Wildlife Conservation Network

2025 was a year of extraordinary milestones for wildlife. Thanks to our global network (you!) we’ve scaled innovative projects, restored vital ecosystems, & invested in a future for countless species. We're inspired to see how much further we can go in 2026 💚

📸 Saiga antelope, by Ekaterina Berezina

Rolling into 2026 with more momentum, passion, and determination than ever. The collective energy of this community allowed us to expand critical protection zones, enhance monitoring, and bring the pangolin’s story to the global stage in 2025. Thank you for standing with us! ⚡

📸 Gareth Thomas

2025 was full of massive strides, & we're ready to tackle 2026!
We're driven by 2025's successes to continue protecting critical lion habitat, monitoring lion populations, & strengthening the community partnerships that are the backbone of lion recovery. Thanks for your support🧡

📸 Daniel Rosengren

Charging right into 2026 🦏
2025 was a year of resilience & action for rhinos. From anti-poaching initiatives to successful translocations, we’ve watched rhino recovery make incredible progress. Thank you to all who have supported us. Here's to another remarkable year💚

📸 Chantelle Melzer

Small Organizations, Big Impact: Celebrating Conservation Milestones in 2025 - Wildlife Conservation Network At the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN), we have always believed that the most enduring solutions for wildlife come from the ground up. Conservation impact is rarely about the size of an organizati...

Small, but mighty!
In 2025, here's how five of our partners proved that the most enduring solutions for wildlife come from the ground up.

Read how they are transforming the future for endangered species and how you can support them for 2026: wildnet.org/small-organi...

This year, we took a big leap & launched the Sea Otter Fund, our first-ever marine fund! It’s a dream come true for our team, but we can't do it alone. Thanks to a generous $100k match, every dollar you give to otters before Dec 31 is doubled!
Help us start this new chapter strong🔗 hubs.ly/Q03YyVlF0

Perspectives on African Conservation with Dr Peter Lindsey Podcast Episode · Nature, Nurture & Nonsense · 23/10/2025 · 1h 6m

LRF Director Dr. Peter Lindsey was featured on Nature, Nurture & Nonsense, a conservation podcast where family stories meet wildlife science.
In this episode Peter shares about his love for lions and perspectives on conservation in Africa.
Listen below!
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...

A pangopup grip has to be stronger than you might think. For the first part of its life, a baby pangolin clings to mom's tail to stay close and safe while it learns how to pangolin properly.

Photos from @wildaid.bsky.social too cute not to post again💚

Ambassadors of the Arid Lands - Rhino Recovery Fund Protecting rhinos means protecting the entire ecosystem, from fragile habitats to the unique plants and animals that coexist with them. Since 2019, authorities have intercepted more than one million i...

Rhino resilience in a rugged land 🌵🦏
Vicariously join us on a crucial ear-notching operation in our newest blog!
Discover how technology, teamwork, & leaving horns intact are strengthening conservation efforts in the most remote of regions:
rhinorecoveryfund.org/ambassadors-...

Are you a creature of the night? Do you perform essential ecosystem services? Have you been waking up hanging upside down lately? You might be a bat 🦇
This is the endangered Short-tailed Roundleaf bat, one of the world's most threatened bat species with only <1,5k individuals left!

Unrestricted funding is key for frontline conservation groups: Mongabay podcast The U.S.-based Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) works to link funders with community-based conservation groups, ensuring that much-needed resources are reaching the frontlines. In a Mongabay Newsca...

The key message I hope resonates: Local conservationists know best how to protect their environments.
Thank you @mongabay.com for spotlighting these important conversations🌿
@wildnetorg.bsky.social
news.mongabay.com/short-articl...

Lions in South Africa. Photo by Rhett Ayers Butler

We don't just count lions. We count on them.
A lion's presence signals an ecosystem's health.
That's why regular lion surveys are so important: the data allows us to invest smarter & give conservation projects vital insights.

Read the commentary in @mongabay.com👇
news.mongabay.com/2025/09/coun...

Controlling wildlife crime saves more than species (commentary) Despite concerted efforts to control illegal wildlife trafficking globally, more than 13 million items of wildlife parts were seized and reported in 162 countries in just the last seven years, accordi...

The crime goes far beyond the pangolin.
The illegal trade pushing them to the brink is more than just a conservation problem: it's a societal issue that jeopardizes community wellbeing.
Read the commentary of our grantee Kumar Paudel @greenhood.bsky.social:

news.mongabay.com/2025/09/cont...

What happens to a rhino horn post-dehorning? Forensic security system🔒It gets:
1. Marked with a unique ID code
2. DNA sampled for the RhODIS national database
3. Stored in a secure vault

This chain-of-custody prevents illegal diversion & provides critical forensic data to fight the black market🦏

Wildlife Conservation Expo 2025: Celebrating Conservation, Community, and a Wild Night Out - Wildlife Conservation Network This October, Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) brought together conservationists from around the world and our incredible community of supporters for two unforgettable days of connection, celebrati...

No matter how many times you attend, you always learn something new at the Wildlife Conservation Expo.
Catch up on all the magic from the event! 👇
wildnet.org/wildlife-con...

Thank you @calacademy.bsky.social for hosting our Wild Night Out & kicking off the weekend with a bang!

Check out these camera trap clips of snow leopards in Nepal’s Himalayan mountains, where we reported Nepal’s first comprehensive national snow leopard assessment found an estimated 397 snow leopards!

That’s a wrap on Expo '25!
2 amazing days of collaboration, conservation, and powerful partnerships between @wildnetorg.bsky.social's supporters & conservation partners.
Thank you @calacademy.bsky.social for hosting Night 1!

Read the recap: wildnet.org/wildlife-con...

📸 Lianna Xiaokui Nakashima

Our grantees Wildlife Trust of India recently released a young Chinese pangolin that was found by locals in a village near Noney, Manipur.
Deemed fit for release, the healthy 1 year old male pangolin was safely returned to the wild. Amazing and inspiring collaborative work⚡

Donate Today and Help Us Grow a Forest of Hope! We’re on a mission to plant 60,000 trees and restore 250 acres of former cattle pasture into a thriving tropical dry forest—the home of the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin. Just $5 plant...

Help Proyecto Tití plant 60k trees for cotton-top tamarins!
Turning former cattle pastures into thriving forests=
🌳 Reviving habitats where tamarins & other species can find food & shelter
🌳 Creating opportunities for locals to restore & protect these forests
Just $5 plants a tree! hubs.ly/Q03NnVHZ0

She built a newsroom across 7 countries—Here’s how she did it As Mongabay continues to expand its impact across the globe, few leaders embody the spirit of its mission more fully than Maria Isabel Torres, the Program Director of Mongabay Latam. Based in Lima,…

“Journalism done with care, collaboration and courage, can change the world.”

When Latin America needed stronger environmental reporting, Maria Isabel Torres, Program Director of Mongabay Latam, built a cross-border newsroom rooted in empathy & impact.

This is her story. 👇

Expo was one for the books ✨
Thanks to all who came out to celebrate, connect, & remind us why global community is so important for wildlife conservation. We saw hundreds of new faces & an amazing outpouring of support. Our hearts are overflowing 💚
@calacademy.bsky.social
📸 Lianna Xiaokui Nakashima

As Federal Government Retreats, A Private Fund to Save Sea Otters Steps in The initiative aims to restore the imperiled animals to the US West Coast to make marine ecosystems more resilient to climate change.

It's not just about saving an animal; it's about healing an entire coast.
When passionate donors & dedicated scientists come together, we can overcome funding gaps & build a wave of support to surf sea otter restoration to success!
@bloomberglp.bsky.social
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Feeling inspired & grateful from the #LionFootprintForum in Victoria Falls. Lots of honest conversations, shared challenges, & big ideas with an amazing group of lion conservationists.
Huge thanks to #LionRecoveryFund supporters, The Walt Disney Company, Maliasili, & @wildnetorg.bsky.social

YouTube video by Wildlife Conservation Network Lion Recovery Fund: 2025 Progress Report

This World Lion Day, supporters like you tipped the balance toward hope. Your support enables @wildnetorg.bsky.social's Lion Recovery Fund to deploy emergency grants that keep experienced rangers in the field. The challenges evolve, but so does our response.
youtube.com/shorts/pg3EA...

Nigeria seizes over 1,600 birds in 'largest' wildlife trafficking bust Nigeria's customs agency says wildlife trafficking is "frequent" in the country.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Uniting plantations to save Bornean elephants: Interview with Farina Othman In 2006, Farina Othman heard a loud boom when she was observing a group of Bornean elephants in a forest in the Lower Kinabatangan area, one of the largest floodplains in Malaysia. She recognized that...

So proud of my colleague Farina Othman & her groundbreaking, innovative work with #SeratuAatai. Her collaborative approach is exactly what conservation needs - uniting local communities, palm oil companies, & government to protect the last Bornean elephants.

news.mongabay.com/2025/06/unit...

New Rising Wildlife Leaders Cohort to Focus on Rhinos - Rhino Recovery Fund The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and the Wildlife Conservation Network are partnering to launch a new wildlife leadership program focusing entirely on rhino conservation practitioners. This tr...

I'm thrilled to share the launch of @wildnetorg.bsky.social's first-ever Rising Wildlife Leaders – Rhino Careers cohort in partnership with the #InternationalRhinoFoundation!
rhinorecoveryfund.org/new-rising-w...

When the 90-day stop-work order hit U.S. foreign assistance, @wildnetorg.bsky.social donors stepped up. We raised $1.36 million in emergency funding!
These donations remind us that community commitment endures, even in challenging times.
Latest updates: wildnet.org/emergency-relief-fund/

Update in the field with Markus! Thank you to all who have supported and continue to support us. You are the reason we are able to keep rhino conservation charging forward.

The ~gorgeous song~ to expect if you ever visit a Magellanic penguin colony 🎶
This is how these penguins communicate, maintain social bonds, recognize mates, establish & defend territory.
Ty to our friends at #GlobalPenguinSociety for this footage 💙