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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.

The Community Baboon Sanctuary Women’s Conservation Group (CBSWCG) in Belize's Belize River Valley implements nature-based solutions to combat climate-driven threats such as drought, wildfires, and flooding. Supported by the Climate Adaptation and Protected Areas (CAPA) Initiative, the group focuses on reforestation, agroforestry, and riparian restoration to protect biodiversity and improve local livelihoods. Their efforts have contributed to a significant increase in the local howler monkey population and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices to replace traditional slash-and-burn farming.

WWF's 2024 review highlights efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss through targeted programs. Key achievements include expanding the Food Waste Warriors program to 15 new cities, enrolling 1 million acres in the Ranch Systems and Viability Planning network, and contributing to a global tiger population increase to 5,574. The report also details human-wildlife conflict mitigation in the KAZA region, elephant tracking in India, and the establishment of the Tribal Buffalo Lifeways Collaboration in North America.

The report details how various animal 'guilds'—including predators, browsers, seed dispersers, and pollinators—provide essential services such as carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and disease prevention. It emphasizes that abundance is as critical as existence for these functions to operate and highlights the risks of 'empty forests' and degraded biomes. Through case studies of specific animals and global biomes, the document argues for a shift from simple conservation to active species recovery to secure the natural systems supporting human society.

The document analyzes GPS collar data from 291 elephants to identify movement patterns and corridors across the KAZA TFCA. It finds that while 44% of collared elephants engage in transboundary movements, border fences act as almost complete barriers to females. The report identifies three types of micro-corridors—water-related, fence-channeled, and human-modified pinchpoints—and highlights significant threats including physical barriers, land use change, human-elephant conflict, and poaching. It recommends a combination of fence reviews, community-led corridor designation, and holistic human-elephant conflict management to maintain the connectivity of the world's largest elephant population.

The document outlines an 11-day conservation-focused safari led by WWF's African Species Director, Bas Huijbregts. The journey visits key sites within the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), including Chobe National Park, Lake Kariba, Matusadona National Park, Hwange National Park, and Victoria Falls. The itinerary emphasizes WWF's efforts to secure wildlife corridors and support the coexistence of people and wildlife in the region.

Natural Justice argues that the EIA for Reconnaissance Energy Namibia's 2D seismic survey in the Kavango Sedimentary Basin fails to meet the 2012 EIA Regulations. The organization claims the assessment lacks a 'need and desirability' analysis, relies on an inadequate four-day baseline survey, and ignores significant impacts on endangered species like African wild dogs, pangolins, and elephants. Furthermore, it asserts that the project violates indigenous rights by failing to obtain free, prior, and informed consent and ignores Namibia's climate change policies and international treaty obligations regarding the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area and the Okavango Delta.

Vultures act as essential waste management specialists that maintain ecosystem sanitation and human health by consuming carrion and neutralizing pathogens like anthrax. In Zimbabwe, WWF and partners are collaring white-backed vultures to track movement patterns, monitor environmental health, and detect poaching activities. The document highlights the global decline of vulture populations and the specific biological traits of species such as the bone-eating bearded vulture.

Grasslands cover approximately 54% of global land and are critical for biodiversity, food systems, and climate mitigation, storing about one-third of terrestrial carbon. However, they are among the most threatened biomes, primarily due to land conversion for cropland and woody encroachment. WWF implements conservation strategies in the North American Great Plains and the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) in southern Africa to support sustainable land management and wildlife coexistence.

Ecological connectivity allows animals to move freely to find food and breed, sustaining natural processes that provide clean air, soil, and water. Human activities—including infrastructure development, deforestation, and overfishing—fragment these habitats, leading to human-wildlife conflict and ecosystem breakdown. Climate change further necessitates connectivity as species must move to adapt to shifting environments. WWF implements restoration strategies such as wildlife corridors and sustainable land-use planning, exemplified by projects in Borneo, Southern Africa, the Mekong region, and the Terai Arc. To scale these efforts, WWF co-created the Wildlife Connect initiative with the Center for Large Landscape Conservation and the IUCN WCPA.

The document describes the application of GPS and satellite collars to track wildlife, providing specific examples of how this data reveals migration patterns, identifies critical movement corridors, and helps mitigate conflict between humans and animals. It highlights cases involving zebras, hyenas, lions, and elephants in Africa and Asia to demonstrate how tracking informs conservation strategies and promotes coexistence.

The document discusses the role of 'pans'—shallow, temporary wetlands—in supporting wildlife movement and community water access in southern Africa. It highlights how climate change and land degradation are reducing water availability, leading to increased competition between humans and animals. The text argues that restoring these pans by removing sediment and reestablishing vegetation can maintain natural wildlife corridors and, when combined with separate water supplies for people, mitigate conflict.

The 2022 KAZA Elephant Survey estimated a total population of 227,900 elephants across the KAZA TFCA, with the majority located in Botswana (58%) and Zimbabwe (29%). The survey also identified 26,641 elephant carcasses, resulting in an all-carcass ratio of 10.47%, which the authors suggest may be a "warning sign for the health and stability of the elephant population." Beyond elephants, the survey estimated populations for various wildlife species and domestic livestock, noting a ratio of 1.16 wild animals to 1 domestic animal in the survey area. The report details the technical execution of the survey, including the use of systematic transect sampling across 179 strata and the implementation of CITES MIKE Aerial Survey Standards.

The report details various wildlife conservation initiatives, including the restoration of plains bison in the Northern Great Plains of North America and the monitoring of elephant populations in southern Africa's KAZA region. It highlights population increases for tigers in India and Bhutan, as well as the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) and air-sampling technology to monitor rare species and combat illegal wildlife trafficking.