21 More Species are Now Extinct

By David Robinson (11/2/23)

The recent news that 21 species were classified as extinct is another stark reminder of the challenge we face.

In its announcement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated that the lost species include ten birds, two fish, a bat, and eight mussels. They were previously on the national list of threatened and endangered species.

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, 650 species have become extinct in the U.S. because of climate change, habitat destruction, pollution, and invasive species.

“Federal protection came too late to reverse these species’ decline, and it’s a wake-up call on the importance of conserving imperiled species before it’s too late,” Fish and Wildlife Director Martha Williams said

Of course, we didn’t need another “wake-up” call as a further incentive to protect vulnerable species and their precious habitats. There have been several such warnings during the last few years. Still, there is some positive news. Ninety-nine percent of the animals on the endangered and threatened list have avoided extinction. As the Fish & Wildlife Service pointed out, 54 have recovered sufficiently to be removed from the list, and it downgraded 56 from endangered to threatened. In addition, we know that the Endangered Species Act has been responsible for saving 99 percent of the species it protects from extinction.

As we get closer to the 50^th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (December 28), it’s clear we must redouble (or triple) our collective efforts to safeguard the ESA and the species it protects. We must continue to Act.

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