North Atlantic right whales now officially 'one step from extinction'

International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List changes ocean giants' status to critically endangered'

With their population still struggling to recover from over three centuries of whaling, the North Atlantic right whale is now just one step from extinction", according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The IUCN last week moved the whale's status on their Red List from endangered" to critically endangered" - the last stop before the species is considered extinct in the wild.

The status change reflects the fact that fewer than 250 mature individuals probably remain in a population of roughly 400. While grim, scientists and conservationists expressed hope that this move may help speed up protections for these dwindling giants.