What happened
On October 7, WWF and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) published the Living Planet Report 2026. Its most repeated figure is bad: the vertebrate populations it monitors fell by an average of 73% between 1970 and 2022. This story is about the other half of the report, the one that rarely makes headlines.
According to Inside Climate News, which covers the report, roughly half of the populations studied are stable or increasing. The study covers 5,790 vertebrate species.
The ones that are recovering
- Tigers. Their population grew by almost 80% between 2010 and 2025.
- Green turtle. In 2025 the IUCN reclassified it as not threatened, the first sea turtle to achieve this. It took about five decades of effort in more than 80 countries.
- Southern African elephants. Their populations have grown, although African elephants as a whole remain endangered.
What to know before celebrating
- 73% does not mean "73% fewer animals". The index measures the relative change in each population. A small one and a large one that lose the same proportion count the same.
- It may fall short. It only includes vertebrates. Insects, which according to Inside Climate News make up about three quarters of known animal species, are not in it, and their declines could be larger. This is pointed out by scientist Viorel Popescu of Columbia University, who was not involved in the report.
- Regions differ a lot. The average decline is 95% in Latin America and the Caribbean, 80% in Africa and 49% in Asia and the Pacific. In North America and in Europe and Central Asia it is around 25%.
- The recoveries do not make up for the losses. ZSL's director of conservation, Andrew Terry, noted that cuts to development aid have affected conservation.
- We could not open WWF's original release, only the Inside Climate News summary. The figures in this story are the ones that outlet attributes to the report.
Why it is good news
Because it shows that reversing a species' decline is possible, and not by chance: the green turtle took fifty years and more than 80 countries working at once. A fortune cookie would tell you to take the long road because it is worth it. For these species, it seems it has been.
This story's fortune cookie
Every story comes with a cookie from its category, "Travel and adventure". This one says:
Take the long way today. It's worth it.
Open this cookie More travel and adventure sayings
Sources
- Wildlife populations decline 73% on average, but tiger, elephant, turtle and tuna recoveries offer hope. WWF (Informe Planeta Vivo 2026, con ZSL), .
- Wildlife Populations Have Plunged Globally, But Some Buck the Trend. Inside Climate News, .
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