It takes on average 12 years for a plant or animal to be added to the endangered species list. Here’s how the process works and why it takes so long. RELATED: How invasive species became a problem in US https://bit.ly/3T90sMn » Subscribe to USA TODAY: http://bit.ly/1xa3XAh » Watch more on this and other topics from USA TODAY: https://bit.ly/3K0VpJv » USA TODAY delivers current local and national news, sports, entertainment, finance, technology, and more through award-winning journalism, photos, videos and VR. #EndangeredSpecies #Animals #Wildlife