Have you heard the good news? Nature made a wild comeback this year. Here are some of the wildlife wins we are celebrating this WILDLIFE CONSERVATION DAY.
We’re going wild for wildlife today — it’s WILDLIFE CONSERVATION DAY. Over 10 years ago, this honorary day was established to recognize the importance of conserving our planet’s most precious BIODIVERSITY. Since then, thanks to committed conservation efforts from organizations, governments, local communities and indigenous activists, nature has been able to experience triumphs.
Conservation Expansion
- Protecting places: UNESCO created 11 new biosphere reserves to help countries get closer to achieving their 30x30 targets. These biospheres include: Indonesia’s Bantimurung Bulusaraung - Ma'Rupanne (which has 250 species of butterfly), Mongolia’s Onon-Balj (a rich hotspot wetlands and water birds), and Colombia’s Tribugá-Cupica-Baudó.
- Making pledges: France pledged €1 billion to support polar research and conservation. To protect the Great Barrier Reef, Australia announced a new plan to phase out gill net fishing. And Mexico introduced 6 new national parks this year.
Species Spotlight
- Spotting again: African spotted dogs, listed as endangered by the IUCN, were seen in Uganda after nearly four decades. And in California’s Sierra Nevada, the rare red fox was spotted after nearly a century!
- Returning home: Last year, the Spix's macaw was released into Brazil's wild for the first time in 22 years. After being hunted 400 years ago into extinction in the United Kingdom, London reintroduced beavers back into the wild. And nearly 2,000 white rhinos are returning to Africa after living on a billionaire’s rhino farm.
- Bouncing back: India’s recent tiger census revealed there are now more than double the number of Bengal tigers in the country than there were 20 years ago. Populations now reach 3,100. Bhutan saw a nearly 40% increase in snow leopard populations.
- Welcoming the future: Two new baby rhinos were born in Sumatra this year — helping an already endangered species (there are less than 50 Sumatran rhinos in the wild) fight extinction. Off the coast of Lahaina, which was devastated by wildfires this year, a first-of-its-kind-humpback birth was witnessed.
Nature has proven time and again that it can withstand — if only we give it the chance. And these stories prove committing to the planet can restore our BIODIVERSITY.
Let’s keep these wildlife wins coming. Donate with VAKOVAKO.
