An Endangered Species is a species of animal or plant that is very likely to go out of existence in the near future; otherwise, become extinct.

Factors that put a species at risk include:

• Animal Poaching
• Habitat Loss
• Invasive Species

A species can be listed as endangered at the state, federal, and international level. On the federal level, the endangered species list is managed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This Act saves our native plants, fish and other wildlife from going extinct.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, losing even a single species can have disastrous impacts on the rest of the ecosystem, because the effects will be felt throughout the food chain. From providing cures to deadly diseases to maintaining natural ecosystems and improving overall quality of life, the benefits of preserving threatened and endangered species are invaluable.

The ESA also supports the conservation of listed species outside of the United States and is the law through which the United States enforces the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which is a global agreement between governments to follow rules to monitor, regulate, or ban international trade in species under threat and is a key tool in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade.