Wondering what went right this week in the conservation world? We’ve got you covered with our Conservation Optimism Round-Up! Each week we are collating stories of optimism from around the globe so that you never miss your dose of Monday Motivation.

1. In the Borneo canopy, life thrives in surprising ways, camera-trap study shows

“The first systematic camera-trapping survey of arboreal mammals in Southeast Asia reveals a diverse and distinct community; the researchers also recorded evidence of new behaviors and the first ever photograph of a rare flying rodent. The team collected more than 8,000 photographs, cataloging 57 species in total, 30 of which were detected exclusively on ground cameras and 18 exclusively in the canopy. “

2. Wildcats return to Netherlands after centuries’ absence

” The cats’ return to the Netherlands results from changing forest management that favours nature over wood harvesting. Wilder forests offer the fallen trees and hollow spaces in which they like to rest. Conservationists have also been encouraging farmers to plant “cat-kind” hedges in their fields to provide habitat for the voles that the cats prey on.”

3. Project to reintroduce Asiatic black bears back into the wild (specifically Jirisan National Park) in South Korea has been a success

“The initial goal of the project was to return a population of 50 bears to a single protected area. This target has been exceeded, and the population now stands at over 70!”

4. A rare species thought to be extinct is clinging to survival, study finds

“A species of tiny chameleons presumed to be extinct due to deforestation has been found, but it is clinging to survival. Up to only 5.5 centimeters (2.2 inches) long, the critically endangered Chapman’s pygmy chameleon (Rhampholeon chapmanorum) is native to the low-elevation rainforest of the Malawi Hills in southern Malawi, a country in southeastern Africa.”

5. Protecting Tigers in the Russian Far East, Zheny Stoma Is a “Ranger’s Ranger”

“While we all recognize that rangers are the front line of resistance fighting the loss of biodiversity across the globe, they seldom get the recognition they deserve. World Ranger Day, which we celebrate this week, is an antidote to that. “

6. Following successful gorilla rejuvenation, Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is expanding

“FOR THE SECOND time in three years, Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is slated for expansion to serve its growing mountain gorilla population. The announcement signals hopeful news for the endangered species, which was once projected to be extinct by the millennium.”

7. Reducing sea turtle bycatch in Peruvian artisinal fisheries

“To address this problem bycatch education devices have been developed to reduce the impact of fisheries on protected marine megafauna such as sea turtles. LED (light emitting diode) devices attached to fishermen’s nets can reduce bycatch by reducing interactions with gillnets, obtaining successful results..”

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