Extinct in the Wild

IUCN species status

Also known as: EW

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Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

"Extinct in the Wild" (EW) is a conservation status assigned by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to species whose only known living members exist in captivity or as self-sustaining populations outside their natural historical range. This designation signifies that the species no longer exists in its native habitat.1

The IUCN Red List uses a set of criteria to assess extinction risk, including population decline, geographic range, population size, and probability of extinction. Species are categorized based on these criteria, with "Extinct in the Wild" being one of several classifications, including "Extinct" (EX), "Critically Endangered" (CR), "Endangered" (EN), and "Vulnerable" (VU). Human activities are the primary drivers of species endangerment, with habitat loss, pollution, and unsustainable hunting being major threats.12

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angel’s trumpet
Species
…species are now listed as extinct in the wild by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The species Brugmansia arborea, golden angel’s trumpet (B. aurea), B. insignis, red angel’s trumpet (B. sanguinea), B. versicolor, and B. vulcanicola
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…species are now listed as extinct in the wild by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The species Brugmansia arborea, golden angel’s trumpet (B. aurea), B. insignis, red angel’s trumpet (B. sanguinea), B. versicolor, and B. vulcanicola
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northern white rhinoceros
In contrast, all wild populations of the northern white rhinoceros are thought to have gone extinct. The last known remaining male northern white rhinoceros died in 2018, leaving only a mother and daughter, Najin and Fatu, to represent the subspecies.
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In contrast, all wild populations of the northern white rhinoceros are thought to have gone extinct. The last known remaining male northern white rhinoceros died in 2018, leaving only a mother and daughter, Najin and Fatu, to represent the subspecies.
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endangered species
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
…log even a single individual Extinct in the Wild (EW), species whose members survive only in captivity or as artificially supported populations far outside their historical geographic range Critically Endangered (CR), species that possess an extremely high risk of extinction as a result of rapid population declines of 80 to…
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…log even a single individual Extinct in the Wild (EW), species whose members survive only in captivity or as artificially supported populations far outside their historical geographic range Critically Endangered (CR), species that possess an extremely high risk of extinction as a result of rapid population declines of 80 to…
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