Coming soon: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The most comprehensive update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (tm) will be unveiled
The IUCN Red List (2008) is now expected to cover more than 45,000 species. Not all the world's species have been
assessed but coverage is increasing every year.
Global Mammal Assessment released. Find out how all 5,490 of the world's mammals are doing with this latest update.
In-depth analysis of the latest IUCN Red List with the release of the 2008 review of the IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species(tm). New IUCN Red List logo launched to create a more user-friendly image for the general public as well as zoos
and aquariums around the world.
Why:
"The Red List shows us where danger is at its greatest for individual species and in tackling them we tackle all the
things that live with them." David Attenborough
"The IUCN Red List is the most powerful tool in species conservation today. Without it, we wouldn't even know where to
begin. It provides the baseline from which all our conservation work can be measured, and is also extremely effective
for calling attention to the status of those species most at risk and generating public excitement about them." Russ
Mittermeier, Conservation International President
"The IUCN Red List is far more than just a list of species, it is the collective result of the work of thousands of
dedicated volunteer experts, imparting their knowledge about the world's plants and animals to ultimately support
biodiversity, human livelihoods and our planet Earth." John Francis, Vice President of Research, Conservation and
Exploration, National Geographic Society
"A great strength of the IUCN Red List is its scientific rigour. The assessments are peer reviewed and independently
checked for consistency within and between taxonomic groups before any results are made available to the public." Mike
Rands, Chief Executive of BirdLife International
"WWF values the IUCN Red List as the world's most respected source of information on the status of species around the
planet. The Red List is both a scientific tool, and a powerful guide to conservation efforts worldwide. WWF staff are
proud to contribute to the IUCN Red List and the IUCN SSC Specialist Groups." James P. Leape, Director General, WWF
International
"The world's zoo and aquarium community carry out their conservation programmes using information from the IUCN Red
List. It is also a wonderful tool to help spread the message and educate the world about conservation issues." Peter
Dollinger, Executive Director of WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums)
"Over the years, the rigour of the IUCN Red List process has built it into a widely-accepted 'global standard' for
monitoring the conservation status and trends of species worldwide," says Holly Dublin, Chair of IUCN's Species Survival
Commission (SSC). "The SSC is the largest and oldest IUCN commission, its members are proud to be the primary
contributors to the IUCN Red List assessments."
'The IUCN Red List is the global gold standard for informing conservation action." Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director
General of IUCN
How:
The world's top animal and plant scientists provide the information that feeds into the IUCN Red List.
Some are members of the specialist groups of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.
Other organizations that work tirelessly with IUCN to contribute to the IUCN Red List include Conservation
International, BirdLife International, NatureServe and the Zoological Society of London.
The IUCN Red List is available online and free of charge for anyone to use at www.iucnredlist.org.
ENDS