IUCN Conservation Status
Every species on Beat Darwin displays its IUCN Red List conservation status — the world's most authoritative measure of species extinction risk. Here's what each category means.
What is the IUCN Red List?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the conservation status of species. It was established in 1964 and today covers more than 150,000 species across all groups of life.
Each species is assessed by scientists using standardised criteria based on population size, rate of decline, geographic range, and the probability of extinction. The result is one of nine categories.
The categories
LC Least Concern
The species has been evaluated and does not qualify for a more at-risk category. Population is stable or declining only slightly. Most common wildlife falls here — red foxes, common blackbirds, domestic cats. Being "Least Concern" does not mean the species is unimportant — it means current threats are manageable.
NT Near Threatened
The species is close to qualifying for a threatened category, or is likely to qualify in the near future without ongoing conservation efforts. Population trends warrant monitoring. Examples: white shark, African grey parrot.
VU Vulnerable
The species faces a high risk of extinction in the wild. Population has declined by 30–50% over the last 10 years or 3 generations, or it has a restricted range with ongoing threats. Examples: polar bear, hippopotamus, lion.
EN Endangered
The species faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild. Population has declined by 50–70%, or there are fewer than 2,500 mature individuals remaining. Examples: tigers, African wild dogs, snow leopards.
CR Critically Endangered
The species faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Population has declined by more than 80%, or fewer than 250 mature individuals remain. This is the last category before extinction in the wild. Examples: Sumatran orangutan, black rhino, Amur leopard.
EW Extinct in the Wild
The species is known only to survive in captivity, in cultivation, or as a naturalised population outside its historical range. Conservation breeding programmes exist for many EW species. Examples: Père David's deer, Wyoming toad.
EX Extinct
There is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. A taxon is presumed Extinct when exhaustive surveys have failed to find any individuals. Examples: dodo, thylacine (Tasmanian tiger), passenger pigeon.
DD Data Deficient
Insufficient data exists to make a direct or indirect assessment of the species' risk of extinction. Being Data Deficient does not mean the species is not threatened — it means more research is needed. Many deep-sea and newly described species carry this status.
Why does this matter?
The IUCN Red List is used by governments, conservation organisations, and researchers worldwide to set priorities for habitat protection, funding, and legal protection. A species uplisted from Vulnerable to Endangered may trigger new protections under national or international law.
On Beat Darwin, every species page shows the current IUCN status so that when you learn an animal's name, you also learn where it stands in the broader story of biodiversity loss.
Conservation status on Beat Darwin
The conservation status shown on each Beat Darwin species page is sourced from iNaturalist, which pulls data directly from the IUCN Red List. It reflects the most recent global assessment for that species.
Beat Darwin features species across the full range of statuses — from abundant Least Concern species to Critically Endangered animals on the edge of survival. The game is designed to leave you caring about the outcome.