Wolves, brown bears and white-tailed eagles return to Europe – Wildlife is disappearing at record speed

Wolves, brown bears and white-tailed eagles are among the top predators returning across Europe, according to a report looking at how wildlife is recovering.

Researchers analyzed data on 50 wildlife species whose population size and geographic distribution have expanded over the past 40 years to show how effective legal protection, habitat restoration and reintroductions can lead to species recovery .

“The vast majority have recovered thanks to human efforts,” said Louise McRae of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), who was one of the authors of the European Wildlife Return report.

“As a researcher working on global biodiversity and looking at global trends, it can be quite depressing to hear the latest statistics, but this report is really exciting, encouraging and inspires people like me to continue their work.”

Gray wolves have been killed by humans for centuries, as the “Guardian” newspaper writes. After legislation was introduced to protect them and the public became more tolerant of living with them, their numbers increased by 1,800%!

There are 12,500 pairs of white-tailed eagles flying across much of Europe, with growing populations on the west coast of Scotland and the Isle of Wight. Across Europe, there was a 445% increase in their numbers between 1970 and 2018, largely thanks to legal protection and the banning of harmful pesticides.

Since 1960, brown bear populations have increased by 44%, thanks to better legal protection, although persecution remains a major risk and human-bear conflicts continue. “Coexistence with species like carnivores is still a challenge, but attitudes are changing – we are still learning ways to live alongside these species,” said the report’s author.

Despite the positive findings, wildlife is still being lost at a record pace across the globe, with 1 million species at risk of extinction and the vast majority of protected landscapes in Europe in poor condition. Although many of these species have recovered over the past 40 years, none of them have reached the numbers they would have historically.

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