Skip to content
  • About
  • Partner with Us
  • Indonesia
  • Subscribe
  • Log In
Primary Menu
  • Home
  • Latest
  • Topics
  • News
  • Brief
  • Interview
  • Opinion
  • Figure
  • Infographic
  • Video
  • Community
  • Partner
  • Press Release
  • Youth
  • Global
  • Featured
  • Soft News

3 Good News from Animal Conservation Efforts Across the Globe

Conservation efforts are crucial for a healthy planet. Here are three positive developments from the UK, Spain, Portugal, and China.
by Nazalea Kusuma July 5, 2024
a butterfly on a flower

Marsh fritillary butterfly | Photo by Akbar Nemati on Unsplash

We are facing a plethora of environmental issues due to climate change and human activities. One of which is a global biodiversity crisis. For better or worse, the wellbeing and survival of humans are inexplicably linked with the planet’s health and other species that live on it. With this urgency in mind, scientists, activists, and communities are working to halt biodiversity decline. Here are three positive developments from animal conservation efforts worldwide:

  1. Marsh Fritillary Butterfly in South Wales, the UK

The marsh fritillary butterfly (Euphydryas aurinia) population in Europe has been steadily declining for at least 25 years. The decline is linked to the loss of its habitat, the marshy grassland and rhôs pasture due to agricultural intensification.

In late 2020, the Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru (INCC) received a license to collect 80 marsh fritillary caterpillars from the wild to breed and rear them in captivity. The caterpillars were then released onto Llantrisant Common. The flying season of 2022, in May and June, saw marsh fritillary butterflies flying over the area for the first time since the 1990s.

Besides the INCC staff, volunteers and local students from Ysgol Gymraeg Castellau have also contributed to the project. According to INCC CEO Rob Parry, the next phase would be to restore more of the butterfly’s natural habitat.

  1. Iberian Lynx in Spain and Portugal

The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is a medium-sized wild cat from the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. In the 20th century, the population plummeted because they were considered vermin and, therefore, hunted. The sharp drop in the rabbit population—their main diet—and habitat loss also contributed to the Endangered status of the Iberian lynx.

In 2024, the IUCN conservation status of the Iberian lynx has officially improved from Endangered to Vulnerable. The population has increased from 62 mature Iberian lynxes in 2001 to 2,021 in 2023. Since 2010, more than 400 of them have been reintroduced to their habitats in Spain and Portugal.

According to the IUCN, “Conservation efforts have focused on increasing the abundance of its prey, the Endangered European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), protecting and restoring Mediterranean scrub and forest habitat, and reducing deaths caused by human activity.”

  1. Naked Carp in China

The naked carp (Gymnocypris przewalskii) is a scaleless fish species endemic to the Qinghai Lake in China. Decades ago, the naked carp population had declined sharply due to overfishing as villagers from Xinquan struggled with low crop yields and poor living conditions. This decline also severely impacted the lake’s ecosystem.

As a conservation effort, the local government has been banning naked carp fishing in Qinghai Lake and rivers upstream since 2001. This ban will last until the end of 2030.The ban has resulted in a massive comeback of the naked carp population in Qinghai Lake. From about 2,500 tonnes in 2002, Qinghai Lake reserved approximately 120,000 tonnes of naked carp in 2023. Furthermore, the naked carp’s migration journey has become a sight to behold, boosting tourism in Gangca County.


Subscribe to Green Network Asia
Strengthen your personal and professional development with cross-sectoral insights on sustainability-related issues and sustainable development across the Asia Pacific and beyond.
Select Your Subscription Plan
Nazalea Kusuma
Editor at Green Network Asia | Website |  + postsBio

Naz is the Manager for International Digital Publications at Green Network Asia. She once studied Urban and Regional Planning and has lived in multiple cities across Southeast Asia. This personal experience has exposed her to diverse peoples & cultures and enriched her perspectives. Naz is an experienced and passionate writer, editor, translator, and creative designer with a decade worth of portfolio.

  • Nazalea Kusuma
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/nazalea/
    Living with Less: Does TikTok’s Underconsumption Core promote sustainable living?
  • Nazalea Kusuma
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/nazalea/
    Brain Rot and Its Impacts on Mental Health and Cognitive Abilities
  • Nazalea Kusuma
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/nazalea/
    Addressing the Challenges in Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Implementation
  • Nazalea Kusuma
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/nazalea/
    Dark Side of the Light: How light pollution affects people and the planet

Continue Reading

Previous: Bali Implements Tourism Tax to Protect Its Culture and Environment
Next: Benefiting from Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to Power Island States

Related Stories

Charcoal chip and charcoal ashes. Looking into Biochar as a Bioremediation Agent
  • Brief
  • Featured

Looking into Biochar as a Bioremediation Agent

by Ayu Nabilah July 2, 2025
a tuvalu flag Australian Climate Visa for Citizens of Tuvalu: Showcasing cross-border partnership in light of the climate crisis
  • Featured
  • Soft News

Australian Climate Visa for Citizens of Tuvalu: Showcasing cross-border partnership in light of the climate crisis

by Kresentia Madina July 1, 2025
Small Islands in the middle of Raja Ampat seas Nickel Mining in Raja Ampat and the Widespread Cost of Natural Resource Exploitation
  • Featured
  • Soft News

Nickel Mining in Raja Ampat and the Widespread Cost of Natural Resource Exploitation

by Andi Batara June 30, 2025
blue refugee tent Lumbung Sosial: Challenges and Opportunities of Indonesia’s Social Barn Program
  • Exclusive
  • Featured
  • Soft News

Lumbung Sosial: Challenges and Opportunities of Indonesia’s Social Barn Program

by Kesya Arla June 27, 2025
a ladybug perched on a flower A Worrying State of Insect Decline
  • Featured
  • Soft News

A Worrying State of Insect Decline

by Kresentia Madina June 26, 2025
an orangutan sitting on a tree branch GEF Approves Funding for Biodiversity Conservation Projects in Indonesia
  • Exclusive
  • Featured
  • Soft News

GEF Approves Funding for Biodiversity Conservation Projects in Indonesia

by Abul Muamar June 25, 2025

About Us

  • GNA CEO’s Letter
  • GNA In-House Team
  • GNA Author Network
  • GNA Press Release Guidelines
  • GNA Op-ed Article Guidelines
  • GNA Community Content Guidelines
  • GNA Internship
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
© 2021-2025 Green Network Asia