Endangered Species

Endangered Species is a plant or animal species that is endangered when its continuing survival is in doubt, plants and animals face the risk of becoming extinct, disappearing completely from the earth. Extinction is nothing new is been happening for as long as records have been taken. The current rate of extinction is extremely high, compared to past levels, and human activities appear to be a major factor. A variety of human activities can cause a species to become extinct. Hunting, fishing, or gathering may reduce the population to levels too low for the species to survive.

The U.S. Endangered Species Act

In 1973 the United States passed the Endangered Species Act (ESA), one of the world’s broadest wildlife preservation laws. Under the act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) lists plant and animal species as endangered or threatened. An endangered species is one that faces extinction throughout all or most of its range. A threatened species is likely to become endangered. As of March 2008, the act listed 1,925 species worldwide as threatened or endangered, with 1,351 of them in the United States.