World Wildlife Day is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that their conservation provides to people. At the same time, the Day reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime and human-induced reduction of species, which have wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts. Given these various negative effects, Sustainable Development Goal 15 focuses on halting biodiversity loss. #WorldWildlifeDay
The Iberian lynx (above) was a critical predator in Mediterranean ecosystems. 20 years ago, there were only 94 Iberian lynx left. A recovery programme allowed numbers of Iberian lynx to climb to over 1,100, showing the power of conservation.