The trouble with Top 10 Endangered Species lists is that the people putting them together always have to decide which species to leave off. In the end, there’s always a great deal of subjectivity involved in making the choices.
Our New Top Ten Endangered Species List
What good are the 10 most endangered animals lists? After all, they end up leaving out hundreds or even thousands of species that are in dire straits—and they usually give short shrift to smaller, less charismatic—but no less endangered—creatures such as insects and amphibians.
We gave a lot of thought to not listing any internationally endangered species at all. But then it occurred to us that lists do have a use: At the very least, they provide a focus for our thoughts and conversations about the state of the world’s wildlife and all the environmental factors that affect the well-being of species. A list can serve as a fine starting point—just as long as long as it is not a finishing point as well. To justify its existence, a top 10 endangered species list should be a catalyst for action as well as thought.
It should be fun, too, which is one of the reasons we’ve included brief video clips with each of our endangered species profiles.
