Stories

  • Making a home for monarchs in Mexico

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2020
    While monarchs are not endangered, their marvelous migration is at risk. Because they cluster in an area of just a few squares miles, loss of habitat to forest degradation has serious consequences.
    Monarch butterflies
  • Port Heiden, Alaska: the town that moved

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2020
    Beginning in 1981, the coastal community was forced to move inland when it became clear that erosion, accelerated by retreating sea ice and strong storms, would one day take the town altogether.
    Riverbank
  • Setting the line on transparency in tuna fishing

    January 28, 2020

    For tuna fishing, data is more important now than ever. Most tuna stocks are fully exploited, meaning at best there is little to no room for expansion and at worst, they are in danger of collapsing. That’s why unmonitored tuna fishing is unacceptable. Commercial tuna fishing is increasingly transparent—but more needs to be done

    Northern bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in tuna ranching company's (Ecolo Fish) cages, being fattened for the sushi market, Mediterranean Sea, Spain.
  • Video: Special detection dogs find surviving koalas amid Australian bushfires

    Two specially trained dogs found seven surviving koalas amid a burnt-out forest in Queensland, Australia. Two months ago, a 14,826-acre fire tore through this area of forest.

    Portrait of Taz and Missy, English Springer Spaniel detection dogs.
  • Rapid Response Teams act as a bridge between wildlife and people

    January 16, 2020

    Established by WWF Nepal in 2016, RRTs help to engage communities in wildlife protection efforts, manage human-wildlife conflict, and monitor poaching and other illegal activities. Today, there are nearly 60 RRTs across Nepal.

    Narayan Shahi from the Rapid Response Team is arriving in a house to help villagers to deal with a wildlife conflict in Khata Corridor, Nepal.
  • Australia's devastating bushfires

    January 13, 2020

    In 2019, Australia was ravaged by devastating bushfires, the likes of which the nation had never seen. Fueled by record-breaking temperatures and months of severe drought, these massive bushfires have burned more than 26.4 million acres. Learn what WWF is doing and how you can help.

    Australian bushfire in Bowraville NSW
  • What I saw at a Chinese tiger farm and what it means for wild tigers

    January 09, 2020

    Leigh Henry, WWF’s Director of Wildlife Policy, recently returned from a trip to China – the country where tiger farms started back in the 1980s. Leigh and her colleagues visited one of the world’s largest tiger farms– the Harbin Siberian Tiger Park – in the northeast corner of China. This is what she saw on her visit.

    Tiger Farm
  • What we learned about coral reefs in 2019

    January 07, 2020

    While most of what we learned about coral reefs in 2019 is grim, there's still hope. In this new decade, we can do quite a bit to protect coral reefs and the wildlife and people that depend on them.

    Gabby Ahmadia, senior marine scientist at WWF, surveys a reef in the Selat Dampier MPA, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia
  • Two years after China bans elephant ivory trade, demand for elephant ivory is down

    December 31, 2019

    Two years ago this month, China took the monumental step of banning elephant ivory trade within the country. Dec. 31, 2017 was the last day it was legal to buy or sell ivory there.

    African elephant.
  • Homestays—a boost for people and wildlife in Nepal

    December 30, 2019

    The aim of the Dalla homestay project was two-fold: to allow visitors to appreciate the rich biodiversity of the region, and to experience the culture and tradition of the indigenous Tharu people.

    Pratiksha Chaudhary is welcoming tourist at her homestay in Dalla, close to Bardia National Park, Nepal.
  • Borneo's wildlife: What's at risk and why we must act now

    December 23, 2019

    Have you heard of Borneo? This island is one of our planet’s most biologically diverse habitats and home to animals like orangutans, proboscis monkeys, and so much more! WWF’s Whitney Kent explains the importance of this precious ecosystem.

    Image from the island of Borneo
  • Mountain gorilla numbers rise in a Central African protected forest

    December 19, 2019

    A recent survey revealed the largest number of mountain gorillas ever recorded in a large swathe of protected forest in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WWF and partners counted 459 individuals, up from an estimated 400 in 2011, in the 83,840-acre Bwindi-Sarambwe ecosystem.

    Portrait of gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
  • New technology and collaboration could transform wildlife monitoring

    December 17, 2019

    Wildlife Insights is a one-of-a-kind cloud-based platform housing the largest publicly accessible database of camera trap images in the world. It allows researchers and conservation organizations around the world to share and analyze wildlife data to ultimately better anticipate threats, understand where and why wildlife populations are changing, and take action to protect wildlife.

    A curious grey Langur is getting close to a camera trap in Bardia National Park, Nepal.
  • BIGGEST CONSERVATION WINS OF 2019

    December 14, 2019

    As 2019 closes out, we’re taking a look at some of the biggest conservation wins of the year.

    Bison released into Badlands National Park
  • What is climate overshoot and why does it matter?

    December 11, 2019

    The earth’s temperature is rising, and for decades scientists have focused on limiting the temperature increase to 1.5°C. Many reports warn that exceeding the 1.5°C limit would have irreversible impacts on people, species, and ecosystems. And now it’s now becoming evident that before the climate can stabilize at 1.5°C, it will likely overshoot it.

    Wildebeest migration across river
  • A new protected area (PA) for tigers and leopards in Russia

    December 09, 2019

    More than 200,000 acres of a transboundary territory for tigers, leopards, and other species have been established in the Russian Far East as a new protected area.

    tiger in Komissarovsky Wildlife Refuge
  • A snare wire necklace: Creating beauty that saves wildlife

    December 05, 2019

    In a workshop along a well-traveled elephant path in the Zambian bush, local craftswomen create handcrafted jewelry inspired by their surroundings. Sharing stories and ideas, they work with natural and locally sourced materials from the South Luangwa valley.

    Snare wire neclace
  • Jaguar collaring mission reveals flourishing population off the coast of Brazil

    November 29, 2019

    WWF has collaborated with partners to successfully tag three wild jaguars with special collars allowing scientists to better monitor and understand the behavior of this big cat.

    Camera trap of a jaguar (Panthera onca) in Brazil. Maracá-Jipioca Ecological Station, Amapa, Brazil.
  • Nine wins for tigers in the last nine years

    November 27, 2019

    Established in 2010 and dubbed Tx2, it is arguably the most ambitious effort ever undertaken to recover an endangered species. Today, the overall tiger population decline has begun to reverse, with better data and improved surveys indicating there are likely now close to 4,000 tigers roaming free across the range states.Here are the Tx2’s top nine achievements to date.

    Tiger
  • Malaysia's tigers on the brink of extinction

    November 25, 2019

    Tigers living on the Malayan Peninsula—a region that includes parts of Thailand, Malyasia, and Myanmar—are at risk of going extinct in just the next two to three years.

    Camera trap image of a Malayan tiger.
  • 5 ways harmful fisheries subsidies impact coastal communities

    November 21, 2019

    Our planet’s health—and our own well-being—is dependent on a vibrant ocean rich with nature, like fish! While sustainable fishing can be an effective way to keep our oceans healthy, one big barrier is standing in the way: taxpayer-funded support for unsustainable fishing operations.

    Fishermen on artisanal fishing boats, out at sea, Tema, Ghana.
  • Communities and Conservation: Passion, Commitment, and Resiliency

    November 20, 2019

    This is a challenging time for conservation. But every day, more and more brave people are looking beyond those obstacles, not giving in to despair, and making enlightened choices that can change our planet for the better.

    Agness Musutu, WWF's Young Expert Professional for the Freshwater Programme, walking along the edge of the Luangwa River at sunset in Mfuwe, Zambia
  • Meet the 2019 class of Russell E. Train Fellows

    November 20, 2019

    Selected for their innovative proposals and merit-based history, the 2019 cohort of Train Fellows will focus their research on key topics, from analyzing whale shark behavior in the Galápagos to preserving critical landscapes throughout Bhutan.

    Sofia Green scuba diving
  • The return of a relative: tribal communities in the Northern Great Plains rally around bison restoration

    November 19, 2019

    For tribal community members who witnessed the release of four plains bison into Badlands National Park, South Dakota, the significance was immense for much deeper reasons.

    bison from a distance