Endangered species
Topic: Biodiversity and its Conservation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 14 "Biodiversity and Conservation"
Meaning
An endangered species is in danger of dying out. NCERT uses this simple meaning, which comes from IUCN's scheme before 1994. In today's IUCN Red List (version 3.1), Endangered (EN) is one exact level. It sits below Critically Endangered and above Vulnerable. A species is placed in EN using numbers, such as how fast its population is falling and how small its range or population is.
Example
The red panda is Endangered. It lives in the eastern Himalaya, is Sikkim's state animal, and is bred at the Darjeeling zoo. The tiger and the Gangetic river dolphin are also Endangered.
Don't confuse with
- Critically Endangered: a higher level of risk. The gharial and the Great Indian Bustard are Critically Endangered, not Endangered.
- Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act: a legal list of protected species in India. It is separate from IUCN status.