Over 45,000 species are now threatened with extinction — 1,000 more than last year — according to an international conservation organization that blames pressures from climate change, invasive species and human activity such as illicit trade and infrastructural expansion.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature released its latest Red List of Threatened Species on Thursday, June 27. The list has been around for 60 years and details which plants and animals are at risk of extinction. The Union also talks about success stories conservationists have had with endangered species.