A cow in Austria has become the first scientifically documented cattle to use tools, showing flexible problem-solving abilities by using a broom to scratch different parts of her body.
The scimitar-horned oryx has been restored to the wild in Chad after decades of extinction, offering new hope for ecosystems on the edge of the Sahara Desert.
Targeted protection of large predatory fish has prevented a major ecological tipping point on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, stopping runaway outbreaks of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish.
Endangered animal populations on Australia’s Kangaroo Island have rebounded by up to 100% after a predator-proof fence created a safe refuge following devastating bushfires.
Critically endangered Lesser Antillean iguanas are now thriving on a small island near Anguilla after a cross-Caribbean conservation effort successfully rebuilt a healthy breeding population.
Dolphin hunts have been suspended in part of the Faroe Islands after authorities filed the first-ever animal abuse charges linked to a pilot whale hunt, signalling a major shift in enforcement and animal welfare standards.
Researchers identified multiple new animal species in 2025, from ancient sea cows to deep-sea fish, expanding knowledge of Earth’s biodiversity and strengthening the case for protecting fragile ecosystems.
Kenya is showing how black soldier fly larvae can transform food waste into a highly efficient, low-impact protein source, opening the door to more sustainable nutrition for animals and potentially humans.
South Korea will end bear breeding and bile extraction from January 2026, formally closing a long-criticised industry and strengthening protections for captive wild animals.
Costa Rica has transformed a former cattle pasture into a thriving rainforest through decades of butterfly-led rewilding, bringing wildlife back to land that was once bare grass.
