Currently, there are more than 44,000 species facing extinction. That’s 41% of amphibians, 37% of sharks and rays, and 36% of reef corals, plus many more species. Organisations such as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Reverse the Red, alongside BIAZA and WAZA zoos and aquariums, are collectively working to a shared goal: to halt and reverse the negative trend of biodiversity loss.
The IUCN is a union of organisations working together to protect nature in over 160 different countries, and gather the latest data on the state of biodiversity. This information feeds into the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, a powerful tool which helps to inform future conservation actions.
Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species. A critical indicator of health on the world’s biodiversity, the list provides information about range, population size, habitat and ecology, and actions that will help inform future conservation decisions.
The IUCN Red List divides species into nine categories that determine their status of extinction risk: Not Evaluated, Data Deficient, Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild and Extinct. To date, more than 157,000 species have been assessed.
Friday 17th May 2024 marks Endangered Species Day, an annual event that encourages people to learn, and take action to protect threatened and endangered species. As a proud member of BIAZA, Endangered Species Day also provides an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the progress made collectively by BIAZA organisations to conserve wildlife.
Join us between the 17th to the 19th May for Endangered Species Weekend, as we explore some of the world’s most threatened species, including our sharks, sawfish, turtles, coral reefs and more. Visitors can participate in hands-on activity stations such as Turtle Hospital, build your own healthy coral reef and ‘Ecosystem Jenga’. There will also be the chance to enjoy presentations on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, what each criteria means, and some of the main threats to these species during our presentations.
Discover more about how we can protect species from the threat of extinction.