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September 30, 2021

Andrew Campbell 

In the nearly half-century since the U.S. Endangered Species Act went into effect, only 11 other species have been delisted due to extinction. The US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed removing 23 animals and plants from the endangered species list on September 28. Because none can be found in the wild, the announcement highlights what scientists say is a global extinction crisis.

The ivory-billed woodpecker, Bachman's warbler, Scioto madtom, San Marcos gambusia, eight species of Southeastern freshwater mussels, eight birds and a flower from Hawaii, and a bird and bat from Guam are among the species proposed for removing. Unfortunately, the best available science indicates that these creatures are no longer swimming, scampering, or soaring on Earth, eliminating the need for federal protection.

Millions of plants and animals are on the verge of extinction, with many likely to go extinct in the next few decades. Climate change and habitat destruction have caused the newly extinct species to become extinct before any new safeguards can save them. The US Fish and Wildlife Service's action highlights what scientists say is an increasing rate of extinction worldwide due to climate change and habitat loss.