Review Finds 29 Species In Australia Are No Longer Considered Endangered

We often hear about animals entering the endangered list and being in danger of disappearing altogether. On occasion, we also hear about things going in the opposite direction, which is the case in Australia, 29 times.

A large research project was undertaken in Australia, and it was able to pull 29 species off of the endangered list. It did so by studying the species and learning more about them.

There are currently 446 species of animals in need of protection, according to Australia’s Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC). Twenty-nine species have been removed from the list, including 15 mammals, eight birds, four frogs, one reptile, and a species of fish.

Australia is often looked at as being unique because some of the species are only found on that continent and nowhere else. After invasive predators were introduced, they disrupted the local wildlife and caused many animals to enter the endangered list.

There is a difference between Australia’s EPBC and America’s ESL. In the United States, animals are reviewed regularly to see if they have recovered. The EPBC, however, does not say that the species have to be reviewed, so any reviews will often turn up positive events.

A paper was published in Science of a study conducted by several Australian academic institutions. According to the paper, some success should be recognized through documentation of recoveries.

By using these papers, conservation efforts can be coordinated, and if funding is needed because a species population is decreasing, it can be put in the right direction.