Antarctica is seeing a dramatic return of whale populations, with large groups reappearing in numbers not recorded since before industrial whaling.
The European Union has agreed to ban animal testing for detergents and cleaning products, advancing ethical science while maintaining safety for people and the environment.
Scotland saw major biodiversity gains as rewilding efforts rapidly restored habitats, boosting wildlife populations and strengthening ecosystem resilience.
Uganda reintroduced rhinos to Kidepo Valley National Park in 2026, marking the first reintroduction in over 40 years and restoring a species once lost to poaching and conflict.
Five southern African nations have launched the continent’s first transboundary birding route, connecting vast ecosystems into a single tourism experience that supports conservation and local livelihoods.
Chile has permanently rejected a major mining and port project, protecting a globally significant marine reserve that is home to most of the world’s Humboldt penguins.
In the United States and Canada, river otters have returned to the Great Lakes region after decades of absence, signalling cleaner waterways and recovering ecosystems.
Kazakhstan is restoring tiger habitat by planting tens of thousands of trees as part of an effort to reintroduce wild tigers to landscapes where they disappeared more than 70 years ago.
Seychelles has recorded the first successful coral spawning at a new land-based breeding laboratory, producing thousands of juvenile corals to strengthen reef restoration in the Indian Ocean.
China’s 10-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River is already showing promising results, halting decades of biodiversity decline and allowing fish populations to begin recovering.