of Fort Peck Reservoir, only 45 wild (nonhatchery) individuals remain. Of these, no juveniles were observed and the population was declining. In RPMA 2, located between Fort Peck Dam, the headwaters of Lake Sakakawea, and the lower Yellowstone River up to the confluence of the Tongue River, Montana, only 136 wild specimens remain. In RPMA 3, stretching from upstream of the Niobrara River to Lewis and Clark Lake along the Missouri River, no native populations were recorded. All collected specimens appeared to be hatchery-raised. However, these specimens were apparently maturing and adjusting well to this section of the river. Recovery priority management area 4 extends from Gavins Point Dam to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. This region also includes the Platte River. Here, at least 100 unique nonhatchery specimens were collected during the study period. Evidence also indicates some wild reproduction is going on in this region. In RPMA 5, between the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico, several hundred specimens were documented. Again, some evidence suggests natural reproduction is occurring, as demonstrated by the recovery of a few examples of immature, nonhatchery-raised individuals. The Atchafalaya River basin is designated as RPMA 6 and the findings there were similar to those in RPMAs 4 and 5, but with greater numbers of unique individuals, near 500 in total.
Endangered Species Act of 1973
Some have argued that the recovery of DDT-threatened species such as the bald eagle, brown pelican and peregrine falcon should be attributed to the 1972 ban on DDT by the EPA. rather than the Endangered Species Act, however, the listing of these species as endangered was a substantial cause of Congress instituting the ban and many non-DDT oriented actions were taken on their behalf under the Endangered Species Act (i.e. captive breeding, habitat protection, and protection from disturbance).
Fish
A key stress on both freshwater and marine ecosystems is habitat degradation including water pollution, the building of dams, removal of water for use by humans, and the introduction of exotic species. An example of a fish that has become endangered because of habitat change is the pallid sturgeon, a North American freshwater fish that lives in rivers damaged by human activity.
Loggerhead sea turtle policies of the Barack Obama Administration (2009-2017)
The loggerhead sea turtle ("Caretta caretta") is geographically distributed into nine distinct population segments(DPS). The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS), and the Department of the Interior ruled four DPSs as threatened and five DPSs as endangered effective on October 24, 2011. Loggerhead DPSs listed as threatened under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Commerce are: 
Endangered populations of loggerhead sea turtles are: 
The two of these distinct population segments of loggerhead sea turtles that fall within United States Territory are the North Pacific Ocean DPS(range defined as north of the equator and south of 60°N lat.) and the Northwest Atlantic Ocean DPS(range defined as north of the equator, south of 60°N lat., and west of 40°W. long.).
Pallid sturgeon
Named for its pale coloration, it is closely related to the relatively common shovelnose sturgeon ("Scaphirhynchus platorynchus"), but is much larger, averaging between in length and in weight at maturity. This species takes 15 years to mature and spawns infrequently, but can live up to a century. A member of the sturgeon family, Acipenseridae, which originated during the Cretaceous period 70 million years ago, the pallid sturgeon has changed little since then.
Adelaide pygmy blue-tongue skink
Found only in the Mid North of South Australia, "T. adelaidensis" was for a time believed to be extinct. It was rediscovered in 1992, when a researcher found the remains of an adult male "T. adelaidensis" in the stomach contents of a dead brown snake, near Burra. The pygmy bluetongue is now considered to be an endangered species.
Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery
The Pallid sturgeon ("Scaphirhynchus albus") is a member of the sturgeon family. The hatchery is working to develop spawning and culture techniques to raise a large number of Pallid sturgeon. Workers at the hatchery hope to raise enough of these fish to take the species off of the Endangered Species List.
Paraguana moustached bat
In their 2008 assessment, the IUCN listed the Paraguana moustached bat as critically endangered. The 2016 assessment, however, downlisted them to endangered. In 2013, Bat Conservation International listed this species as one of the 35 species of its worldwide priority list of conservation. In 2015, Bat Conservation International began fundraising for bat detectors to better survey the critical habitat necessary for the species' survival. The species is especially threatened by intentional destruction by humans; in 1997, thousands of dead bats were found in one of the caves after locals set tires on fire at the cave entrance. Some Venezuelans mistakenly believe that all bats are vampire bats, and should therefore be exterminated. To reduce vandalism and protect the bats, a gate was installed in 2003 at the entrance of one of the caves, with gaps large enough for bats to come and go, but too small for human passage. After the gate was installed, the number of bats using the cave "substantially increased".
Plume hunting
Such public concern, combined with the conservation-minded President Theodore Roosevelt, led to his executive order of President on March 14, 1903, established Pelican Island as the first national wildlife refuge in the United States to protect egrets and other birds from extinction by plume hunters. This resulted in the initial federal land specifically set aside for a non-marketable form of wildlife (the brown pelican) when Pelican Island was proclaimed a Federal Bird Reservation in 1903. Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is said to be the first bona fide "refuge". The first warden employed by the government at Pelican Island, Paul Kroegel, was an Audubon warden whose salary was $1 a month. Plume hunter guide turned game warden Guy Bradley was shot and killed after confronting plume hunters.
Green poison frog
The green poison frog ("Andinobates viridis") is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to the western slope of the Cordillera Occidental, Colombia.
Its natural habitats are primary lowland and sub-montane forests; it can also been found in good secondary forests. It is a very rare frog, numbering at fewer than 50, maybe even no individuals. Not seen since 2005, the species was uplisted from "Vulnerable" to "Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct)" in 2017. It is threatened by habitat loss (deforestation) and pollution. This species is not recorded in the international pet trade.
Peregrine falcon
The peregrine falcon became an endangered species over much of its range because of the use of organochlorine pesticides, especially DDT, during the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. Pesticide biomagnification caused organochlorine to build up in the falcons' fat tissues, reducing the amount of calcium in their eggshells. With thinner shells, fewer falcon eggs survived to hatching. In several parts of the world, such as the eastern United States and Belgium, this species became extirpated (locally extinct) as a result. An alternate point of view is that populations in the eastern North America had vanished due to hunting and egg collection. Following the ban of organochlorine pesticides, the reproductive success of Peregrines increased in Scotland in terms of territory occupancy and breeding success, although spatial variation in recovery rates indicate that in some areas Peregrines were also impacted by other factors such as persecution.
Brown pelican
Since 1988, the brown pelican has been rated as least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered species based on its large range—greater than 20,000 km (7700 mi)—and an increasing population trend. The population size is also well beyond the threshold for vulnerable species. The nominate race population is thought to number at least 290,000 in the West Indies, and 650,000 globally. In 1903, Theodore Roosevelt set aside Pelican Island, now known as Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, to solely protect the brown pelican from hunters.
Sturdee's pipistrelle
Sturdee's pipistrelle ("Pipistrellus sturdeei") is a bat that was thought to have lived in Japan before officially becoming extinct in 2000. In 2006 the IUCN changed its official status to "Data Deficient", as new data throws doubt on the taxonomic status of the species.
Endangered Species Act of 1973
President Richard Nixon declared current species conservation efforts to be inadequate and called on the 93rd United States Congress to pass comprehensive endangered species legislation. Congress responded with a completely rewritten law, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which was signed by Nixon on December 28, 1973 (). It was written by a team of lawyers and scientists, including Dr. Russell E. Train, the first appointed head of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), an outgrowth of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Dr. Train was assisted by a core group of staffers, including Dr. Earl Baysinger at EPA, Dick Gutting, and Dr. Gerard A. "Jerry" Bertrand, a Ph.D marine biologist by training (Oregon State University), who had transferred from his post as the scientific adviser to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, office of the Commandant of the Corps, to join the newly formed White House office. The staff, under Dr. Train's leadership, incorporated dozens of new principles and ideas into the landmark legislation, crafting a document that completely changed the direction of environmental conservation in the United States. Dr. Bertrand is credited with writing the most challenged section of the Act, the "takings" clause – Section 2.
Keibul Lamjao National Park
The national park is characterized by many floating decomposed plant materials locally called phumdis. To preserve the natural refuge of the endangered Manipur Eld's deer or brow-antlered deer ("Cervus eldi eldi"), or sangai also called the dancing deer, listed as an endangered species by IUCN, the park which was initially declared to be a sanctuary in 1966, was subsequently declared to be a national park in 1977 through a gazette notification. The act has generated local support and public awareness.
Bull trout
The bull trout ("Salvelinus confluentus") is a char of the family Salmonidae native to northwestern North America. Historically, "S. confluentus" has been known as the "Dolly Varden" ("S. malma"), but was reclassified as a separate species in 1980. Bull trout are listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (1998) and as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Starry sturgeon
The starry sturgeon ("Acipenser stellatus") also known as stellate sturgeon or sevruga (Drakul, , and ), is a species of sturgeon. It is native to the Black, Azov, Caspian and Aegean sea basins, but it has been extirpated from the last and it is predicted that the remaining natural population will follow soon due to overfishing. It is considered critically endangered by the IUCN and international trade in this species (including its caviar) is restricted by CITES. The starry sturgeon is an anadromous species, which migrates up rivers to spawn.
Wild Bactrian camel
The wild Bactrian camel has been classified as Critically Endangered since 2002. The United Kingdom-based Wild Camel Protection Foundation (WCPF) estimates that there are only about 1400 of them left in the world. The London Zoological Society recognizes it as the eighth most endangered large mammal in the world, and it is on the critically endangered list. The wild Bactrian camel was identified as one of the top ten "focal species" in 2007 by the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) project, which prioritises unique and threatened species for conservation.
Bridled nail-tail wallaby
The species declined in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with no confirmed sightings between 1937 and 1973, by which time it was believed to be extinct. After reading an article in a magazine about Australia's extinct species, a fencing contractor reported that there was an extant population on a property near Dingo, Queensland. This sighting was subsequently confirmed by researchers from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, and the property eventually became Taunton National Park, a scientific nature reserve for the purpose of ensuring the ongoing survival and protection of this endangered species. The current range of this wallaby is less than 5% of its original range.
Carpenter Rocks Conservation Park
The conservation park was proclaimed on 6 September 2001 under the "National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972" to protect threatened species and vegetation communities in particular: A number of threatened species and plant communities are conserved within the park. It protects part of the only known population of Carpenter Rocks Manna Gum ("Eucalyptus splendens" ssp. "arcana"), which is a newly-described species, along with several other plants of national, state or regional significance. The park protects significant habitat for the Orange-bellied Parrot ("Neophema chrysogaster"), which is critically endangered at a national level. This important threatened species was recorded more regularly at the Carpenter Rocks site than at any other site in South Australia during the 1980s and early 1990s.
Pallid sturgeon
The pallid sturgeon ("Scaphirhynchus albus") is an endangered species of ray-finned fish, endemic to the waters of the Missouri and lower Mississippi river basins of the United States.
Dipsastraea pallida
Dipsastraea pallida is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Merulinidae. It is found in tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This is a common species of coral with a widespread distribution, and the main threat it faces is from the destruction of its coral reef habitats. It is rated as a "least-concern species" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This species was first described in 1846 as "Favia pallida" by the American zoologist James Dwight Dana; it was later transferred to the genus "Dipsastraea", but some authorities continue to use the original name.
Wings for My Flight
The peregrine falcon became an endangered species primarily due to the use of organochlorine pesticides, especially DDT, the breakdown of which lowered estrogen levels in the bloodstream of female peregrine falcons and inhibited the production of calcium, causing eggs to grow thinner by up to 20 percent. Since peregrine falcons lay their eggs on rocky ledges rather than nests, the thinned shells break under the stress of both the rocky ledge and the weight of the parents during incubation. Following 1970, recovery efforts for the peregrine falcon population have been successful. The agricultural use of DDT was banned in the United States in 1972, and recovery teams in the eastern United States were successful in breeding and training peregrines in captivity to later release to the wild, a procedure called hacking. In 1999, the peregrine falcon was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species list.
European sea sturgeon
The European sea sturgeon ("Acipenser sturio"), also known as the Atlantic sturgeon or common sturgeon, is a species of sturgeon previously found on most coasts of Europe. It is anadromous and breeds in rivers. It is currently a critically endangered species. Although the name Baltic sturgeon sometimes has been used, it has now been established that sturgeon of the Baltic region are "A. oxyrinchus", a species otherwise restricted to the Atlantic coast of North America.
Alabama sturgeon
The Alabama sturgeon, "Scaphirhynchus suttkusi", is a critically endangered species of sturgeon native to the United States of America and now only believed to exist in of the lower Alabama River. The fish has a distinctive yellowish-orange color, grows to a size of about long and , and is believed to have a lifespan of 12 to 20 years. Biologists have known of the fish since the 1950s or 1960s, but the large diversity of aquatic species in Alabama prevented formal identification until 1991.
Pallid sturgeon
Efforts to prevent the species from becoming extinct have had modest success. Pallid sturgeon are actively being raised in a dozen hatcheries and the offspring are being released back to the wild every year. To better understand pallid sturgeon behavior, researchers have implanted radio transmitters to track their movements and help identify possible spawning areas. Federal and state agencies are working together to improve habitat by restoring spawning areas since restoration of these areas is required if the species is to survive in the wild.
Pinniped
As of 2013, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognizes 35 pinniped species. With the Japanese sea lion and the Caribbean monk seal recently extinct, ten more are considered at risk, as they are ranked "Critically Endangered" (the Mediterranean and Hawaiian monk seals), "Endangered" (Galápagos fur seal, Australian sea lion, Caspian seal and Galápagos sea lion), and "Vulnerable" (northern fur seal, hooded seal and New Zealand sea lion). Three species—the walrus, the ribbon seal, and the spotted seal—have a "Data Deficient" ranking. Species that live in polar habitats are vulnerable to the effects of recent and ongoing climate change, particularly declines in sea ice. There has been some debate over the cause of the decline of Steller sea lions in Alaska since the 1970s.
Spoon-billed sandpiper
Formerly classified as an Endangered species by the IUCN, recent research shows that its numbers are decreasing more and more rapidly and that it is on the verge of extinction. It is consequently reclassified to Critically Endangered status in 2008. The population was estimated at only 120–200 pairs in 2009–2010, perhaps indicating an 88% decline since 2002 equating to an annual rate of decline of 26%. Draining of the Saemangeum estuary in South Korea removed an important migration staging point, and hunting on the important wintering grounds in Burma has emerged as a serious threat. This species may become extinct in 10–20 years.
Blunt-eared bat
It has only been encountered in twelve localities, four of which are less than apart. Its area of occupancy is estimated at less than .
In Peru, it is considered critically endangered.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature assessed it as vulnerable in 1996 and 2008, but revised its classification to endangered in 2016.
They identify habitat destruction as the primary threat to this species; its habitat is being lost to agricultural conversion and urbanization.
This species is possibly under threat by efforts to control vampire bats. Sometimes, entire caves are fumigated, which kills all the bats inside.
In 2013, bat researchers reported capturing two individuals with "relatively little sampling effort," causing them to question if the species is actually rare or if it is not encountered due to inappropriate sampling methods.
Pangolin trade
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which regulates the international wildlife trade, added the eight known species of pangolin to its appendices in 1975. CITES places species it seeks to protect in three appendices organized according to urgency and, correspondingly, the strictness of the regulations. Appendix I includes the strictest prohibitions and is reserved for animals threatened with extinction. In 1975, "Smutsia temminckii" was placed in Appendix I; "Manis crassicaudata", "Manis culionensis", "Manis javanica", and "Manis pentadactyla" were placed in Appendix II; "Smutsia gigantea", "Phataginus tetradactyla", and "Phataginus tricuspis" were placed in Appendix III. In 1995, "Smutsia" and "Phataginus" were moved to Appendix II. Finally, in 2016, at the 17th CITES Conference of Parties in Johannesburg, representatives of 182 countries unanimously enacted a ban on the international trade of all pangolin species by moving them to Appendix I. Though the individual species are listed in Appendix I, the family as a whole (Manidae) is under Appendix II, with the implication that if additional species are discovered, they will be automatically placed in Appendix II.
Cormorant culling
After a protracted period of cormorant population reduction due to expanding human settlement, breeding habitat loss and persecution in the forms of shooting and egging, a turning point for the species was reached in 1972. The National Audubon Society listed the double-crested cormorant as a species of special concern. The state of Wisconsin declared cormorants endangered and began building nesting structures to help them return. The use of DDT was banned, a chemical agent which was proven to thin cormorant eggs and had impacted recruitment since its introduction following World War II. Congress also signed a revised Migratory Bird Treaty Act granted cormorants federal protection. Since that time, the species has been recovering.
Caviar
Today, the shortnose sturgeon is rated "Vulnerable" in the IUCN Red List of endangered species and rated "Endangered" per the Endangered Species Act. With the depletion of Caspian and Black Sea caviar, production of farmed or "sustainable" caviar has greatly increased. In particular, northern California is reported to account for 70% to 80% of U.S. production.
Green sturgeon
Critical habitat for the Southern DPS of green sturgeon was designated under the United States Endangered Species Act on October 9, 2009.
Mogurnda adspersa
Mogurnda adspersa (commonly known as the southern purple-spotted gudgeon) is a species of endangered gudgeon that is endemic to southeastern Australia. The fish is brown, although the shade becomes lighter near its abdomen. Spots of various colors occur on its sides. After a dramatic population decline in the late 20th century, the fish was thought to be extinct, but it was rediscovered in 2002. The government of Australia is currently taking measures to increase the fish's numbers.
Pallid swift
The pallid swift was first described by English naturalist George Ernest Shelley in 1870.
Polites mardon
The Mardon skipper butterfly is currently listed as an endangered species in Washington state and classified as a federal endangered species. Its status denotes a high priority for conservation efforts. Over the years, studies have been assessing the decline of this species in the Puget prairies, by conducting population counts and habitat characteristics and their effect on the Mardon skipper's life cycle.
Atlantic sturgeon
In February 2012, the Atlantic sturgeon was listed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Four distinct population segments (DPSs) were listed as endangered (New York Bight, Chesapeake Bay, Carolina, and South Atlantic) while one DPS was listed as threatened (Gulf of Maine). As of this writing (July 22, 2015) there are concerns that the construction of the bridge to replace the Tappan Zee connecting Rockland County to Westchester County in New York, in the Hudson River, may impact the sturgeon's ecological stability.
Cathedral Range State Park
Leadbeater's possum
The Leadbeater's possum ("Gymnobelideus leadbeateri") is an iconic Australian species that is listed as critically endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. It is found in the wet ash forests of Victoria and has become endangered due to logging, recurrent bushfires and the decline of large trees containing hollows. Although there have been no sightings of the Leadbeater's Possum at the Cathedral Range it is suspected to occur there. Sightings have been made at Tweed Spur, only 3 km south from the Range. The community of Alpine Ash found in the park is suitable habitat for the possum.
Palila
On March 11, 1967, the palila was listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. In 1975, it was estimated that only 1,614 palila existed. In 1978, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that feral sheep and goats had to be removed from critical habitat of the bird. From annual counts between 1980 and 1996, variable estimates of population ranged from 1,584 to 5,685 mature birds, though there are no consistent trends. In 1997, the west slope of Mauna Kea contained 72% of the population. The entire population, an estimated 4,396 birds, occupied an estimated .
Golden toad
The Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA) listed 427 species as “critically endangered” in its extensive analysis, including 122 species that could be “possibly extinct”. A majority of species, including the golden toad, have declined in numbers even in seemingly undisturbed environments. As late as 1994, five years after the last sighting, researchers still hoped that "I. periglenes" continued to live in underground burrows, as similar toad species have lifespans of up to twelve years. By 2004 IUCN listed the species as extinct, after an evaluation involving Savage (who had first discovered them 38 years earlier). IUCN's conclusion was based on the lack of sightings since 1989 and the "extensive searching" that had been done since without result. In August 2010 a search organised by the Amphibian Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, aiming to verify the status of various species of frogs thought to be extinct in the wild, failed to find evidence of surviving specimens.
Carson-Iceberg Wilderness
The Carson-Iceberg Wilderness supports a native population of the only Paiute cutthroat trout in existence in the drainages of Silver King Creek, a tributary of the East Fork Carson River. They were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 and upgraded to threatened status in 1973 with the passage of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) which allowed regulated fishing of the Paiute. Historically, the US Fish and Wildlife Service believe the Paiute trout only occupied the Silver King Creek and its tributaries below the barrier of LLewellyn Falls, and around 1912 were introduced to other streams where the Paiute hybridized with the Lahonton and rainbow trout species.
Santa Cruz long-toed salamander
"Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum" was designated as federally endangered in 1967 under the Endangered Species Preservation
Act (a precursor to the Endangered Species Act of 1973), and endangered by the State of California in 1971;. It has also been designated as Critically imperiled at the global and state level by NatureServe. Its limited range and fragile specialized habitat place severe restrictions to the viability of this species. There is no definitive population estimate for the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, but the numbers are deemed to be quite small. Further disturbance of its limited habitat could lead to this species' extinction.
Plain pigeon
During the 1970s, the Puerto Rican plain pigeon ("P. i. wetmorei") was on the brink of extinction. A conservation program was introduced to save the species and now it numbers a few thousand individuals.
Brown pelican
Starting in the 1940s with the invention and extensive use of pesticides such as DDT, the brown pelican population had drastically declined due to a lack of breeding success. By the 1960s, it had almost disappeared along the Gulf Coast and, in southern California, it had suffered almost total reproductive failure, due to DDT usage in the United States. The brown pelican was listed under the United States Endangered Species Act from 1970 to 2009. A research group from the University of Tampa, headed by Ralph Schreiber, conducted research in Tampa Bay, and found that DDT caused the pelican eggshells to be too thin to support the embryo to maturity. In 1972, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) banned DDT usage in the United States and limited the use of other pesticides. There has been a decline in chemical contaminant levels in brown pelican eggs since then, and a corresponding increase in its nesting success. It became extinct in 1963 in Louisiana. Between 1968 and 1980, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ reintroduction program re-established the brown pelican, and its population numbers in California and Texas were restored due to improved reproduction and natural recolonization of the species. By 1985, its population in the eastern United States, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and northward along the Atlantic Coast, had recovered and the species was removed from the Endangered Species List. Its population has grown by about 68% per decade over a period of 40 years in North America, and this trend appears to be continuing. It is still listed as endangered in the Pacific Coast region of its range and in the southern and central United States. Although the United States Gulf Coast populations in Louisiana and Texas are still listed as endangered, they were recently estimated at about 12,000 breeding pairs.
São Tomé olive pigeon
The São Tomé olive pigeon or maroon pigeon ("Columba thomensis") is an endangered species of pigeon which is endemic to the island of São Tomé off the coast of west Africa. It was described by José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage in 1888.
Marine conservation
Baleen whales were predominantly hunted from 1600 through the mid-1900s, and were nearing extinction when a global ban on commercial whaling was put into effect in 1986 by the IWC (International Whaling Convention). The Atlantic gray whale, last sighted in 1740, is now extinct due to European and Native American Whaling. Since the 1960s the global population of monk seals has been rapidly declining. The Hawaiian and Mediterranean monk seals are considered to be one of the most endangered marine mammals on the planet, according to the NOAA. The last sighting of the Caribbean monk seal was in 1952, and it has now been confirmed extinct by the NOAA. The vaquita porpoise, discovered in 1958, has become the most endangered marine species. Over half the population has disappeared since 2012, leaving 100 left in 2014. The vaquita frequently drowns in fishing nets, which are used illegally in marine protected areas off the Gulf of Mexico.
Pallid sturgeon
The pallid sturgeon's historical range spanned the entire Missouri River and into the Mississippi River. Historically, the species was rare to nonexistent in the upper Mississippi, probably due to a lack of proper habitat. Currently, the species is considered imperiled throughout its entire range. As of 2008, pallid sturgeon can still be found throughout their original range, but their population numbers have severely declined from the mid-20th century. The Missouri and Mississippi rivers from Montana to Louisiana, as well as the Atchafalaya River in Louisiana, continue to harbor an aging population of pallid sturgeon. Pallid sturgeon have never been very common; as early as 1905 when the species was first identified, they represented only one in five of all sturgeon in the lower Missouri River and as few as one in 500 where the Illinois River meets the Mississippi. Between 1985 and 2000, the ratio of pallid sturgeon to all sturgeon netted declined from one in about 400 to one in nearly 650. A 1996 study concluded that between 6,000 and 21,000 pallid sturgeon remained in their natural habitat at that time.
Garrison Dam
The Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery is the world's largest walleye and northern pike producing facility and also works to restore endangered species, such as the pallid sturgeon.
Baird's tapir
According to the IUCN, Baird's tapir is in danger of extinction, and in 1996 it was officially classified as "Vulnerable". There are two main contributing factors in the decline of the species; poaching and habitat loss. Though in many areas the animal is only hunted by a few humans, any loss of life is a serious blow to the tapir population, especially because their reproductive rate is so slow.
Saltmarsh sparrow
Saltmarsh sparrow populations declined between 5% and 9% per year between the 1990s and 2010s, resulting in a total decline of over 75%. Without management intervention, the saltmarsh sparrow is projected to become extinct by 2050. The saltmarsh sparrow was listed on the 2016 State of North America's Birds Watch List with a concern score of 19 out of 20, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently undertaking a status review to determine whether the species should be listed under the Endangered Species Act. Its total population was estimated to be 53,000 in 2016.
Carl G. Jones
Jones started working in Mauritius in 1979, whilst working for the International Council for Bird Preservation (now known as Birdlife International). Upon arrival, Jones' focus was to run and establish the captive breeding project and to work on the conservation of the most threatened species in the wild. Carl worked on the pink pigeon and the Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus), which was considered the world's rarest bird. The species had reached an all-time low in 1974 with only four known wild birds. Despite the prevailing opinion that "F. punctatus" was doomed to extinction, he took over the recovery project that had been initiated in 1973 and began to implement captive breeding techniques such as "double-clutching", which is the removal of the first clutch of eggs (for captive rearing) which encourages the birds to lay a second clutch, thereby increasing the fecundity of breeding pairs, along with dietary supplementation for parents, fostering of captive reared young to wild pairs and hacking of captive raised birds to ensure maximum recruitment of juvenile birds. Between 1983 and 1993, 333 Mauritius kestrels had been reared, a third of these were captive bred and the remainder were derived from wild harvested eggs, most of these were returned to the wild. The Mauritius kestrel has subsequently been down-listed from Critically Endangered in the late 1970s, to Endangered in 1994 and Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List by 2000.
Heloderma charlesbogerti
The Guatemalan beaded lizard ("Heloderma charlesbogerti"), also called the Motagua Valley beaded lizard, is a highly endangered species of beaded lizard, a venomous lizard endemic to the dry forests of the Motagua Valley in southeastern Guatemala, an ecoregion known as the Motagua Valley thornscrub. It is the only allopatric beaded lizard species, separated from the nearest population ("H. alvarezi") by 250 km of unsuitable habitat. The Guatemalan beaded lizard is the rarest and most endangered species of beaded lizard and it is believed that fewer than 200 of these animals exist in the wild, making it one of the most endangered lizards in the world. In 2007, it was transferred from Appendix II to Appendix I of CITES due to its critical conservation status.
Arctostaphylos pallida
This is a federally listed . It was listed as an endangered species by the California Department of Fish and Game in November 1997. The California Native Plant Society has placed it on List 1B (rare or endangered throughout its range).
Pearl River Wildlife Management Area
There are several species of wildlife that are on the threatened or endangered species list, resulting from the Endangered Species Act of 1973, in the Pearl River basin and Pearl River WMA. The ringed map turtle, also called the ringed sawback ("Graptemys oculifera"), was designated threatened in 1986, is only found in the Pearl River basin. The alligator snapping turtle ("Macrochelys temminckii") designated threatened in 2006. The Pearl River map turtle, thought to be the Pascagoula map turtle ("Graptemys gibbonsi") until 2010, but was found to be a separate species endemic to the Pearl River basin. The diamondback terrapin ("Malaclemys terrapin pileata"), considered a "species of concern". In 2005 twenty-seven pairs of swallow-tailed kite ("Elanoides forficatus") were observed in the basin. The kite is not federally protected but the United States Fish and Wildlife Service considers the bird a "Species-at-Risk". The Gulf sturgeon ("Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi") listed in 1991. The inflated heelsplitter mussel ("Potamilus inflatus"), was listed in 2006. The bald eagle ("Haliaeetus leucocephalus"), the dusky gopher frog ("Rana capito sevosa" or "Lithobates sevosus"), the gopher tortoise ("Gopherus polyphemus"), and the Louisiana black bear ("Ursus americanus luteolus").
Pallid sturgeon
Taxonomists S. A. Forbes and R. E. Richardson classified the pallid sturgeon in 1905, grouping it in the genus "Parascaphirhynchus" and the family Acipenseridae, which includes all sturgeon worldwide. Its closest relatives are the shovelnose sturgeon ("Scaphirhynchus platorynchus"), which is still relatively common, and the critically endangered Alabama sturgeon ("Scaphirhynchus suttkusi"), which may soon become extinct. These three species belong to the subfamily Scaphirhynchinae, which has only one other genus, "Pseudoscaphirhynchus", represented by three species found in west-central Asia.
Pallid sturgeon
Pallid sturgeon have a long lifespan, living in excess of 50 and perhaps as long as 100 years. They lack bones and scales, which makes it more difficult to establish their age and determine exactly how long they live. As is true for many long-lived species, pallid sturgeon reach reproductive maturity relatively late. Males reach sexual maturity between the ages of 5 and 7 years, while females are believed to become capable of reproduction when they are at least 15 years old. One study of nine females indicated that they begin egg development between the ages of 9 and 12 years, but do not reach reproductive maturity until they are 15 years old. Reproduction does not take place every year; the average interval between spawnings is three years, although other studies suggest an interval as long as 10 years. Spawning usually takes place May to July.
List of amphibians of Australia
During the 1980s, population declines were reported in Australian frog species and are severe in some areas. Many of the frogs that were reported as declining were high altitude, creek dwelling species that were remote from a changing ecology. This indicated that habitat loss and degradation were not responsible for all the declines; the cause is unknown but a diseases known as chytrid fungus may be a factor. In some cases entire genera were found declining. Both species of gastric brooding frog are now classified as extinct and all but two species of "Taudactylus" are critically endangered ("Taudactylus diurnus" is classified as extinct and "Taudactylus liemi" is classified as near threatened). Every species in the genus "Philoria" is currently declining and some species in the "Torrent Frog" complex ("Litoria nannotis", "Litoria lorica", "Litoria nyakalensis" and "Litoria rheocola") have not been located for a number of years. three Australian species of frog are classified as extinct, 14 listed as critically endangered and 18 as endangered. Of the 14 critically endangered species 4 have not been recorded for over 15 years and may now be extinct.
Green sturgeon
On April 7, 2006, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued a final rule listing the Southern distinct population segment (DPS) of North American green sturgeon as a threatened species under the United States Endangered Species Act. Included in the listing is the green sturgeon population spawning in the Sacramento River and living in the Sacramento River, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and the San Francisco Bay Estuary. This threatened determination was based on the reduction of potential spawning habitat, the severe threats to the single remaining spawning population, the inability to alleviate these threats with the conservation measures in place, and the decrease in observed numbers of juvenile Southern DPS green sturgeon collected in the past two decades compared to those collected historically (NMFS 2006).
Pallid sturgeon
In Nebraska, a small number of pallid sturgeon have been captured along the lower reaches of the Platte River. Unlike most rivers in the Mississippi-Missouri River System, the Platte River has only a few dams and they are well upstream from its confluence with the Missouri River. The lower Platte River is shallow with numerous sand bars and small islands. Though pallid sturgeon prefer more turbulent and deeper rivers than the Platte, between 1979 and 2003, over a dozen pallid sturgeon, including some from hatcheries, have been captured from the Platte River. A number of these pallid sturgeon have been fitted with radio transmitters which track their return to the Platte River when water levels and turbidity conditions are favorable. Coinciding with the majority of the pallid sturgeon that have been captured, the period that is generally most favorable is during the spring and early summer. By midsummer, a reduction in water levels and turbidity on the Platte River encourages pallid sturgeon to return to the Missouri River.
Julie A. MacDonald
Eight other endangered species decisions were reopened, including the white-tailed prairie dog, Preble's meadow jumping mouse, arroyo toad, California red-legged frog, and the Canada lynx. In November 2007, the FWS announced that of the eight species reviewed, seven had been returned to endangered status. In December 2007, the US District Court for the District of Idaho overturned the FWS rejection of a petition to list the sage grouse as threatened and endangered, citing misconduct by MacDonald. In its decision, the court wrote that "The FWS decision was tainted by the inexcusable conduct of one of its own executives...who was neither a scientist nor a sage-grouse expert, had a well-documented history of intervening in the listing process." In 2010, after a second review, the Department of the Interior assigned the bird a status known as "warranted but precluded," essentially putting the bird on the waiting list (behind more critically threatened species) for endangered species protection. Even though the sage grouse was not added to the endangered species list, the 2010 decision essentially reversed MacDonald's 2004 ruling, in which the Department of the Interior claimed that the bird was not threatened. The "New York Times" characterized the decision made under her leadership as "tainted by political tampering".
Pelican
The combined population of brown and Peruvian pelicans is estimated at 650,000 birds, with around 250,000 in the United States and Caribbean, and 400,000 in Peru. The National Audubon Society estimates the global population of the brown pelican at 300,000. Numbers of brown pelican plummeted in the 1950s and 1960s, largely as a consequence of environmental DDT pollution, and the species was listed as endangered in the US in 1970. With restrictions on DDT use in the US from 1972, its population has recovered, and it was delisted in 2009.
Bald eagle
The bald eagle was officially removed from the U.S. federal government's list of endangered species on July 12, 1995, by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, when it was reclassified from "Endangered" to "Threatened." On July 6, 1999, a proposal was initiated "To Remove the Bald Eagle in the Lower 48 States From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife." It was de-listed on June 28, 2007. It has also been assigned a risk level of Least Concern category on the IUCN Red List. In the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill of 1989 an estimated 247 were killed in Prince William Sound, though the local population returned to its pre-spill level by 1995. In some areas, the population has increased such that the eagles are a pest.
Sir David's long-beaked echidna
The species was described from a single damaged specimen collected in the Dutch colonial era (c. 1961), and has apparently not been collected since then. Given the ongoing anthropogenic disturbance of the Cyclops Mountain forest habitat, this has raised concern that "Z. attenboroughi" populations may already be endangered or even locally extirpated. However, biological surveys of Papua province are notoriously incomplete; it is possible that the animal still exists there or in related mountain ranges. The echidna is endangered by hunting and habitat loss. In fact, in the 1900s, it was thought to be extinct until some of their "nose pokes" were found in the mountains of New Guinea. These "nose pokes" are very distinct and represent the echidna's feeding techniques. The diet of this hardy-built animal consists of earthworms, termites, insect larvae and ants. This animal is so high in the endangered-species list that locals are being educated on this creature and asked to stop their tradition of hunting and killing it and sharing it with rivals as a peace offering. As reported on July 15, 2007, researchers from EDGE visiting Papua's Cyclops Mountains had recently discovered burrows and tracks thought to be those of "Zaglossus attenboroughi". Furthermore, communication with local people revealed that the species had perhaps been seen as recently as 2005. In 2007, Sir David's long-beaked echidna was identified as one of the top-10 "focal species" by the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) project. The echidna is among the 25 “most wanted lost” species that are the focus of Global Wildlife Conservation's “Search for Lost Species” initiative.
Peregrine falcon
Worldwide recovery efforts have been remarkably successful. The widespread restriction of DDT use eventually allowed released birds to breed successfully. The peregrine falcon was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species list on August 25, 1999.
Richmond's squirrel
Jones Jr. & Genoways in 1971 and Reid in 1997 thought the animal probably rare. Baillie considered the species to be 'Lower Risk/near threatened' for the IUCN red list in 1996. In the latest assessment for the IUCN in 2008 the taxon was given a 'Near Threatened' status as it was thought to have a known extent of occurrence of close to 20,000 km2, and the assessors thought it was possible the population was in decline, likely based on anecdotes from the 1970s. The IUCN stated in 2008 that deforestation is a major threat to this species, likely echoing Jones Jr. & Genoways in 1971.
Orange-bellied parrot
In 2007, its status was upgraded from endangered to critically endangered on the Commonwealth "Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999."
Holdridge's toad
Holdridge's toad ("Incilius holdridgei", formerly "Bufo holdridgei") is a species of toad endemic to Costa Rica. In October 2008, it was declared extinct by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in its Red List since the species had not been seen since 1987, despite years of extensive searches. However, the species was rediscovered in 2010 by a Costa Rican herpetologist and is now classified as critically endangered. It is believed that the species is most threatened by the presence of the chytrid fungus in its habitat.
Adrian Steirn
In December 2016 Steirn released "The World’s Most Wanted Leopard", a documentary that charted his journey to Azerbaijan in a quest to capture photographic evidence of the critically endangered Caucasian leopard, world's largest sub-species of leopard. The documentary will air globally as part of Nat Geo WILD's Mission Critical strand, which features powerful stories of the most incredible and most endangered animals on our planet.
Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1978
Since the whooping crane, the only endangered species protections the God Squad has exempted was the northern spotted owl. It started in 1991, when a federal judge ordered the halting of logging on Pacific Northwest national lands because of the threat to the northern spotted owl. Following this action, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) filed for exemption from Section 7. The northern spotted owl is a medium-sized bird that is dependent on old-growth forest and large territories for survival. The BLM came up with a solution that allowed logging to continue in the area, which included the sale of timber on 44 timber tracts to the logging industry. The 44 tracts totaled 4400 acres (18 km) of land. The God Squad convened and discussed the issue. In a 5:2 vote, the God Squad voted for approval of the exemption in thirteen of the sales where there was no reasonable alternative to the sale. However, the exemption was soon overturned when Judge Stephen Reinhardt on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found it had been illegal for the President to talk to his cabinet about the exemption.
Red-capped parrot
Due to damage to orchard crops, these birds have been classified and shot as pests, although 1985 fieldwork in orchards around Balingup showed that the damage they inflicted was insignificant. Local government acts in the agricultural districts of Collie and West Arthur proclaimed them vermin in 1943. Despite this, its population is growing, possibly due to existing areas being degraded to a more favourable habitat. On account of this and its large range, it is considered to be a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), though it has declined in the shires north of Perth as marri forests have vanished with urban development. Like most species of parrots, the red-capped parrot is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) with its placement on the Appendix II list of vulnerable species, which makes the import, export, and trade of listed wild-caught animals illegal.
A Breed Apart
Obsessive collector J.P. Whittier, determined to obtain specimens of a newly discovered breed of bald eagle, hires rock climber Mike Walker to pose as a photographer and win reclusive conservationist Jim Malden's confidence in order to gain access to eggs from their lofty nest. Before long, Walker is converted to Malden's cause, and with the help of storekeeper Stella Clayton and her son Adam, the two men thwart Whittier's plot.At the time the film was made, the bald eagle was on the brink of extirpation in the continental United States. The bird now has a stable population and was removed from the federal government's list of endangered species in June 2007.
Streptanthus niger
The Tiburon jewelflower was first collected by Edward L. Greene in the year 1886 at the site of Old Saint Hilary's Church on the Tiburon Peninsula. "Streptanthus niger" was designated as endangered by the state of California in the year 1990 and listed by the U.S. federal government five years later. By 1998 a "Species Recovery Plan" had been prepared to provide more specific protection measures for this endangered dicotyledon. For each of the two known colonies, the population has varied between 25 and 2000 over recent years, indicating the precariousness of the species. The California Native Plant Society has placed "S. niger" on List 1B (rare or endangered throughout its range).
Endangered Species Act of 1973
Listing status and its abbreviations used in Federal Register and by federal agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:The near-extinction of the bison and the disappearance of the passenger pigeon helped drive the call for wildlife conservation starting in the 1900s. Ornithologist George Bird Grinnell wrote articles on the subject in the magazine "Forest and Stream", while Joel Asaph Allen, founder of the American Ornithologists' Union, hammered away in the popular press. The public was introduced to a new concept: extinction.
Market hunting for the millinery trade and for the table was one aspect of the problem. The early naturalists also killed birds and other wildlife for study, personal curio collections and museum pieces. While habitat losses continued as communities and farmland grew, the widespread use of pesticides and the introduction of non-native species also affected wildlife.
Saint Croix ground lizard
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed the St. Croix ground lizard as endangered in 1977 (according to the Endangered Species Act of 1973), and "Pholidoscelis polops" is currently listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Efforts to save this species include two translocation projects to mongoose-free offshore islands around St. Croix. In 1990, ten lizards from the Protestant Cay population were placed onto Ruth Island. In 2008, fifty-seven lizards from the Green Cay population were placed onto Buck Island.
Holdridge's toad
Until 2009 the toad had not been observed since 1986. Due to the toad not being observed for over twenty years, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature declared the species extinct.
Between 1968 and 2009 there were no sightings of Holdridge’s toad in their natural environment. Extensive searches were led to determine if the species was extinct. The searches lasted for seven years before the toad was declared extinct. Multiple causes are believed to have led to the toad’s presumed extinction, including chytridiomycosis, climate change, and deforestation. The main threat to Holdridge’s toad is thought to be chytridiomycosis, a fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, that causes an infections disease in amphibians. The fungus keratinizes any keratin-containing skin layers in both the tadpoles and adult frogs. High levels of this fungus were detected in the breeding grounds of Holdridge’s toad before and after the species appeared to vanish. In 2009, tadpole and adult toads were discovered in two separate ponds that reclassified the species as critically endangered.
Caladenia pallida
"Caladenia pallida" is classified as "Critically Endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as "Endangered" under the Tasmanian Government Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. The main threats to the species are thought to be accidental damage due to the small population size, climate change and inappropriate fire regimes.