Of the nearly 1,300 species officially classified as endangered under the 1973 Endangered Species Act, between 450 and 500 are usually considered to be stable or improving. The remaining species are continuing to die out. So far only about 10 species that have appeared on the endangered list have been determined to be “recovered,” meaning that their numbers are sufficiently high that the species can be removed from the list. Of these “recovered” species, however, six species “recovered” because the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) originally underestimated their populations. 

Society spends about $2.4 billion per year to protect endangered species. The USFWS and other federal agencies spend more than $800 million per year on programs intended to identify and protect endangered species. In addition, private property owners incur an estimated $1.6 billion in costs to abide by restrictions on land use imposed by the Endangered Species Act.

Why does government have to protect wildlife to prevent wild species of animals from becoming extinct?