From 300 to 3,000: how Australia brought the numbat back
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Great news! The (adorable) numbat is no longer endangered. The IUCN has moved Western Australia’s animal emblem from Endangered to Near Threatened on its Red List, after more than 40 years of conservation work. “The downlisting of the numbat from Read More...
Extinction rates are slowing—and conservation efforts may be paying off
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM For years, headlines have warned that Earth is entering a sixth mass extinction. But new research suggests that this dire picture may be more nuanced, and even somewhat hopeful. A study by Kristen Saban and John Wiens of the University of Arizona's Read More...
The population of Ugandan tree-climbing lions is growing
One of the only populations of Ishasha tree-climbing lions in the world resides in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP). Unfortunately, the population faces numerous threats such as loss of habitat, climate change, and illegal wildlife trade. The small group of lions only includes Read More...
The European bison is no longer classified as “vulnerable”
In 2003, the population of the European bison stood at just 1,800 individuals, leading scientists at the International Union for Conservation and Nature to classify the animal as “vulnerable.” This led to a number of conservation initiatives, including the 5-year LIFE Bison project, which Read More...
IUCN lists 15 new sites as world’s best protected areas
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has admitted 15 new natural sites to the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas – the first global standard recognizing best practice in protected Read More...