SAFEGUARDING THREATENED SPECIES 2026 Progress Report

The 2026 Progress Report details WWF's conservation efforts in 2025, focusing on the recovery of African elephants, mountain gorillas, snow leopards, bison, and sharks and rays. Key achievements include a consumer awareness campaign against ivory in Viet Nam, the establishment of a transboundary conservation area for snow leopards in Asia, and the restoration of bison herds in North America. The report emphasizes the use of scientific research, such as population censuses and GPS telemetry, to guide habitat management and policy across multiple continents.

• WWF conducted a consumer awareness campaign in Viet Nam between January and May 2025 to reduce ivory demand. The campaign was effective, as only 4.3% of travelers who saw the messages said they would consider buying ivory, compared to 8.1% of those who did not.
• In the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), WWF supports five countries in managing a connected population of 228,000 African elephants, utilizing ten years of research on elephant movement to inform land use planning.
• Mountain gorilla populations in central Africa have increased from fewer than 650 individuals to over 1,000 over the last 40 years. In May 2025, a scientific census began in the Bwindi-Sarambwe ecosystem to track health, numbers, and movement patterns.
• Nepal released its first robust national population estimate for snow leopards, indicating a stable population of 397 animals. Consequently, Bhutan, India, and Nepal have committed to a 24-million-acre transboundary conservation area.
• WWF is working to restore bison to the Great Plains through several initiatives: removing 7,000 pounds of barbed wire at Fort Belknap in Montana, securing nearly 26,400 acres for the Crow Nation Buffalo Program, assessing 44,000 acres in Colorado, and completing the first transnational transfer of bison to First Nations in Saskatchewan, Canada.
• To protect sharks and rays in Ecuador, WWF is implementing forensic laboratory testing to identify illegal catch and providing an online identification course for customs officers to close legal loopholes that allow over 250,000 sharks to be taken annually as bycatch.

APA

WWF International (2026). SAFEGUARDING THREATENED SPECIES 2026 Progress Report. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2382/WWF_Legacy_Report_2026_PressReady.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. SAFEGUARDING THREATENED SPECIES 2026 Progress Report. 2026. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2382/WWF_Legacy_Report_2026_PressReady.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=SAFEGUARDING THREATENED SPECIES 2026 Progress Report |date=2026 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2382/WWF_Legacy_Report_2026_PressReady.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2026safeguarding, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{SAFEGUARDING THREATENED SPECIES 2026 Progress Report}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2026}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2382/WWF_Legacy_Report_2026_PressReady.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }