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

1. Camera trap images of rare gorillas with infants bring hope in DRC

” “For a critically endangered population where every individual counts, these mother-infant pairs provide hope for the future of gorillas in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo,” said Katie Fawcett, program director of Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE).”

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2. Brazil’s Lula recognises six new indigenous reserves

” Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has decreed six new indigenous reserves, banning mining and restricting commercial farming there.”

3. Honey production sweetens snow leopard conservation in Kyrgyzstan

“Participants receive beehives and training, and help with education and research into the local snow leopard population via deployment of many camera traps, which so far suggest that the local populations of leopards and a favorite prey species, ibex, are stable or increasing.Half of the honey profits are invested back into the program to improve beekeeping education, purchase supplies, and to fund environmental projects chosen by the participants. ”

4. Endangered fish species benefiting from Yangtze River protection efforts

” According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, underwater cameras have recently captured the natural spawning of the Yangtze sturgeon and the eggs being hatched into seedlings. This proved that mature individuals in the artificial Yangtze sturgeon population have the ability to reproduce in the wild. ”

5. Amazon Deforestation Down 40 Percent So Far This Year

” So far this year, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is down 40 percent from the same period in 2022, according to government data.”

6. Hawaiian Monk Seal Population Rounds Out a Decade of Growth

” After decades of declining numbers, the number of monk seals has increased on average by 2 percent per year since 2013—a slow but steady rise over a full decade. “

7. Wind is main source of UK electricity for first time

“In the first three months of this year a third of the country’s electricity came from wind farms, research from Imperial College London has shown. ”

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Taras Bains