Wildlife Conservation

Conserve threatened wildlife and wild places to sustain life on Earth

Overview

Saving nature is at the very heart of what we do as WWF. For 60 years, we have made it our mission to find solutions that save the marvelous array of life on our planet by applying the best science available and working closely with local communities.

But our work is far from done. Humans are behind the current rate of species extinction, which is at least 100–1,000 times higher than nature intended. We’ve seen an average decline of 73% in wildlife populations since 1970, according to WWF's Living Planet Report 2024.

And the impacts will reach far beyond the potential cultural loss of iconic species like tigers, rhinos, and whales.

The good news is we’ve also seen what’s working. WWF has been part of successful wildlife recovery stories ranging from southern Africa’s black rhino to tigers across Asia. And this, in turn, is helping to protect rich and varied ecosystems while ensuring people continue to benefit from nature.

This much is clear: we cannot afford to fail in our mission to save a living planet.

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Why It Matters

Wildlife are culturally important

Non-material benefits from wildlife, such as spiritual enrichment and inspiration, while difficult to measure and value, should not be overlooked. Wildlife provide us with important spiritual and mental health benefits. Sacred places and species serve as the foundation for beliefs and values across many cultures. Animals are viewed as spiritual guides or embodiments of ancestors, with certain species revered in rituals and creation myths. Natural places with abundant wildlife bring a sense of peace and wonder and actually boost immune function while providing mental restoration. Wildlife also serve as characters in art, literature, and music. They are sources of inspiration for scientific discovery and innovation, e.g. the flight of birds inspiring the development of airplanes. They have the unique ability to bring communities together in a shared interest, enjoyment, and love for the natural world.
Wildlife is essential for human life

From the mighty tiger to the busy bumblebee, Earth’s vast variety of life contributes to our lives and wellbeing in more ways than you think. By protecting species and their habitats, we also protect the essential resources and services that make our lives possible, such as breathable air, clean water, food, building materials, medicines, energy, fertile soils, climate regulation, transport, and recreational and spiritual values. By investing in wildlife conservation, we contribute to future generations receiving the essential benefits that come with sharing the planet with other species.
Wildlife is necessary for healthy ecosystems

Wildlife play an essential role in maintaining ecosystem health by providing crucial services. Animals like bees act as pollinators, ensuring the reproduction of plants. Birds and bats help with pest control and they aid in seed dispersal, enabling forest regeneration and supporting habitat diversity. Predators naturally control herbivore populations. Decomposers like scavengers recycle nutrients back into the soil, enriching it further for plant growth. Aquatic species, including filter-feeders, help maintain water quality and balance aquatic ecosystems. Together, these contributions sustain ecosystem resilience and support both natural environments and human communities.
Wildlife are nature heroes

Our planet is changing, with more frequent and intense weather events, increased drought and fires, and the loss of power, water, and land, among other alarming impacts. Transitioning to clean energy sources, reducing pollution, and enhancing energy efficiency are critical. However, more and more research shows that wildlife and habitat conservation are integral components that deserve a place in discussions about nature and adapting to environmental change. Intact landscapes act as a “safety net” for mitigating climate change by serving as carbon sinks and supporting ecosystem resilience and wildlife adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Wildlife, in turn, can also amplify the ability of ecosystems to capture and store carbon as well as make them more resilient to the effects of a changing climate.
Wildlife supports tourism

People enjoy observing wildlife and this is a driver for tourism in many areas. From photography to nature walks, seeing wildlife living wild lives is a powerful and memorable experience. Wildlife spectacles attract millions of visitors who seek to experience nature and its diverse species. Wildlife tourism, including safaris, birdwatching, photography, and marine tours, generate significant revenue for local economies and can support conservation efforts. For example, Africa's safari industry contributes over $12 billion annually, and in 2021, wildlife-related tourism in the U.S. generated $85 billion in economic activity.

What WWF Is Doing

A small black-footed ferret emerging from a plastic carrier

Conserving wildlife is at the heart of our mission. Since we started in 1961, WWF has been a leader in wildlife conservation and working to protect biodiversity across the globe.

Biodiversity across the planet is declining at an alarming rate. Many experts point to human activity as the dominant influence on climate change and biodiversity loss. We focus on protecting populations of some of the world’s most ecologically, economically, and culturally important species—the survival of which are threatened by poaching, illegal trade, and habitat loss.

The biodiversity crisis has far-reaching consequences for all aspects of human well-being—including health, food, and water security, along with our ability to adapt to climate change. Given the crucial role biodiversity plays in the livelihoods and economies of people around the world, maintaining biodiversity and associated ecosystem services is essential and is a driving reason for conservation.

We are leaders in using science and technology to underpin and guide our work and solutions. We synthesize insights, learning, and traditions from Indigenous cultures and local communities to identify conservation solutions. We drive the agenda to combat wildlife crime and illegal and unsustainable trade in wildlife. And we cultivate partnerships, resources, and new solutions to disrupt these highly damaging drivers of species loss and continue to address economic inequity of local people.

Supporting the Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a global treaty to conserve the diversity of life on Earth, including how to use biodiversity sustainably and who reaps the benefits. WWF brings to the convention a distinctive breadth of conservation expertise from decades of presence, work, and deep local partnerships across the globe. We work with partners to define strong positions on the issues to be negotiated, we push for ambitious commitments on agreed targets as well as meaningful actions toward these, and we work with governments to strengthen and implement their conservation plans.

WWF focuses supporting particular progress on making sure each country has an ambitious and comprehensive strategy, closing the large funding gap for biodiversity conservation, promoting the need for infrastructure development to conserve and restore biodiversity, and keeping local leadership and inclusive participation at the helm of efforts worldwide.

Conserving threatened wildlife and their habitat

Area-based conservation is a cornerstone of our efforts—as land-use change remains a primary driver of global biodiversity loss, mainly through destruction of natural areas (such as forests, grasslands, and mangroves) for food production and urban expansion. Scientific evidence underscores the need for the protection of a minimum of 30% of land and sea to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030—especially in regions where climate change is anticipated to add additional stressors. The Wildlife Team prioritizes the following area-based outcomes to ensure that wildlife can thrive:

Wildlife populations are protected from overexploitation and other direct threats, as well as climate impacts.
Landscapes and aquascapes are protected, connected, and resilient.
Conserved areas are well-managed and are provided sustained financial and institutional support.
Conservation is inclusive and delivers equitable and sustainable benefits for local communities.
Global-to-local wildlife policy and governance, including anti-corruption approaches, is strengthened for the benefit of wildlife conservation.

Reducing threats to wildlife and people

Whole-planet solutions, like policy and regulation changes, complement area-based conservation for a more impactful and all-around, integrated approach for lasting conservation change. Our work leverages partnerships with governments, the private sector, civil society, scientists, and international policymakers to establish the enabling conditions, governance, and policies to support our area-based work and tackle the systemic drivers that counter effective conservation.

Our whole-planet approach fosters equitable resource governance, develops innovative financial mechanisms to support and reward conservation and sustainable resource management, integrates climate resilience and adaptation, and advances our work in the online and social media space to reduce the overexploitation of biodiversity. The Wildlife Team prioritizes the following whole-planet outcomes to systematically reduce both direct and indirect threats to biodiversity:

Wildlife trafficking is disrupted, criminal incentives and illegal and unsustainable demand for wildlife and their products are reduced, and the risk of zoonotic spillover is mitigated.
Climate resilience for wildlife and local communities is strengthened.
Human-wildlife conflict is reduced and managed.

Projects

Wildlife Crime Technology Project

Over four and a half years, the Google.org-funded Wildlife Crime Technology Project (WCTP) provided WWF a platform to innovate and test a number of innovative technologies, many of which have the potential to change the course of the global fight against wildlife crime.
Crime Convergence: Natural Resource Exploitation and Transnational Organized Crime

Illegal exploitation of natural resources and wildlife including wildlife trafficking, and crimes associated with logging, mining, fishing, land conversion, and others are all crimes that threaten ecosystems, contribute to climate change, worsen food and economic security, and undermine global efforts to promote sustainability and conservation. Together, the illegal trade or trafficking in natural resources, is the third-largest criminal sector worldwide, generating between USD 110 to 280 billion annually. Despite their staggering scale and impact, these crimes are often mischaracterized as primarily conservation issues, when in reality, they are deeply connected to the world of transnational organized criminal networks.

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