How Are Animals & Plants Classified Under Extinct, Endangered, Vulnerable Categories?

Giant pandas are no longer classified as endangered but are still 'vulnerable', according to China, adding the classification was downgraded as their number in the wild has reached 1,800.

Experts say that the country managed to save its iconic animal through its long-term conservation efforts, including the expansion of habitats.

China considers pandas a national treasure, but has never shied away from using them as a diplomatic tool by loaning the adorable animal to other countries.

How does the classification work?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species.

It uses a set of quantitative criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species. These criteria are relevant to most species and all regions of the world.

The IUCN Red List in a nutshell

The IUCN Red List Categories define the extinction risk of species assessed. Nine categories extend from NE (Not Evaluated) to EX (Extinct).

Meaning of each category

In descending order of threat, the IUCN Red List threat categories are as follows:

Extinct or Extinct in the Wild

A species becomes extinct when the last existing member of that species dies. Extinction therefore becomes a certainty when there are no surviving individuals that are able to reproduce and create a new generation.

Extinct animals

Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable: species threatened with global extinction.

Critically Endangered (Cr) is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN for wild species. Critically endangered species means species numbers have decreased, or will decrease by 80% within three generations. It is therefore considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

Near Threatened: species close to the threatened thresholds or that would be threatened without ongoing conservation measures.

Endangered (EN) species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Also it could mean that due to deforestation there may be a lack of food and/or water. It is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

Some of the most threatened species on Earth

Vulnerable (VU) species is a species which has been categorised by the IUCN as likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve. It is therefore considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Least Concern: species evaluated with a lower risk of extinction.
Data Deficient: no assessment because of insufficient data.

Additionally, Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) is sometimes used as well. This is not a new IUCN Red List Category, but is a flag developed to identify those Critically Endangered species that are in all probability already extinct but for which confirmation is required; for example, through more extensive surveys being carried out and failing to find any individuals.