The Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus), the 2014 FIFA World Cup mascot, declined by more than one-third over 10 to 15 years after losing 50% of its Caatinga dry shrubland habitat.
Notes on verification
Matches IUCN Red List statement verbatim and is corroborated by multiple independent 2014 news sources (Phys.org, SCMP, Malay Mail, Weather.com) with consistent details. [cascade flags: aggregator_dropped_primary_exists | tier=unverified indep_score=0.3 clusters=3 claim_tier=notable] [rescored 2026-09-15: curated origin-host map (PR #65); unclassified hosts no longer scored as aggregators]
Sources
- IUCN Red List raises more red flags for threatened species (seed:environment_and_wildlife)
- https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1531000/brazils-world-cup-armadillo-facing-extinction-says-nature-watchdog (corroboration)
- https://www.malaymail.com/news/world-cup/2014/06/12/armadillo-world-cup-mascot-threatened-with-extinction/686229 (corroboration)
- https://weather.com/science/news/world-cup-mascot-endangered-species-20140612 (corroboration)