IUCN Red List 2024: A thousand additional animal and plant species threatened with extinction

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has published its latest Red List of threatened species. In its 60th year, the list—covering more than 163,040 species—warns of a worrying rise in animals and plants threatened with extinction. More than 45,000 species are now at risk—1,000 more than the previous year. Factors driving this extinction include climate change, invasive species, and human activities such as illegal trade and infrastructure expansion.

82% of Copiapoa cactus species threatened with extinction

Copiapoa cacti, endemic to Chile’s Atacama Desert, are now also considered particularly threatened. For several years they have been sought after as decorative ornamental plants, fueling illegal trade that is further amplified by social media.

According to the IUCN, 82 percent of Copiapoa species are now threatened with extinction; in 2013 it was still 55 percent. Demand for the cacti in Europe and Asia, as well as the expansion of roads and residential areas, has made it easier to access the plants’ natural habitats and intensified poaching.

Threatened animal species: Borneo pygmy elephant and Canary Islands reptiles

Also newly on the Red List is the Borneo elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis), a dwarf subspecies of the Asian elephant. Estimates suggest only about 1,000 of these pygmy elephants remain in the wild. Their decline is mainly due to deforestation on Borneo. Other threats include conflict with humans, agricultural expansion, mining, poaching, and traffic accidents.

The number of reptile species on the Canary Islands has also declined significantly due to introduced snakes. Affected include, among others, populations of the Gran Canaria giant lizard (Gallotia stehlini) and the striped Canary skink (Chalcides sexlineatus), which have declined sharply since the invasive California kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae) was introduced in the late 1990s.

Success story: the Iberian lynx

Amid these troubling developments, there are also success stories. The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), once one of the world’s most endangered wild cat species, has recovered thanks to intensive conservation efforts. The population rose from 62 adult animals in 2001 to more than 2,000 in 2022. This recovery was achieved through restoring natural habitat, increasing numbers of European rabbits as its main prey, and boosting genetic diversity through translocation and controlled breeding.

Since 2010, more than 400 Iberian lynx have been reintroduced in Portugal and Spain. Nevertheless, much remains to be done to ensure the Iberian lynx populations survive in the long term, especially given remaining threats such as fluctuations in prey populations, poaching, and traffic accidents.

Both alarming trends and hope

The updated IUCN Red List 2024 shows both worrying developments and hopeful successes in conservation. While pressure on many species is increasing due to human activities and environmental change, successful conservation projects like that of the Iberian lynx demonstrate that targeted measures can lead to population recovery.

The IUCN is an umbrella organization of governmental and non-governmental conservation organizations. The Red List has existed since 1964. It currently covers around 163,000 animal and plant species, more than 45,300 of which are considered threatened.