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Which IUCN Red List categories are considered threatened categories?
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endangered species
Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) feeding in a bamboo forest, Sichuan (Szechwan) province, China.
Within the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the term "threatened" refers to a specific subset of conservation categories. The three categories considered threatened are:
- Critically Endangered (CR): Species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.12
- Endangered (EN): Species facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.12
- Vulnerable (VU): Species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.12
These categories are determined based on rigorous, science-based assessments that evaluate factors such as population decline rates, geographic range, and total population size. While other categories exist—such as Near Threatened (NT), Least Concern (LC), and Extinct (EX)—only those classified as CR, EN, or VU are formally grouped under the broader designation of "threatened".12