How to Save a Species by Destroying ItA law with good intentions created a perverse incentive.

From the show

When Rewards Backfire

The Endangered Species Act was a landmark law designed to protect vulnerable animals. But for some private landowners, it turned conservation into a liability, leading them to destroy habitats to avoid costly restrictions. This created a tragic paradox where a law meant to save species sometimes encouraged the opposite behavior. It's a classic case of unintended consequences, where making an animal 'protected' also made it a threat to people's livelihoods.