FaunaHub

Risk category · VU

Vulnerable animals

Vulnerable (VU) species face a high risk of extinction in the wild under IUCN criteria. This is the first of the three threatened categories and includes widely recognised animals such as the snow leopard, giant panda, and great white shark.

A Vulnerable listing means a species needs attention, not that it is already disappearing. Confirm the current category on the official IUCN Red List.

87 records in this view · last reviewed

Vulnerable is the entry point to the threatened categories. A Vulnerable listing is a warning sign, not a crisis — but it can shift in either direction.

Data limitations

  • These are educational summaries, not the official assessment. Conservation status can change as new science and threats emerge.
  • We show the global IUCN Red List category. National and local status can differ from the global category.
  • Each record shows a last-verified date and a data-confidence flag so you can see how current and how checked it is.
  • Always verify the current status on the official IUCN Red List and the relevant national wildlife authority. FaunaHub does not replace conservation authorities.

Dataset last reviewed: Full data methodology →

Vulnerable records

Showing 87 of 87 records

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Vulnerable mean?
Vulnerable (VU) is the IUCN category for species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. It is the least severe of the three threatened categories, below Endangered and Critically Endangered.
Why is the giant panda only Vulnerable?
The giant panda was reclassified from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2016 after decades of habitat protection increased its numbers. It is a frequently cited example of conservation status improving — though the species still depends on continued protection.
Does Vulnerable mean a species is not at risk?
No. Vulnerable still indicates a high extinction risk. It simply sits below Endangered and Critically Endangered on the IUCN scale.

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