Conservation status
Near Threatened
Also called NT, IUCN Near Threatened, Lower Risk/near threatened
Definition
Near Threatened (NT) is the IUCN Red List category for species that do not currently qualify as threatened but are close to qualifying, or are likely to qualify in the near future. It sits between Least Concern and Vulnerable.
On this page
What "Near Threatened" means
Near Threatened is a category on the IUCN Red List, the global inventory of extinction risk run by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
A species is Near Threatened when it has been evaluated and does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for a threatened category, or likely to qualify in the near future.
Its official abbreviation is NT. Before 2001 it was a subcategory of "Lower Risk," so older assessments may show LR/nt. A related old code, LR/cd ("conservation dependent"), was folded into Near Threatened in the current system.
Where it sits on the scale
Near Threatened is the step just below the threatened categories:
- Least Concern: not close to qualifying as threatened
- Near Threatened: close to qualifying
- Vulnerable: high risk of extinction in the wild
- Endangered: very high risk
- Critically Endangered: extremely high risk
Near Threatened is not one of the three "threatened" categories. Think of it as an early warning.
How a species ends up Near Threatened
There are no separate number thresholds for Near Threatened. Instead, assessors compare the species to the Vulnerable thresholds (criteria A to E). A species is typically Near Threatened when:
- it nearly meets a Vulnerable threshold, such as a population decline that is close to, but under, 30% over ten years or three generations;
- it meets some parts of a criterion but not all of them; or
- it would likely become threatened without ongoing conservation work.
Because these species are close to the line, IUCN stresses re-evaluating them at regular intervals.
Near Threatened vs. the Endangered Species Act
The IUCN Red List is a global scientific assessment. The U.S. Endangered Species Act is a law with its own listings, decided separately. "Near Threatened" has no legal meaning in the U.S., and a species can be Near Threatened globally while being listed, or not listed, under the ESA.
Near Threatened animals at the zoo
Several well-known zoo animals are Near Threatened, including the jaguar, American bison, white rhinoceros and maned wolf. Accredited zoos often manage these species through cooperative programs like Species Survival Plans, building healthy populations before a species slips into a threatened category.
Near Threatened animals you can see in U.S. zoos
Jack Dykinga · Public domainAmerican Bison
Bison bison
Thomas Fuhrmann · CC BY-SA 4.0Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
HCA ( talk ) · CC BY-SA 3.0Ball Python
Python regius
SouthernThreeBandedArmadillo065.jpg : Ltshears derivative work: WolfmanSF ( talk ) · CC BY-SA 3.0Three-banded Armadillo
Tolypeutes matacus
USFWS · Public domainJaguar
Panthera onca
TimVickers · Public domainPrehensile-tailed Skink
Corucia zebrata
Blueag9 · CC BY-SA 3.0Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum
Hugo Hulsberg · CC0Patagonian Mara
Dolichotis patagonum
Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0White Rhinoceros
Ceratotherium simum
ziggypop74 · CC BY 4.0Nicobar Pigeon
Caloenas nicobarica
Ryan E. Poplin · CC BY-SA 2.0Black Howler Monkey
Alouatta caraya
Jonathan Wilkins · CC BY-SA 3.0Maned Wolf
Chrysocyon brachyurus
See all near threatened animals in U.S. zoos →
Common questions
What does near threatened mean for an animal?
It means IUCN experts assessed the species and found it isn't threatened yet, but it is close to meeting the criteria for Vulnerable, or is likely to meet them soon if current trends continue.
Is near threatened the same as endangered?
No. Near Threatened is one step below the threatened categories. Endangered is two steps higher, above Vulnerable, and means a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
What is the difference between near threatened and vulnerable?
Vulnerable species meet at least one of the IUCN criteria for a high risk of extinction, which makes them officially threatened. Near Threatened species come close to those thresholds but don't fully meet any of them.
What animals are near threatened?
Examples include the jaguar, the American bison, the white rhinoceros and the maned wolf, all of which are listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Related terms
- IUCN Red ListThe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world's most widely used inventory of extinction risk. Run by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, it sorts assessed species into categories from Least Concern to Extinct using measurable scientific criteria.
- Least ConcernLeast Concern (LC) is the IUCN Red List category for species that have been assessed and do not qualify as threatened or Near Threatened. These species are usually widespread and abundant, although some still have declining populations.
- VulnerableVulnerable (VU) is an IUCN Red List category for species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. It is the lowest of the three 'threatened' categories, above Near Threatened and below Endangered.
- Endangered Species ActThe Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a U.S. law, signed in 1973, that protects plants and animals listed as endangered or threatened and aims to recover them. It is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service.
Sources
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, Version 3.1
- Near-threatened species (Wikipedia)
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