Extinct in the Wild (EW) | PHILATAX

Extinct in the Wild

A species that is extinct in the wild (EW) is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as only consisting of living members kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range. Classification requires exhaustive surveys conducted within the species' known habitat with consideration given to seasonality, time of day, and life cycle. Once a species is classified as EW, the only way for it to be downgraded is through reintroduction.

Not all EW species are rare. An example is the Brugmansia family, where all seven species are widely cultivated, but none are found in the wild. Ultimately, the purpose of preserving biodiversity is to maintain ecological function to prevent ecological extinction.

Reference: wikipedia

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A conservation status category is assigned to each species that predict how likely it is that it will become extinct in the near future. Most designations are labeled in wikipedia, the main source of this data, which got its information from two main sources: 1) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and 2) The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).