European wildlife recovering – 37 species back from the brink

Wildlife comeback in Europe - The successful return of species to their natural habitats

September 2013. The Eurasian beaver, European bison and White-tailed eagle have all been highlighted as species that have made a remarkable comeback in Europe over the past 50 years, according to a first ever in-depth report.

37 species have recovered in 50 years

Scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), BirdLife International and the European Bird Census Council (EBCC) worked with experts from across Europe to gather relevant data about the distribution and abundance of selected species. The resulting report, ‘Wildlife Comeback in Europe', describes how, why and where 37 mammal and bird species have recovered over the past 50 years, providing important lessons for the conservation of these and other species.

Celebrate and learn

Professor Jonathan Baillie, ZSL's Director of Conservation says: "It is essential that we both celebrate and learn from major successes in conservation. This study helps us understand the interventions and conditions necessary for a broad range of species to experience similar recoveries."

"Wildlife will bounce back if we allow it to - this report shows that", says Frans Schepers, Managing Director of Rewilding Europe. "With continued and strong legal protection, active boosting of existing wildlife populations and reintroductions to bring back lost species, combined with an increasing tolerance towards wildlife, more species will surely follow."

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