Green turtles came back from the brinkA decades-long mission to save green turtles from extinction hit a major milestone this week as the species came off the ‘endangered’ list. In an update to its itinerary of threatened creatures, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reclassified the green turtle from ‘endangered’ to ‘least concern’. The reclassification offers hope at a time when more species are being added to the IUCN’s red list. According to the latest update, released this week, 61% of bird species are now in decline. “This is a major win for turtle conservation and proof that coordinated action can reverse populations at risk of extinction,” said Christine Madden of the WWF, which has led efforts to save the species.