Bumblebee Has Officially Been Added To The Ever-Growing List Of Endangered Species

The bumblebee has been officially added to the list of endangered species along with the gray wolf, grizzly bear, the northern spotted owl, and about 700 other extinct animal species.

According to National Geographic: The rusty-patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis), once a common sight, is "now balancing precariously on the brink of extinction," according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Once thriving in 28 states and the District of Columbia, but over the past two decades, the bee's population has plummeted nearly 90 percent. There are more than 3,000 bee species in the United States, and about 40 belong to the genus Bombus—the bumblebees.