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3 iconic animals show the value of the US Endangered Species Act – and the harm in stripping it away

<name>Timothy Randhir, Professor of Environmental Sciences, UMass Amherst</name> <foaf:homepage rdf:resource="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-randhir-457153"/>· 1 octobre 2026

A rescued Florida panther, one of fewer than 300 of the endangered big cats alive today, is released into the wild. Mark Cunningham/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission , CC BY-SA It used to be considered against the law in America to starve a member of an endangered species to death o…

Résumé

Endangered Species Act changes

The U.S.

Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a federal law designed to protect animals and plants at risk of extinction.

For decades, the ESA prohibited harming endangered species or destroying their habitats, even if the harm was unintentional.

However, on September 14, 2026, the Trump administration implemented new rules that redefine harm under the ESA.

Now, harm only includes directly injuring or killing an endangered animal, not actions like destroying its habitat.

This change removes protections for species whose biggest threat is habitat loss, such as the Florida panther.

The administration also removed the Blanket 4(d) Rule, which previously provided automatic protections for species listed as threatened (one step below endangered).

These changes weaken the ESA’s ability to prevent extinctions by making it reactive rather than proactive.

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