This image released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows a Stephens’ kangaroo rat is seen on a person's knee as it’s held by the tail on Oct. 16, 2017. They have fur-lined external cheek pouches used to transport seeds and large hind legs used for jumping. Large sums of government money directed toward a handful of species means others, such as the kangaroo rat, have gone neglected in some cases for decades after they were given federal protections. (Joanna Gilkeson/U…
December 31, 2023
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Most money for endangered species goes to a small number of creatures, leaving others in limbo
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Since passage of the Endangered Species Act 50 years ago, more than 1,700 plants, mammals, fish, insects and other species in the U.S. have been listed as threatened or endangered with extinction. Yet federal government data reveals striking disparities in how much money is allocated to save various biological kingdoms.