Snowy owl, cheetah among 40 species granted international protection
According to a recent report, nearly one in four species catalogued by the CMS are threatened with extinction on a worldwide scale.
Updated on: March 30, 2026 / 12:00 PM EDT / CBS/AFP
The U.N. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) on Sunday approved the listing of 40 new species for international protection, including the snowy owl featured in the Harry Potter saga.
The decision came at the conclusion of the COP15 summit on migratory species in Campo Verde, Brazil, which brought together representatives from 132 countries and the European Union.
It is one of the world's most important global meetings for wildlife conservation.
Also on the new list for protection along with the snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) are the Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) -- a long-beaked shorebird threatened with extinction -- and the great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran).
The new list featured land mammals like the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) and the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and other aquatic wildlife such as the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis).