The Wild Side of 2025 – Celebrating the year’s many successes in the global rewilding movement

Rewilding Together

Millions of people around the world are responding to a deep, visceral drive – to support nature’s recovery.

As the mists shift and spill across the hills of Colombia, coffee grower Martha Moreno says: “It’s such a harmony to live in a farm surrounded by so much nature.” She lives at the heart of a key Jaguar corridor, protected by Alliance Partner WebConserva, she continues, “If you don’t conserve the mountain, you are ‘playing against yourself’. In this case, when there is hope, there is life.”

Journey to another continent, to Mali, a local villager who is working with the Mali Elephant Project says “The project has strengthened peace, love and trust among women. Previously, we were scattered, but with the help, we are more together than ever. It has encouraged social cohesion.”

Now, jump to India, “the real transformation has come from the collective sense of ownership we’ve fostered toward our environment – a shared commitment to conservation”, shares Dikesh Choudhary, who grew up within the Kanha Tiger Reserve and now works in The Corbett Foundation’s team.

As we soar to the landscapes of Embercombe in the UK, having just discovered rewilding through their training course, Edwina says, “It’s hard to convey in words, but it has changed the course of my life.”

All around the world, rewilding is giving people a sense of meaning, a purpose and a positive outlook on the future.

Rewilding Successes Around the World

Across our global movement, our 280 and growing partners transformed their vision of a beautiful, abundant and resilient world into action on every continent. Together, these stories affirm that a thriving future is not a distant hope, but a realistic outcome from uplifting practices like rewilding. As partners learn from one another, and collaborate in cross-border, cross-continental partnerships, momentum grows.

Lion cubs, Elephants, and Traditional Livelihoods in Africa

In the Horn of Africa, Cheetah Conservation Fund opened a new Education and Training Centre alongside its rescue facility, strengthening care for trafficked cheetahs to eventually return to the wild. In Namibia, a cheetah family was released back into the wild after being rescued from illegal captivity. In South Africa’s Samara Karoo Reserve, four Addo Elephants were relocated to establish a population that has been missing from this region for an estimated 150 years. These gentle giants accompany a growing ecosystem; the birth of new lion cubs marked the rapid success of a carefully rewilded pride; their father, Shaula, had been introduced to the reserve a few months prior. In Kenya’s Maasai Mara, Enonkishu Conservancy launched an inspiring project: “Kenya Mara – Regenerating Traditional Foods, Lands, and Livelihoods through Maasai Mara Conservancies” to regenerate rangelands, restore traditional livelihoods, and support coexistence between people, livestock, and wildlife.

Coral reefs, Crocodiles and Wildlife Guardians in Asia

In Eastern India, humans and crocodiles are co-inhabitants of rivers, creeks and wetlands; and APOWA are determined to make co-living possible with these toothy giants. In 2025, communities were taken on storytelling journeys, using play to discover practical solutions to coexist. In Indonesia, women are joining forces to protect Proboscis Monkeys from poaching; this year, six women from the Mengkalang Jambu village, were trained by Planet Indonesia to form a patrol of wildlife guardians. From morning to night, they monitor villages and plantations on motorbikes and foot. In Nusa Penida, Indonesia, Mossy Earth are building wilder coral reefs, and the results are astonishing!

Bouncing Species, Unexpected Returns, and Thousands of Locals in Oceania

Australian Wildlife Conservancy saw success in various reintroduction efforts, including the discovery of wild-born quadruplet sibling Numbats, a species driven to extinction in the region; Woylies are thriving, Wallaby are breeding, and a new species of skink was discovered. Bush Heritage found hundreds of Critically Endangered Plains-wanderers, often dubbed the “Goldilocks bird” for its highly specific habitat needs, thriving in unexpected habitat. “It’s a reminder that even when things are looking very dire for a species we have to stay optimistic, because sometimes hope – and 272 Plains-wanderers – can be found in the most unexpected places,” says Saskia Gerhardy, lead researcher. Predator Free NZ saw native bird populations in Auckland surge by 32% thanks to 4,500 locals taking part in the Eastern Bays Songbird Project. Gardens, reserves, and an elongating ecological corridor are allowing tūī, pīwakawaka, kererū and other native wildlife to thrive once again. Meanwhile, on Bikar Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Island Conservation captured the most remarkable transformation just one year apart (awesome 15-second video!).

Jaguar, Spider Monkeys and Wildlife Corridors in South America

In Brazil’s Pirineus State Park, Giant Armadillos and Jaguars – species that need large, undisturbed habitats – were spotted for the first time in years, thanks partly to the work of Pró-Onça Institute. In Costa Rica, Spider Monkeys can now safely cross roads via innovative arboreal bridges as Osa Conservation reconnects habitats from sea to mountaintop. The Jaguar Rivers Initiative was launched with a continental-scale vision to connect ecosystems in the heart of South America.

Elk, Porcupines and Old-growth forest in North America

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative now oversees 177 wildlife crossings spanning 3,400 kilometers, enabling grizzly bears, wolves, elk, and porcupines to safely traverse highways; wildlife-vehicle collisions reduced by over 80%. In New England and northern New York, the Northeast Wilderness Trust celebrated protecting over 100,000 acres of wild areas permanently, allowing natural processes, missing species, and quiet spaces for people to witness thriving nature. Southern Plains Land Trust is determined to support the recovery of the black-footed ferret, one of North America’s rarest mammals, and continue to inspire through their documentary.

Beavers, A Rewilding Masters, and Young Rewilders in Europe

Rewilding is tapping into a generational, deep-seated aspiration of the need to stand up for nature, be in nature, and restore nature; demonstrated perfectly by the European Young Rewilders reaching 1000-members across 31 countries! Rewilding Europe has a whole host of rewilding successes across their 11 landscapes, from European bison released in Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains to the launch of their newest landscape, France’s Dauphiné Alps. Rewilding Portugal celebrated the return of the European Beaver after 600 years, a powerful sign of river recovery and ecological resilience. The University of Manchester launched the world’s first MSc in Nature Recovery, Restoration, and Rewilding, helping equip a new generation with the skills needed to rewild ecosystems and reconnect people with nature.

Under the waves, rewilders are enabling marine life to thrive

In the Philippines, Blue Alliance launched Aquahub Philippines, linking community-based aquaculture with Marine Protected Area management to reduce pressure on wild fisheries while regenerating mangroves and seagrass and supporting coastal livelihoods. Off the coast of Mexico, Whale and Dolphin Conservation reported the first-ever confirmed sighting of ginkgo-toothed beaked whales alive in the wild, a breakthrough moment for the world’s rarest whale species. While the gathering of marine experts at the Seawilding 2025 Conference continued to solidify collaboration and connection in support of wilder seas. We were all inspired by the documentary Ocean that brought global attention to the power of marine rewilding.

THE HERDS from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle

From April to August 2025, a herd of life-size puppet animals moved 20,000 km, symbolising our Wild Kin’s flight from climate disaster. Travelling through iconic cities like Marrakesh, Madrid and Manchester, and some of the world’s largest capitals, like London and Paris, THE HERDS is rewilding’s most powerful and impactful art project yet. Sending the message that our Wild Kin are both crucial agents and victims in the climate crisis.

The evidence seen here – just a few stories from many more – should fuel our resolve, energy and collective action for a thriving, wilder future. The momentum is undeniable.

Rewilding Surprises: ‘lost species’ rediscovered in 2025

Some remarkable rediscoveries took place in 2025. Species long feared extinct were found clinging on, quietly enduring against the odds waiting for the chance to return. These rediscoveries surprises us with nature’s resilience.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, amidst the remote wetlands of the Kamalondo Depression, a fleeting photograph reignited hope for one of Africa’s most elusive antelopes: the Upemba lechwe (Kobus anselli), unseen by science for decades. In Australia, a trail camera image captured by Pakana Rangers on Lungtalanana Island revealed an echidna, thought locally extinct after devastating wildfires, sparking efforts to determine if it’s a lone survivor or part of a hidden population. The Barbados threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae), the world’s smallest snake, was rediscovered under a rock, ending nearly 20 years without a verified sighting and highlighting hope for species once feared extinct.

When pressure is eased – habitats protected, exploitation stopped, land and seas rewilded – life can rebound with astonishing force, resilience, and determination.

A Year of Team and Network Growth

As an Alliance, we both catalysed and witnessed growth across all levels of our organisation. The arrival of Professor Alastair Driver, rewilding specialist and former Director for Rewilding Britain, brought invaluable experience, leadership, and renewed momentum at a senior level. We expanded our team, welcoming Nich as Communications Coordinator; Swathi and Bianca to our Partnerships & Engagement team, strengthening and expanding our presence in Asia; and Christie as a Research Intern. We were further strengthened by Alex McLean, who joined our Board.

Our network of rewilding partners grew significantly over the year. From an initial 225 partners, we closed the year with 286 organisations working to rewild landscapes and seascapes across every continent. While growth was seen globally, we were especially encouraged to welcome ten new organisations from Africa, nine from South America, and seven from Asia, reflecting the increasingly global and diverse nature of the movement.

We launched the Global Rewilding Survey, to help us map the reach, needs, and priorities of our movement, opening new pathways for collaboration and collective impact in the years ahead.

Advancing Science and Shaping Policy for Rewilding

In 2025, rewilding took important steps forward in both scientific credibility and policy recognition. As an Alliance, we played a convening role bringing together scientists, practitioners, and policymakers to ensure that emerging evidence translates into enabling of action.

We witnessed a milestone year for global policy support for rewilding. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released the first-ever Global Guidelines for Rewilding. This marked a turning point for the movement, recognising rewilding as a legitimate, science-based, and essential approach by one of the world’s most influential conservation authorities.

Further policy momentum came through the IUCN World Conservation Congress, where wild animals were explicitly incorporated into Motion #39, reinforcing their role in ecosystem recovery and climate resilience.

Climate policy also moved decisively closer to rewilding. Our partner IFAW released practical guidelines and a toolkit for nations to integrate wildlife into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the UN Climate Convention. These provide ten clear recommendations for governments seeking to align biodiversity recovery with climate action.

At the same time, the science underpinning Animating the Carbon Cycle continued to gain traction. The evidence, showing that wild animals and intact ecosystems drive carbon sequestration and climate stability, has now been adopted by governments, including a recent African governmental declaration recognising wild animals and healthy ecosystems as essential to climate action.

Global Rewilding Alliance gather for Wetlands and Rangelands Action

The Global Rewilding Alliance exists to catalyse the global rewilding movement; part of our role is convening experts to influence policy and action at a global scale. In 2025, this convening power was especially evident in two of our core thematic areas: Wetlands and Rangelands. Through collaborative working groups, evidence generation, and strategic advocacy, Alliance Partners came together to deepen understanding, elevate science, and shape policy for these vital ecosystems.

Wetlands – taking account of wild animals

A major focus this year was wetlands and the role of wild animals in ecosystem function. We released two landmark reports in the Taking Animals Into Account series, supported by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The reports provide compelling evidence that wild animals play an underestimated but vital role in keeping the world’s wetlands functional and resilient. As Magnus Sylvén, Director of Science–Policy–Practice at the Global Rewilding Alliance, noted:

Building on this work, we launched Taking Animals Into Account: Africa Special Report at Ramsar COP15 in Victoria Falls, where our team worked alongside partners to urge governments to formally recognise the critical role of wild animals in sustaining Africa’s inland and coastal wetlands. These efforts marked a significant step in embedding animal-driven processes into international wetland policy.

Rangelands – connecting livelihoods, ecosystems, and policy

Our rangelands work also gathered momentum in 2025. Through the Alliance’s Rangelands Working Group and our contributions on Finding Common Ground: Rangelands, Pastoralism and Rewilding, this work is now set to influence discussions and outcomes during the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) in 2026.

Taken together, these advances show a clear trajectory: rewilding is increasingly recognised not only as an inspiring vision, but as a scientifically grounded, policy-relevant solution to the interconnected crises of biodiversity loss, climate change, and ecosystem degradation.

Choose Our Future: 2026 and Beyond

As we look ahead to 2026, our focus turns to visualizing and demonstrating the concrete, positive change happening in ecosystems and communities around the world. These global transformations show that a hopeful future is already taking shape, giving real meaning to people’s lives.

At a time when so much of the global conversation is dominated by crisis and loss, there emerges a different, powerful shared narrative: a hopeful future is realistic — and rewilding is one of the ways we get there. Hope, when paired with positive action, becomes a powerful force for change.

Across the world, rivers are restoring, wetlands are reviving, webs of life are reconnecting, and people are rediscovering their relationship with nature. These stories show that a thriving future is not a distant aspiration; it is emerging now, shaped by the decisions and commitments we make in the present moment.

Join our movement as we Choose Our Future – a wild, thriving one.