Conservation success stories
It's a battle to protect the world's animals, but sometimes conservationists claim a win for nature. This year has seen a number of victories as animal welfare advocates fight poachers, polluters and poor policy.
Historic decision to protect sharks
In March, the 178-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted to regulate trade in five types of shark (three species of hammerhead, the porbeagle and oceanic whitetip). Traders now need a permit from CITES to prove the sharks were harvested sustainably and legally. An estimated 100 million sharks are killed each year for shark fin soup or trapped in fishing nets.
Endangered deer bouncing back
Chile's Huemul deer population was almost wiped out. Its habitat was ruined by cows, which farmers had allowed to roam free in a national park, where the deer lived. They were also targeted by hunters. New anti-poaching and sustainable farming campaigns have created better conditions for the deer. Huemul are now returning to their natural breeding areas and their population is increasing.
Polar bears roam free
In the 19th and 20th centuries, polar bears were being hunted and human settlements were expanding into their territories. But in 1973, Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia and the US signed an agreement to protect polar bears. Forty years on, efforts continue. This year, Russia established two new Arctic protection areas, the Beringia National Park and a zone around the Wrangel and Herald Islands.
German Bison return to the wild
In April, eight European bison were released into a forest in western Germany. It was the first time bison were able to roam freely in the region in about 300 years. They were hunted to near extinction, with the last wild animals killed in the 1920s. However, zoos and private properties held 12 bison suitable for breeding - these are the ancestors of today’s 4000 European bison.
Primates trump prospectors
French oil and gas company Total confirmed in May it would not explore for oil in Africa’s oldest World Heritage site. The Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo is home to a wide range of rare species including mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and elephants. The commitment followed campaigning from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Honeybee triumph
The European Commission decided in May to restrict the use of three pesticides which were harming the continent's honeybees. Bees play an important role in pollinating plants and their decline worldwide is of concern to farmers, scientists and policymakers. The chemicals, called neonicotinoids, will no longer be used to treat seeds, soil or leaves of plants which are attractive to bees.
Island goes back in time
Three decades of work to rebuild the original ecosystem on a Mauritian island is now paying off. On the 25-hectare Ile aux Aigrettes, the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation has eradicated most foreign species and created a refuge for endangered plants and animals, like this olive white-eye bird. More than 100 species, including the dodo, vanished from Mauritius following human settlement in the 1500s.
Wolf hunt resumes
Once hunted to the brink of extinction, the Gray Wolf population in the US has recovered thanks to national protection policies. In fact, proposals to remove it from the endangered species list in most states are being considered. But is this a success story? Without government protection, experts say wolves will become fair game for hunters and decades of conservation work could be undermined.