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. Giraffe populations are rising, giving new hope to scientists

” According to a recent analysis of survey data from across the African continent, the total giraffe population is now around 117,000, approximately 20 percent higher than it was thought to be in 2015, when the last major survey was published.”

2. Endangered ‘barking deer’ strikes a pose for conservationists

 “The large-antlered muntjac photographed in Cambodia is among the endangered mammals fueling a call for conservation breeding”

3. Two nature gems to become national parks – Stara planina and Kučaj-Beljanica in Serbia

” The Mt. Stara planina national park covers 116,000 hectares, and the Kučaj-Beljanica national park has over 45,000 hectares. Both are located in eastern Serbia. The government’s decision means a natural area would be declared a national park for the first time since 1981. Serbia now has 7.66 percent of its territory in Serbia under some kind of protection. ”

4. 18 time Conservation cam through in 2021

“We’ve rounded up reasons to remain positive in the new year, with highlights from Whitley Award winners’ work over the past 12 months. “

5. Filson the Dog Is Helping Track a Bee Nobody Has Seen in 15 Years

“A six-year-old Australian cattle dog mix with black and tan fur and oversized ears, Filson will soon join the mission to find the endangered Franklin’s bumblebee (Bombus franklini). The fuzzy pollinator, which no one has observed in 15 years, became a federally protected species this summer.”

6. Wild release marks return of giant forest tortoises to Bangladesh hills

” Bangladesh’s population of one of the world’s largest tortoise species received a boost last month when researchers and villagers released 10 captive-bred juveniles into the evergreen forests of the Chattogram Hill Tracts. This initiative, in the rugged mountain range in the extreme southeast of the country bordering Myanmar and India, was the first rewilding of the Asian giant tortoise in the country. “

7. 8 amazing solutions to stop plastic flowing into the world’s oceans

“The Clean Currents Coalition – a global network of local projects – is on a mission to clean up the world’s rivers, using scientific solutions to address the problem of plastic waste in waterways around the world.”

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