Extinct? or Critically Endangered? What's the Difference?

You often see the two terms 'Extinct' and 'Critically Endangered' come up when researching animals or plants. So, what do these terms mean?

Extinct is the term given to a species that has died out and can not be found anywhere in the world. There are several ways in which a species can become extinct, human intereferance for example has become a major issue in modern times due to poaching and hunting, as well as destruction to natural habitats of species kill populations until there are none left.

Evolution however, can naturally extinct a species and this is just part of natures course. The dinosaurs for example are a fine example of evolutionary extinction, a multitude of plants and animals went extinct following the Cretaceous period, making room for new species to develop and evolve.

Critically Endangered can be described as the final stage before Extinction, where nature or human interference has seriously diminished populations, however, are not completely wiped out. The animal or plant species that is Critically Endangered are not abundant in areas therefore are very rare and usually protected by governments. Critically Endangered Fauna speciesb are regularly put in captivity in an attempt to breed the animals to then release back into the wild and remove the label of 'Critically Endangered' and prevent 'Extinction'.