extinct in the wild

[ ik-stingkt in thuh-wahyld ]

adjective

, Biology, Ecology.

1. (of a plant or animal species) having members growing or living only as a naturalized population or in captivity, but having no known members growing or living independently in a natural habitat, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: : EW

   After observing a herd of Père David deer on a reserve in China, we learned that the species is extinct in the wild.

Word History and Origins

Origin of extinct in the wild¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

It is estimated the species, found in forested areas of Kenya, could be extinct in the wild within two decades after years of poaching.

From BBC

While he says he does like being around them for “selfish reasons,” the animals reside in Southern California because they’re either extinct in the wild or so endangered that poachers pose a critical risk to the remaining population.

From Los Angeles Times

"With numbers having declined so rapidly in the wild, and the species now teetering on the edge of existence in Iran, it’s sadly very possible that onagers could become extinct in the wild within our lifetime," added Mr Jordan.

From BBC

The parrot — endemic to a small fraction of the Sao Francisco River basin and already rare in the 19th century — was declared extinct in the wild in 2000, when a lonely surviving male disappeared following decades of poaching and habitat destruction from livestock overgrazing.

From Seattle Times

A plant that went extinct in the wild has been re-introduced to the UK mainland.

From BBC