IUCN Red List · EW category
Extinct in the Wild
Extinct in the Wild (EW) is an IUCN category for species with no confirmed wild population — surviving only in captivity or cultivation. This collection covers 6 EW case studies, reintroduction science, and links to WARN guides on parrots, antelope, rhinos and more.
- EW
- IUCN category — wild population gone; captivity only
- CR → EW → EX
- Threat sequence: Critically Endangered, then Extinct in the Wild, then ExtinctSource: IUCN Red List categories
- 2
- Northern white rhinos remain — both female, functionally extinct
- 2022+
- Spix’s macaw captive-bred releases in Brazil’s Caatinga
EW species case studies
| Species | IUCN status | Notes | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spix’s macaw | Extinct in the Wild (2019) | Releases in Brazil from 2022 | Read → |
| Scimitar-horned oryx | Extinct in the Wild | Reintroduction in Chad | Read → |
| Père David’s deer | Extinct in the Wild | Captive rescue + China reintroduction | Read → |
| Northern white rhino | Functionally extinct | Two females remain | Read → |
| Yangtze sturgeon | Extinct in the Wild | River dams and overfishing | Read → |
| Socorro dove | Extinct in the Wild | Mexico island endemic | Read → |
All EW answers
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Is the Spix’s macaw extinct in the wild?
Yes. The Spix’s macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) was listed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN in 2019 after the last known wild individual disappeared in 2000. Captive-bred releases began in Brazil’s Caatinga in 2022.
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Is the scimitar-horned oryx extinct in the wild?
Yes. The scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) is Extinct in the Wild on the IUCN Red List — the last confirmed wild individuals vanished in the 1990s after war and overhunting in the Sahel.
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Is Père David’s deer extinct in the wild?
Yes. Père David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus) is Extinct in the Wild — it survived only in captive herds after the last wild populations were lost in China by the early twentieth century. Reintroductions to Chinese reserves began later.
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Are northern white rhinos extinct?
The northern white rhino is functionally extinct in the wild — only two females (Najin and Fatu) survive in Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy, both unable to breed naturally. The last male died in 2018.
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Is the Yangtze sturgeon extinct in the wild?
The Yangtze sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) is listed as Extinct in the Wild on the IUCN Red List — wild populations collapsed from dam construction, pollution and overfishing on the Yangtze River.
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Is the Socorro dove extinct in the wild?
Yes. The Socorro dove (Zenaida graysoni) is Extinct in the Wild — last seen on Socorro Island, Mexico, in 1972 after habitat damage and predation by introduced cats and sheep.
Related wildlife guides
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Macaw
Macaws are large, long-tailed tropical parrots native to Central and South America; status varies by species, with several — including the blue-throated and Spix's macaws — Critically Endangered or Extinct in the Wild due to the illegal pet trade and deforestation.
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Antelope
Antelope are horned ruminants of the family Bovidae — roughly 90 species across Africa and Asia; African savanna antelope form the prey base for the continent's great predators, with conservation status ranging from abundant to Critically Endangered.
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Deer
Deer are antlered, hoofed ruminant mammals of the family Cervidae, comprising about 50 species worldwide; most are Least Concern, but several, including Père David's deer (Extinct in the Wild) and the hog deer, are threatened.
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Dove
The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a Vulnerable migratory columbid of European woodland and farmland, declining by roughly 80% since 1970 due to habitat loss, hunting and agricultural intensification.
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Rhino
Rhinoceroses are five living species of horned megaherbivores in Africa and Asia; all are threatened by poaching for keratin horn, with three species Critically Endangered including the Sumatran rhino with fewer than 50 individuals.