Lower risk

{{Short description|Former IUCN Red List category}}

{{Conservation status}}

Lower risk was a classification formerly used by the IUCN Red List, superseded by the Least Concern classification.{{Cite web |title=Raw Data to Red List |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/assessment/process |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623233532/https://www.iucnredlist.org/assessment/process |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |access-date=June 23, 2023 |website=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species}} Species are classified into one of nine Red List Categories: extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, near threatened, least concern, data deficient, and not evaluated.{{Cite web |title=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |url=https://www.iucn.org/resources/conservation-tool/iucn-red-list-threatened-species |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=IUCN}}

The IUCN defined an animal with the conservation status of lower risk is one with populations levels high enough to ensure its survival.{{Cite web |title=lower risk species (IUCN) |url=https://www.eionet.europa.eu/gemet/en/concept/4921 |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=General Multilingual Environmental Thesaurus}} Animals with this status did not qualify as being threatened or extinct. However, natural disasters or certain human activities would cause them to change to either of these classifications.{{Cite web |title=What are the differences between endangered, threatened, imperiled, and at-risk species? |url=https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-are-differences-between-endangered-threatened-imperiled-and-risk-species |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=U.S. Geological Survey }}

When it was in use, this classification was sub-divided into three types:

• Conservation dependent - where cessation of current conservation measures may result in it being classified at a higher risk level.
• Near threatened - may become vulnerable to endangerment in the near future but not meeting the criteria.
• Least concern - where neither of the two above apply.