‘Nature can recover’: Inside the race to rescue world’s crisis-hit wildlife

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that conservationists are pointing to several wildlife recoveries as evidence that species declines are not irreversible, even as global biodiversity remains under severe pressure. The feature, published on 8 October 2026, focuses on examples from Uganda, the wider African Great Lakes region and beyond, including mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and other species such as green sea turtles, bluefin tuna, tigers and southern African elephants.

In southwest Uganda, the mountain gorilla has moved from the brink of extinction in the 1980s to more than 1,100 animals today across Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the article. Al Jazeera describes how gorilla tourism around Bwindi has created jobs and income for nearby communities while supporting ranger work and conservation management. Experts quoted by the outlet said these gains depended on long-term protection, research, enforcement and local involvement.

The article places those successes against a broader backdrop of decline. It cites the World Wide Fund for Nature’s Living Planet Report, which says monitored wildlife populations have fallen sharply over the past 52 years, with habitat loss, climate change, pollution, invasive species and overexploitation among the drivers. The report and the conservationists cited by Al Jazeera argue that recovery is possible when science, policy and public support align.

The piece also highlights the continuing struggle to protect species such as Grauer’s gorilla in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where instability and habitat loss remain major threats. Its central message is that conservation wins are real, but fragile, and require sustained effort to expand beyond isolated successes.