How to save the 10,000 animals and plants hurtling fastest towards extinction - ZSL

Scientists have outlined the steps world leaders must take to save the world’s most threatened animals and plants from extinction.

In the first ever assessment of its kind for all 10,443 species categorised as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the study compiles all conservation knowledge for this fragile group, outlining the regions where species are most likely to be at imminent risk of extinction, what the leading drivers for their declines are, and what actions are needed to restore their numbers, while also highlighting conservation successes.

In the face of the intertwined crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, ‘The status, threats and conservation of Critically Endangered species’ - published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity – highlights how strengthened collaborations and integrating the expertise of local communities into conservation planning, could save more than 10,000 Critically Endangered plant, fungi and animal species from unsustainable human activities which puts them at risk of disappearing forever.

The UN's Global Biodiversity Framework commits countries to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. Protecting Critically Endangered species represents a key action to achieve this mission. The roadmap provides vital guidance for decision-makers working towards these global biodiversity goals, in turn helping address the climate crisis by restoring the functioning ecosystems underpinning a healthy planet.