What Are Endangered Species?

Countries around the world started classifying species as endangered in the 1960s
Endangered species include animals, trees, and grasses
Climate change, hunting, and natural disasters can all cause endangerment

Meet some of the most endangered species in the world, from the panthers of Florida to the mountain gorillas of central Africa, while exploring the history of extinction, the role of humans in environmental conservation, and the incredible species that share our earth.

In What Are Endangered Species?, readers will travel around the world, on sea and on land, to learn about the animals, insects, and plants that are in danger of disappearing from our planet. Some of these species are strange and fascinating, like the carnivorous Venus flytrap. Others are especially crucial to the health of our planet, like gray wolves, apex predators that help control populations of prey animals and stabilize a whole ecosystem. Some are no longer endangered because of the strong steps individuals and governments have taken to protect them, like the iconic bald eagle. 

Giant pandas were once one of the most threatened species on our planet. Because of humans destroying their habitat and the effects of climate change, their population was critically low. Thanks to their designation as an endangered species and their recognizable, adorable faces, humans took action. Today, the population of giant pandas in China is rebounding—and it’s all because of the response to their endangered status. Pandas and other species are part of a web that connects all living things—one that we must respect and take care of if we want more endangered species to survive.