---
title: "IUCN Extinct in the Wild (EW): Red List Category"
description: "Extinct in the Wild (EW) is the IUCN Red List category for species surviving only in captivity or cultivation. Learn how it differs from Extinct (EX)."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/iucn-extinct-in-the-wild"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Extinct in the Wild is the IUCN Red List category for a taxon that survives only in cultivation, captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.
- How does Extinct in the Wild differ from Extinct on the IUCN Red List?
- What evidence does the IUCN require before listing a species as Extinct in the Wild?
- Can a species ever move out of the Extinct in the Wild category?
- Where does EW sit in the order of IUCN Red List categories?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

Extinct in the Wild is the IUCN Red List category for a taxon that survives only in cultivation, captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.

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In 2023 the IUCN reassessed the scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) from Extinct in the Wild to Endangered after a Chad reintroduction program backed by the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi re-established a free-ranging herd.

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