The report, issued as part of the IUCN’s authoritative "Red List" of threatened species, is considered the most comprehensive to date. It showed that of the 4,651 mammal species for which scientists have data, 1,139 species were under threat of extinction.
Some of the worst-threatened land mammals are in Asia, where animals such as orang-utans are suffering from the effects of deforestation. Almost 80% of primates in the region are under threat.
The study also showed that 5% of all species, including the European bison and North American black-footed ferret, were recovering because of conservation efforts.
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