Glossary

Endangered species

A species at high risk of extinction, either under the IUCN Endangered category or on a legal list that protects it, which are different systems.

Also called: threatened species, endangered cat, listed species

Endangered species can mean different things, depending on who is speaking. Scientists often use it for the IUCN category Endangered, one step below Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. In everyday speech and in law it is a wider idea: a species considered close enough to extinction to need special protection.

Laws and treaties set their own lists. Some countries keep a national list that bans hunting, capture or trade, or protects the land where the animal lives. An international agreement called CITES controls trade across borders. Nearly all wild cat species are listed in its appendices. Appendix I covers species threatened with extinction, including the tiger and cheetah, and bans commercial trade, while Appendix II allows regulated trade.

Listing does not guarantee recovery. It needs enforcement, habitat, prey and local support. For wild cats, the biggest pressures are loss of habitat, poaching, and conflict with people. Some species, such as the Iberian lynx, have improved after years of work and moved to a lower category, which shows the labels can change. Rules differ by country, so check current law if you need legal detail. This entry gives general information and not legal advice.

Last reviewed November 7, 2026

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Related terms

IUCN Red List The international inventory of how close species are to extinction, which sorts them into categories from Least Concern to Extinct. Poaching The illegal killing or capture of wild animals, often for their skins, bones, teeth or meat, a major threat to tigers, leopards and other wild cats. Captive breeding Breeding a threatened species under human care, in zoos or breeding centres, to keep a safe population and sometimes supply animals for release. Reintroduction Releasing animals into part of their former range where the species has died out, to re-establish a wild population. Trophy hunting Hunting wild animals for sport and for a trophy such as a head or skin, a debated practice that is legal and regulated in some countries.