Species-at-risk (SAR), are the plants, animals, insects and other species that are at risk of extirpation or extinction from their natural habitat.   This means that without some form of action, they could disappear from Canada or the entire planet.

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In Canada, species identified as ‘at-risk’ are protected by federal, provincial and territorial laws.  Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) is the key piece of federal legislation that outlines how to protect the species that are deemed at-risk of extinction or extirpation.  Species are designated ‘at-risk’ by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), a committee of experts guided by the Species at Risk Act who use scientific research and expertise to assess the current level of risk to species in Canada.

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