Can you imagine a world without wildlife?

March 3, 2022 is World Wildlife Day. Celebrated annually, World Wildlife Day is a holiday that not only celebrates the diversity of the world’s wild flora and fauna but also raises awareness about the dangers it faces due to human activities.

Wildlife today faces many different challenges such as loss of habitat, industrialized farming, commercial development and overgrazing, and destruction of our rainforests and forests. Poaching and trafficking in animal hides, tusks or fur also poses big risks to tigers, rhinos, elephants and other species.

While extinction is a natural phenomenon, many scientists estimate that we are losing around 10,000 times the number of animals that are naturally caused by extinction. This means that dozens of species are going extinct every single day. As many as half of all current species may be extinct by the mid-21st century. According to WWF’s 2020 Living Planet Report, wildlife populations have declined by 69% in the last 40 years. In 2022, even more so. At the current rate of extinction, nearly 20% of the world’s species could be extinct within the next 30 years. Conservation and protection of elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers, gorillas, and other animals we love are at risk if we don’t act now.

What can we do in 2022?

Donate, adopt virtually, sponsor, volunteer, intern, join, share stories with your friends, plant a tree.

Raise your voice and spread the word in person and on social media. Use the hastags#WWD2022, #RecoverKeySpecies, #worldwildlifetoday. Visit the website of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Visit the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Get to know the species that face the most urgent threats in your area.

Every person’s small actions add up, which can make a difference.