8. The American black bear

Thriving in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, this is the only bear species considered secure throughout its range, according to a new IUCN report released on November 12, 2007.

An enormous amount of effort and funding for conservation and management continue to be directed at bears in North America, where their status is relatively favorable," Bruce McLellan, co-chair of the IUCN Bear Specialist Group, said in a statement.

However, six out of eight of the world's bear species are threatened with extinction, the report warned.

"It is unfortunate that so little is directed at bears in Asia and South America where the need is extreme," he added.

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