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220 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 15, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2008 CONSERVATION ALERT

The status of a few mammalian species has improved in recent years. For example, the African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) moved
from “Vulnerable” to “Near Threatened,” although its status varies considerably across its range. 



IGUANA  •  VOLUME 15, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2008 221CONSERVATION ALERT

The most comprehensive assessment of the world’s mammals
has confirmed an extinction crisis, with almost one in four

at risk of disappearing forever. According to The IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species, the new study assessing the conservation
status of the world’s mammals shows at least 1,141 of the 5,487
mammals on Earth are known to be threatened with extinction,
and at least 76 mammals have become extinct since 1500.
“Within our lifetime, hundreds of species could be lost as a result
of our own actions, a frightening sign of what is happening to
the ecosystems where they live,” says Julia Marton-Lefèvre,
IUCN Director General. “We must now set clear targets for the
future to reverse this trend to ensure that our enduring legacy is
not to wipe out many of our closest relatives.”

The real situation could be much worse, as 836 species are
listed as “Data Deficient.” With better information, more
species may well prove to be in danger of extinction. “The real-
ity is that the number of threatened mammals could be as high
as 36%,” says Jan Schipper, of Conservation International and
lead author of a forthcoming article in Science. “This indicates
that conservation action backed by research is a clear priority for
the future, not only to improve the data so that we can evaluate

threats to these poorly known species, but to investigate means
to recover threatened species and populations.”

The results show 188 mammals are in the highest threat
category (“Critically Endangered”), including the Iberian Lynx
(Lynx pardinus), which has a population of just 84–143 adults
and has continued to decline due to a shortage of its primary

C O N S E R V A T I O N  A L E R T

World’s Mammals in Crisis1

1 Adapted from a 06 October 2008 IUCN Press Release.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
(www.iucn.org/redlist) classifies species according to
their extinction risk. It is a searchable online database
containing the global status and supporting informa-
tion on 45,000 species. Its primary goal is to identify
and document the species most in need of conserva-
tion attention and provide an index of the state of bio-
diversity. The IUCN Red List threat categories are, in
descending order of threat: “Extinct” or “Extinct in
the Wild,” “Critically Endangered,” “Endangered,”
and “Vulnerable” (all for species threatened with
global extinction), “Near Threatened” (species close to
the threatened thresholds or that would be threatened
without ongoing specific conservation measures),
“Least Concern” (species evaluated with a low risk of
extinction), and “Data Deficient” (species not assessed
because of insufficient data). “Critically Endangered-
Possibly Extinct” is not a new 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).

“Reliable data are the foundation for conservation plan-
ning that hopes to drive effective conservation action on
the most endangered species and sites. For the first time,
good data, contributed and validated by the best experts
on Earth, show the patterns and extent of the pressures on
the viability of mammal species. This trend is particularly
dramatic for Southeast Asia which suffers from increas-
ing human activities, deforestation being the major issue.”
Prof. Luigi Boitani, Sapienza Università di Roma.

The Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) is “Critically Endangered,” and has
continued to decline due to a shortage of its primary prey, the
European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

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prey, the European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). China’s Père
David’s Deer (Elaphurus davidianus), is listed as “Extinct in the
Wild.” However, the captive and semi-captive populations have
increased in recent years, and truly wild populations could be re-
established soon. The time may already have passed to save the

additional 29 species that have been flagged as “Critically
Endangered-Possibly Extinct,” including Cuba’s Little Earth
Hutia (Mesocapromys sanfelipensis), which has not been seen in
nearly 40 years.

Nearly 450 mammals have been listed as “Endangered,”
including the Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), which
moved from “Least Concern” to “Endangered” after the global

population declined by more than 60% in the last 10 years due
to a fatal infectious facial cancer. The Fishing Cat (Prionailurus
viverrinus), found in southeastern Asia, moved from
“Vulnerable” to “Endangered” due to habitat loss in wetlands.
Similarly, the Caspian Seal (Pusa caspica) moved from
“Vulnerable” to “Endangered.” Its population has declined by
90% in the last 100 years due to unsustainable hunting and
habitat degradation — and numbers continue to decline.

Habitat loss and degradation affect 40% of the world’s
mammals. It is most extreme in Central and South America,
western, eastern, and central Africa, Madagascar, and in south-
ern and southeastern Asia. Over-harvesting is wiping out larger
mammals, especially in southeastern Asia, but also in parts of
Africa and South America. The Grey-faced Sengi or Elephant-
shrew (Rhynchocyon udzungwensis) is known from only two
forests in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania, both of which

222 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 15, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2008 CONSERVATION ALERT

China’s Père David’s Deer (Elaphurus davidianus) is listed as “Extinct
in the Wild.” However, the captive and semi-captive populations have
increased in recent years, and truly wild populations could be re-estab-
lished soon. 

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The Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) of southeastern Asia moved
from “Vulnerable” to “Endangered” due to habitat loss in wetlands.

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“This assessment establishes a platform from which all
future conservation efforts can be measured. It captures
data on the mammal fauna of the world in a unique
database that has been structured to highlight conserva-
tion, and which is designed to be a living database to
incorporate future data and trends on mammals. This
effort will hopefully spur greater attention on the conser-
vation of mammals and the habitats they occupy, for the
benefit of all biodiversity.” Dr. Andrew Smith, School
of Life Sciences, Arizona State University.

The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) moved from “Least
Concern” to “Endangered” after the global population declined by
more than 60% in the last 10 years. 

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IGUANA  •  VOLUME 15, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2008 223CONSERVATION ALERT

are fully protected but vulnerable to fires. The species was first
described this year and has been listed as “Vulnerable.”

However, the study also shows that conservation can bring
species back from the brink of extinction, with 5% of currently
threatened mammals showing signs of recovery in the wild. The
Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) moved from “Extinct in the

Wild” to “Endangered” after a successful reintroduction by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service into eight western states and
Mexico from 1991–2008. Similarly, the Wild Horse (Equus ferus)
moved from “Extinct in the Wild” in 1996 to “Critically
Endangered” this year after successful reintroductions started in
Mongolia in the early 1990s. The African Elephant (Loxodonta
africana) moved from “Vulnerable” to “Near Threatened,”
although its status varies considerably across its range. The move
reflects the recent and ongoing population increases in major
populations in southern and eastern Africa. For the moment,
these increases outweigh any decreases taking place elsewhere.

“The longer we wait, the more expensive it will be to pre-
vent future extinctions,” says Dr. Jane Smart, Head of IUCN’s
Species Program. “We now know what species are threatened,
what the threats are and where — we have no more excuses to
watch from the sidelines.”

The project to assess the world’s mammals was conducted
with help from more than 1,800 scientists from over 130 coun-
tries. It was made possible by the volunteer help of IUCN
Species Survival Commission’s specialist groups and the collab-
orations between top institutions and universities, including
Conservation International, Sapienza Università di Roma,
Arizona State University, Texas A&M University, University of
Virginia, and the Zoological Society of London.

The Grey-faced Sengi or Elephant-shrew (Rhynchocyon udzungwensis)
was first described this year. Known from only two forests in the
Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania, the species has been listed as
“Vulnerable.” 

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Cuba’s Little Earth Hutia (Mesocapromys sanfelipensis) has not been seen
in nearly 40 years and is considered “Critically Endangered-Possibly
Extinct.” 

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The Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) moved from “Extinct in the
Wild” to “Endangered” after a successful reintroduction by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service. 

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Overall, the IUCN Red List now includes 44,838 species, of
which 16,928 (38%) are threatened with extinction. Of

these, 3,246 are in the highest category of threat, “Critically
Endangered,” 4,770 are “Endangered,” and 8,912 are
“Vulnerable.” New groups of species have appeared on the
IUCN Red List for the first time, increasing the diversity and
richness of the data. Indian Tarantulas (Poecilotheria regalis),
highly prized by collectors and threatened by the international
pet trade, have made their first appearance on the IUCN Red
List. They face habitat loss due to new roads and settlements.

More Than Mammals

“No other tool is as valuable for conservation as the Red
List, which provides scientists and decision makers with
an important set of information, freely available to the
public, to improve the effectiveness of our conservation
efforts.” Dr. Russell Mittermeier, Chair of IUCN’s
Primate Specialist Group and president of Conser-
vation International.




