Wildlife populations have declined by 73% since 1970

There are three-quarters fewer wildlife in the world today than there were 50 years ago. This is the report of WWF experts in the “Living Planet Report 2024”. The consumer societies of Europe and North America are primarily responsible. There are also positive examples, such as the Bearded Vulture in Switzerland.

Experts from WWF (World Wildlife Fund) call for a global nature conservation offensive: protected areas must be expanded and the destruction of species-rich habitats must stop. Healthy wildlife populations are vital to an intact environment, and their loss threatens people's food security.

Global wildlife populations have declined by 73% since 1970, according to a WWF study of 35,000 wildlife populations of 5,495 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish.

WWF's global Living Planet Index (LPI) shows a 73% decline between 1970 and 2020.Image: WWF Living Planet Report 2024

Experts explain that the declines are large across continents, but not the same: Europe and Central Asia (35%) and North America (39%) have smaller declines. But that's because the big decline in vertebrate numbers here occurred before 1970. Currently, population decline is particularly severe in Latin America and the Caribbean, down 95%.

Population decline has been particularly severe in Latin America and the Caribbean. WWF Living Planet Report 2024

“A wake-up call”

“The Living Planet Report 2024 is a wake-up call,” Thomas Vellacott, chief executive of WWF Switzerland, said in a statement from the environmental group. “Our food system is Key drivers of biodiversity loss “In Switzerland, people can make an important contribution to halting biodiversity loss through sustainable agriculture and responsible consumption.

“The Living Planet 2024 report is a wake-up call,” said Thomas Vellacott, head of WWF Switzerland. Image: KEYSTONE

Villacourt cites the return of the bearded vulture to Switzerland as an example of species conservation success. This shows that targeted measures are working. There are similar examples on every continent. “Now we need to repeat this success at a broader level.”

The World Biodiversity Congress will be held in Colombia at the end of this month. Countries should present their own action plans at the meeting to explain how to achieve the goal of protecting 30% of land area and oceans by 2030 set at the last meeting.

These people are the biggest winners

In 1927, bison were still extinct in the wild in Europe. But it is celebrating a comeback thanks to breeding programs, reintroductions and translocations. Photo credit: Watson/Erin Erroll

These are the biggest losers

Between 1994 and 2016, the number of Amazon river dolphins (also known as botos) in the Mamirauá reserve in Brazil declined by 65%.Image: Shutterstock

These are the biggest threats to animal populations

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