7.7 Million Animal Species on the Brink of Extinction

Global biodiversity is facing one of its deepest crises. More than 7.7 million animal species—over 20% of those known—are now walking a tightrope toward extinction. Giant pandas, polar bears, lemurs, tigers, and corals are only the most visible faces of a silent collapse.

Since 1964, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has maintained the Red List of Threatened Species, classifying animals by extinction risk. Today, species such as the axolotl, pangolin, western lowland gorilla, monarch butterfly, Iberian lynx, and over 40% of coral species are listed as critically endangered.

Earth has experienced mass extinctions before. What sets this one apart is its unprecedented speed—and a single dominant cause: human activity.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species