World Wildlife Day 2025: Wildlife success stories from around the world

3 March is World Wildlife Day.

This year's theme is 'Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet'.

The international event celebrates the importance of animals and plants and the benefits they bring to our world.

It also aims to raise awareness about the importance of protecting wildlife which has seen a huge fall in numbers over the past 50 years, according to a recent report from the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF).

Factors like climate change and human activities like deforestation, fishing and farming have all had an impact on nature's ability to thrive.

Lots of work is being done to both raise awareness about the importance of looking after wildlife around the world and to protect plants and animals through global conservation efforts.

This has led to some incredible success stories from around the world. Read on to find out more.

Turtles in Fiji

On the island of Dravuni in Fiji, there has been a long history of turtles and their eggs being hunted by poachers on the beaches.

However, things have turned around for the animals.

A group known as the 'Dau ni Vonu' (Guardians of Turtles), have been working alongside the WWF to count and protect the turtle nests.

This group even includes former poachers!

By the end of the survey season in 2024, a total of 63 turtle nests were recorded by the team. There were 18 green turtle nests and 45 hawksbill turtle nests.

Gorillas in Rwanda

Mountain gorillas in Rwanda were hunted during the 1970s, leading to a huge fall in their numbers and leaving many injured as a result of the traps use to capture them.

However, lots of work has been done to help look after the animals.

Today, there are more than a dozen vets and health experts working to help protect this endangered species.

"I am living my dream. I am proud of my role here as a veterinarian who helps save a species once on the brink of extinction," says Dr Adrien Emile Ntwari who is a vet with an organisation called Gorilla Doctors.

"It brings me joy to know that my work contributes to ensuring that my child and eventually my grandchildren will have the opportunity to see gorillas in their natural habitat."

Last year, Gorilla Doctors provided 366 health checks, 41 medical procedures and rescued 13 gorillas from the illegal wildlife trade.

As a result of conservation efforts and more care for the animals, the number of mountain gorillas has increased to just over 1,000.

Rhinos in Kenya

Threats from poaching, habitat loss and climate change led to black rhinos almost going extinct in Kenya in the 1980s, with fewer than 400 left.

However, thanks to efforts led by the Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya's black rhino numbers have now more than doubled.

Last year Kenya's Loisaba Conservancy saw the biggest ever rhino relocation project which involved tracking, darting and moving 21 rhinos to an area that hasn't seen them in over 50 years.

Kenya is now halfway to its goal of 2000 black rhinos by 2037.

Oysters in the Firth of Forth

Thousands of European flat oysters have been re-introduced into the Firth of Forth in Scotland after being absent from the waters for nearly 100 years.

Over the past three years, a project called Restoration Forth has been working with local communities to restore seagrass and European flat oysters back to the waters.

By restoring these species, the project aims to improve water quality, support biodiversity and provide a place for young fish to thrive.

Around 400 volunteers have helped reintroduce the oysters, with 10,000 oysters introduced in the autumn, reaching their target of 30,000.

Emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica

In 2022, low levels of sea ice meant nearly a third of Antarctica's emperor penguin colonies failed to breed successfully.

However, in January last year, the British Antarctic Survey used satellites to discover four previously unknown emperor penguin breeding sites, bringing the total known colonies to 66.

It means researchers believe they now know where all the breeding pairs left in the world are.