Wildlife Conservation Stories

Though the world faces two existential crises—a rapidly warming planet and declining biodiversity—and continues to battle a global pandemic, conservation still made major strides toward protecting wildlife, wild places, and people in 2022.

In a major win for tigers, the US Senate passed legislation that will help prevent captive tigers from ending up in the illegal trade of their parts and products—a primary threat to big cats in the wild. The Big Cat Public Safety Act now goes to President Biden to sign.

Combatting climate change helps save wildlife populations around the globe, but the reverse is also true: Wildlife conservation plays an essential role in regulating our climate. By saving wildlife, we help save the planet, including ourselves.

Settle in for a playlist that's a bit frightening. But ultimately, the world would be a lot scarier without any wildlife.

The first-ever synchronized and coordinated aerial survey of Africa's largest savanna elephant populations is underway in the five countries that make up the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA). Launched in northwest Zimbabwe at the end of August, the survey is undertaken by the five KAZA partner countries—Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—and with support from WWF and other partners.

This is the first time in over 25 years that the Arctic fox has successfully bred in Finland. In recent years, more Arctic fox observations have been made at the feeding stations maintained by Metsähallitus, National Parks Finland, and WWF, making breeding expected.

Nepal is now the second country to double its wild tiger population. It’s an incredible achievement and testament to the conservation efforts of the government, partners, and local communities over the last 12 years.

With fewer than 150 individuals, tigers in Malaysia are on the brink of extinction. So imagine the surprise and joy when tiger conservationists spotted a tigress with four cubs on camera traps set up to monitor the population.

Straddling the land and the sea with a tangle of arching roots, mangrove trees guard coastlines all over the world. Learn about the wildlife that relies on these special trees for their survival.

A baby gorilla and a slew of newborn African forest elephants were spotted in the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas complex—a biodiversity hotspot that’s home to an incredible range of wildlife from bongos to forest buffalo.

Connectivity is the unimpeded movement of animals and the flow of natural processes that sustain life on Earth. Our planet will only survive if its ecosystems are connected.

Finding effective ways to partner with people living and working in areas where tigers roam is vital for the long-term recovery of these big cats.

The planet has experienced five previous mass extinction events, the last one occurring 65.5 million years ago which wiped out the dinosaurs from existence. Experts now believe we’re in the midst of a sixth mass extinction.

Home of Gorillas launched in February after winning the Beyond Tourism in Africa Innovation Challenge to foster new income-generating ideas beyond tourism for both local communities and wildlife conservation in Africa.

Recovering species is essential for effective wildlife conservation and critical to the work WWF does around the world. Here are just a few of our favorite, recent recovery stories.

In a major boost to the conservation of the endangered Indus river dolphin, WWF experts in collaboration with the Sindh Wildlife Department safely tagged three dolphins in Pakistan with satellite transmitters in January 2022.

Meet the puppies that protect herder families and snow leopards in Mongolia.

Charles Henry Turner was one of the pioneers of the study of insect cognition. However, tragically and despite his brilliance, Turner wasn’t afforded an opportunity to conduct his research within one of the world’s great scientific institutions because of blatant discrimination over his race. 

A new WWF report reveals 224 plant and vertebrate animal species were discovered in the Greater Mekong region (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam) in 2020.

From community support to strong political will, here are 12 ways tiger range countries have been working to restore Asia's roar over the last 12 years.

From dense jungles to the Himalayas, tigers are an elusive species—hard to find and hard to count. But, thanks to the use of camera traps, the movements and behaviors of tigers are now less of a mystery.

Did you know that Southeast Asia’s Greater Mekong region is home to a remarkable 44 species of primates?

The Thirty Hills Forest Company recently completed its first-ever biodiversity monitoring survey for tigers and other key wildlife species in one part of the forest.

Electronic pingers attached to fishing nets create noises that deter dolphins and save them from becoming bycatch.