The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species Program

Today, there are no more Aurochs, Caribbean Monk Seals, Dodos, and Javan Tigers anywhere in the world. These species are already extinct. Endangered species refers to a population of organisms which is threatened by extinction. It means that these species are at a high risk of being extinct.

There are now more than 5,000 species of animals that are endangered around the world. Some examples of endangered species include the Arakan Forest Turtle, Blue Whale, Brazilian Merganser, Mountain Gorilla, Snow Leopard, Tasmanian Devil, and Vaquita. It’s estimated that there are less than 2,000 Giant Pandas in the wild, 130 California Condors, less than 1,000 South Asian River Dolphins, less than 40 Amur Leopards, and less than 350 Asiatic Lions in the world.

There are many reasons that these species are endangered. Diseases, excessive hunting, and pollution are some of the reasons for the decrease in populations of many species. Yet, the major reason that these species are being endangered is the loss of habitat caused by human beings. The destruction of the ecosystems makes it very hard for endangered species to maintain a healthy population. If nothing is done to ensure the survival of these species, they will most likely be extinct in due time.

To preserve the existence of endangered species, many countries have adopted laws and regulations to curb the negative conditions which threaten the organisms. In the United States, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is the most important set of environmental laws specifically passed by Congress in 1973 to protect endangered species in the country. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Endangered Species Program work towards this end. Some of its objectives include preservation of habitats, recovery of listed species, working with partners to conserve endangered species, providing financial grants to landowners, and educating the public about the importance of wildlife preservation. Here are some links with more information on endangered species programs and legislation, endangered species lists, and additional resources.

Endangered Species Programs and Legislation

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program: Provides a lot of information on the program with links to Kid’s Corner, Species Information, Laws, and more.
• Endangered Species Protection Program: The program by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States.
• NHESP: Official site of the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.
• Endangered Species Project: Dedicated to preserving the many endangered species in Australia.
• Stanislaus Endangered Species Recovery Program: Its official page with links to projects, publications and reports, species profiles, data and maps, and more.
• Canadian Wildlife Federation: A program to protect endangered species in Canada.
• Habitat Conservation Programs: A list of habitat conservation programs in the state of California.
• Defenders of Wildlife: Provides information on different endangered species programs like global warming, wildlife conservation, international conservation, and more.
• Endangered Species Legislation: A compilation of environmental legislation already passed by Congress.
• Endangered Species Act 1973: Online copy of the act after amendment through the 108^th Congress.
• Endangered Species Laws: An overview of the major laws in wildlife conservation.
• Endangered Species Act: An article which studies the effects of the act from different angles. 

Endangered Species Lists

• WWF: Great resource center on endangered species by the World Wildlife Fund.
• Protected Species: A list of endangered species in England and Europe.
• Red List: The list of endangered species by International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
• Endangered Species: Provides good information on a number of endangered species.
• Endangered Mammals in Tibet: A look at some of the endangered species in Tibet.
• Fact Sheet: Information on many endangered species categorized by geographical region.
• Biodiversity Maps: Shows the regions where endangered species are threatened.
• World Conservation Monitoring Centre: Provides maps to show where certain endangered species are located.

Additional Resources

• FAQs: Some questions and answers on endangered species.
• Threatened and Endangered Species: Some statistics on listed species in Sacramento, California.
• Eastern Region Rare Animals: Shows pictures of some endangered species in Eastern United States.
• Infobook: Great resource center on endangered species.