Report: Wildlife conservation promotes species’ survival in Europe.

According to a recent survey, numerous wildlife species are flourishing in Europe as a result of protection and reintroduction.

The European bison, Eurasian beavers, grey seals, and grey wolves have experienced some of the strongest population and regional recovery.

The study, which examined 50 European species, was commissioned by the conservation organisation Rewilding Europe.

It was put together by the European Bird Census Council, BirdLife International, and the Zoological Society of London.

The research undertaken in 2013 is expanded upon in the European Wildlife Comeback Report 2022. Species that have recovered during the last 40 to 50 years are the main focus of the study.

Rewilding Europe Executive Director Frans Schepers notes that this new analysis “sheds light on which European wildlife species are recovering successfully as well as why they are recovering well.”

According to the survey, grey wolves are among the species that have succeeded the most. At the end of the 18th century, they were widespread over most of Europe, but as human populations increased, they became less common. According to the survey, their numbers surged by approximately 1,800% between 1965 and 2016 and have now helped to repopulate several areas of Europe. In order to save livestock, several Scandinavian nations have even permitted the culling of wolves in agricultural areas.

Barnacle geese, griffon vultures, great white egrets, and Dalmatian pelicans are just a few of the bird species that are doing well. Rewilding Europe attributes these advancements to the legislative safeguards provided by the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, as well as modifications to policy and land use.

Not all of the species that were sampled were expanding. According to the paper, the ringed seal’s future is in doubt since the shrinking ice cover has severely restricted its breeding habitat.

The report’s lead author, Sophie Ledger of the Institute of Zoology at ZSL, said the results offered cause for optimism.

“This research gives cause for optimism and demonstrates that wildlife may recover given a chance and with well-targeted conservation initiatives,” she said.