In September 2017, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources announced the removal of the snow leopard from the endangered species list. Snow leopards have been on the list of endangered species since 1972. The decision to exclude the snow leopard from this list was made after a lengthy analysis, which showed that the number of this species is no longer subject to a sharp decline. This species still faces a high risk of extinction in the wild, but progress is clear and this is wonderful news indeed. Just look at what beautiful animals our world could lose!