Positive Wildlife News 2025

Colombia Creates New Marine Reserve, Protecting Coral Reefs and Wildlife in the Caribbean Sea

Remote coral atolls now under protection harbor abundant sealife, including 32 threatened species — corals, sharks, queen triggerfish and more.

At the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, leaders from Colombia announced protection of two remote coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea, remarkable for diverse marine life. Together, the new Serranilla and Bajo Nuevo marine protected area (MPA) encompasses 3,800 square kilometers.

Colombia Creates New Marine Reserve, Protecting Coral Reefs and Wildlife in the Caribbean Sea
 
New protected area a win for Amazonian wildlife, people

In Peru’s far north, rivers converge and shape parallel worlds.

Here, along the Colombian border, a rush from the Andes merges with the Algodón, a meandering trickle the color of well-steeped tea. These waters feed floodplains, swamps and forests that support species found nowhere else on Earth.

New protected area a win for Amazonian wildlife, people
 
Portugal To Create New Marine Protected Area

Portugal said on Wednesday it was creating a new protected marine area around the Gorringe Ridge in the Atlantic Ocean that includes Western Europe's tallest seamount, positioning itself as a leader on the way to international conservation goals.

The announcement by Environment Minister Maria da Graca Carvalho comes as countries gather in the French city of Nice for the third U.N. Oceans conference, aiming to accelerate action to preserve marine environments.

Portugal To Create New Marine Protected Area
 
Tanzania Declares Two New MPAs in Pemba Island Biodiversity Hotspot at UN Ocean Conference

New MPAs in northeast and southeast Pemba cover over 1,300 km² of critical marine ecosystems.

The areas protect coral reefs, seagrasses, mangroves, and threatened shark and ray species.

WCS congratulates Tanzania’s leadership and supports community-driven conservation efforts.

Tanzania Declares Two New MPAs in Pemba Island Biodiversity Hotspot at UN Ocean Conference
 
Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Cabinet Conserve over 78,000 Acres of Conservation Lands

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, and Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson approved the protection of more than 78,000 acres of lands through Florida, including over 76,000 in rural Florida within the Ocala-to-Osceola Wildlife Corridor. These key acquisitions close the final, major gap in a 100-mile, 1.6-million-acre network of public and private lands connecting the Ocala and Osceola National Forests.

“Under my administration, Florida has significantly expanded its land conservation efforts and today’s conservation is a major milestone for the Florida Wildlife Corridor,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “By prioritizing conservation, we are not only supporting our natural resources, but also our rural economies and the future of our state.”

Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Cabinet Conserve over 78,000 Acres of Conservation Lands | Executive Office of the Governor
 
A small Mexican town rallied to revive its overfished coral reef. Here’s how
  • Community-led efforts revived depleted coral reefs in Mexico’s Cabo Pulmo.
  • The example helped inspire the concept of Marine Prosperity Areas, which protect the ocean while helping local communities prosper.
  • Friends of Ocean Action, a World Economic Forum initiative, also brings communities together to tackle the most pressing challenges facing the ocean.
Mexico’s Cabo Pulmo is buzzing with sea life. Sharks, rays, sea turtles and humpback whales are just some of the species that rely on its vibrant coral reefs.

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/06/community-ocean-conservation/
 
After 70 years of absence, the Caucasus Maral Deer is back in Dilijan National Park in Armenia, from an Iranian herd.
WWF Deutschland on Instagram: "70 Jahre lang verschwunden – jetzt erobern neun Kaukasus-Marale den Dilijan-Nationalpark! Zusammen mit dem armenischen Umweltministerium arbeiten wir seit 2013 an der Rückkehr des Kaukasus-Rothirschs. Im Zuchtzentrum trafen 2018 die ersten Tiere aus dem Iran ein. Jetzt, im Mai 2025, haben wir schon die dritte Gruppe mit neun Maralen ausgewildert. ️Im Dilijan-Nationalpark haben wir den idealen Lebensraum für die Tiere gefunden. Der Nationalpark ist 24.000 Hektar groß und bietet mit seinen Laubmischwäldern Platz für mindestens 400-500 Marale. Mit GPS-Trackern beobachten wir nun, wie sich die Tiere im Gebiet bewegen, Reviere bilden, sich fortpflanzen und wie sie mit Gefahren zurechtkommen. Marale sind Pflanzenfresser und das Beutetier des Persischen Leoparden. Mit der Wiederansiedlung der Tiere stärken wir also das gesamte Ökosystem. #Maral #Hirsch #Kaukasus #Naturschutz #Artenschutz"
 
English translation:
Missing for 70 years – now nine Caucasian marals are conquering Dilijan National Park!

We have been working with the Armenian Ministry of Environment on the return of the Caucasian red deer since 2013. The first animals arrived at the breeding center from Iran in 2018. Now, in May 2025, we have already released the third group of nine marals into the wild.

️In Dilijan National Park, we have found the ideal habitat for the animals. The national park covers 24,000 hectares and, with its mixed deciduous forests, offers space for at least 400-500 marals.

Using GPS trackers, we are now observing how the animals move around the area, establish territories, reproduce, and cope with danger.

Marals are herbivores and the prey of the Persian leopard. By reintroducing the animals, we are strengthening the entire ecosystem.
 
New hatchlings of Galapagos pink iguanas sighted on Wolf Volcano.

Galápagos Conservancy on Instagram: "BREAKING: Historic Pink Iguana Hatchling Sighting Marks a Milestone for Conservation! In the slopes of Wolf Volcano, our conservation team, along with Galápagos park rangers, made a discovery that changed everything: new hatchlings of the Galápagos Pink Iguana. This critically endangered species, found nowhere else on Earth, was once thought to be teetering on the edge of extinction. Now, this discovery gives brings us renewed hope of their survival! “Their discover was the sign we needed to keep believing that there’s still hope” says Roberto Jimenez, part of our conservation team. This is the result of years of monitoring, fieldwork, and teamwork in joint efforts with @parquegalapagos . And it’s the kind of breakthrough your support helps make possible. Read the full story at the link in our bio, and swipe to see a tiny hatchling in action. Though they are green, they will grow to be as pink as can be. #GalapagosConservancy #PinkIguana #WildlifeConservation #SpeciesRecovery #Galapagos"
 
In New Zealand, a female Little Spotted Kiwi was found in the Adams Wilderness Area on the West Coast of the South Island earlier this year. This is the first confirmed record of the species on mainland New Zealand, outside of fenced sanctuaries, since 1978. A possible male Little Spotted Kiwi was found in the same location more recently, but this kiwi's identification remains to be confirmed.

Shock kiwi rediscovery delights conservation world
 
Chile is Paving the Way to High Seas Protection – Others Must Follow

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

An early adopter of the treaty and a leader in ocean conservation, the Chilean Government is setting an important precedent with plans to protect the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges beneath the surface of the South Pacific, outside of territorial waters.

Chile has also established the BBNJ First Movers initiative, with support from Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Palau, and Seychelles, aimed at accelerating the first generation of high seas MPAs.

At home, Chile has already designated over 40% of its national waters for protection – surpassing the commitment to reach 30% by 2030 (30×30) under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

https://sdg.iisd.org/commentary/gue...y-to-high-seas-protection-others-must-follow/
 
CapeNature Expands Protected Areas as 2025 Conservation Report Charts Biodiversity Outlook

CapeNature has released its 2025 State of Conservation Report, charting notable conservation progress while highlighting urgent priorities in the Western Cape. Launched on 26 June at the annual Conservation Review, the report presents data-driven insights into ecosystem health, informed by extensive fieldwork, ecological monitoring, and spatial analysis across key habitats. Since the last update, an additional 13,117 hectares have been added to the province’s protected area network, increasing the total conservation estate to 1,095,428 hectares as of March 2025.

CapeNature Expands Protected Areas as 2025 Conservation Report Charts Biodiversity Outlook
 
The Saimaa ringed seals in Finland have had a record breeding season, with 111 pups born this spring - the adult current population is around 500 individuals. As part of the conservation work, artificial snow banks have been created to allow the seals to build their dens; natural snowdrifts have become rarer due to warmer winters. Some 80% of the pups were born in the artificial snowdrifts.
 
Nature reserve records its first breeding bitterns

One of the UK's rarest birds has bred on a nature reserve near Hull for the first time in its history.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) said a juvenile bittern was spotted at North Cave wetlands last week, marking the first time the species had ever bred on its site.

Bitterns, which make a distinctive booming call, were once extinct in the UK but returned in the 20th Century.

YWT reserve manager Tony Martin said it was "heartening" to see that the trust's "careful management of these wild spaces is having huge benefits for Yorkshire's wildlife."

East Yorkshire nature reserve records its first breeding bitterns
 
Amur leopards, once nearly extinct, are making a comeback in Far East Asia

The Amur leopard lives in isolation in the freezing forests of southeast Russia and northeast China. It’s one of the most endangered of eight leopard subspecies in the world. Today, its population is on the upswing.

In the 20th century, poaching for its spotted fur, forest fires and conversion of land for farming caused the wildcat’s population to plummet to roughly 25 individuals in the wild. Today, there are approximately 130 in Russia alone, according to a recent Wildlife Conservation Society report.

Since 2016, the Wildlife Conservation Society in Russia (ANO WCS) has partnered with Land of the Leopard National Park in monitoring and conservation efforts. In 2014-15, researchers estimated a global population of 84 Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis), increasing recently to 130, the highest density of leopards recorded in 10 years of rigorous monitoring, according to the report.

Amur leopards, once nearly extinct, are making a comeback in Far East Asia
 
Extirpated otter confirmed in Malaysian nature reserve

The Eurasian otter hasn’t been seen in more than a decade in the Southeast Asian country

Scientists have confirmed a sighting of a rare otter that they thought had been extirpated from Malaysia for more than a decade. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) near threatened, but the animals are incredibly rare in Southeast Asia. After more than a decade without detecting the otter in that region, scientists confirmed a sighting of an individual in Tangkulap Forest Reserve on the island of Borneo. The country’s three other otter species also live in this reserve, and the new sighting will elevate the reserve’s protection level, according to Panthera, a global cat conservation organization. “The discovery of the fourth species in Tangkulap indicates the habitat is abundant in prey and serves as a safe refuge—potentially for many other wildlife species as well. It is essential to conserve these species, especially in the face of habitat fragmentation,” said Chee Yoong from the Malaysia Otter Network and the IUCN SSC Otter Specialist Group, in a press release.

Extirpated otter confirmed in Malaysian nature reserve - The Wildlife Society
 
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