Global Protections Strengthened for Two Key Wildlife Species

Brazil has secured new global protections for the giant otter and striped hyena, with governments agreeing at a UN summit to strengthen international conservation efforts across borders.

“These listings send a clear signal that the global community recognises the urgent need to act for species that depend on connected landscapes and waters that span borders,” said Susan Lieberman, Vice President for International Policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The decision places both species on Appendices I and II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species, granting the highest level of protection while promoting cross-border cooperation. The giant otter, now limited to parts of the Amazon, Orinoco and Pantanal, relies on vast freshwater systems under pressure from mining and deforestation, while the striped hyena spans Africa, the Middle East and Asia but faces habitat loss and conflict. With more than 130 countries party to the treaty and nearly half of migratory species in global decline, the move is expected to improve legal protections, data collection, and coordinated conservation efforts at scale.