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. Arabian oryx population surges at Abu Dhabi nature reserve as conservation efforts pay off

“The number of Arabian oryx in the UAE’s largest nature reserve increased by more than a fifth in less than four years, a new study revealed. The oryx population in the Al Dhafra reserve now stands at 946, a 22 per cent increase on four years ago.”

2. New Study Suggests There May be More Grauer’s Gorillas in the DRC Than Previously Estimated

“The study, led by the Wildlife Conservation Society, puts the estimated number of Grauer’s gorillas at 6,800, up from the previous estimate of 3,800 made in 2015.”

3. Introducing the 2021 Goldman Environmental Prize Winners

“Winners include individuals that work on plastic pollution in Malawi and saving rainforest from destruction in South America”

4. Panama creates a marine reserve almost as large as its land area

“The Central American country, rich in biodiversity, but one of the most threatened by climate change, has created a marine reserve in its Pacific waters of 67,742 square kilometers, that is, an area almost as large as its land surface.”

5. New frog discovered in Ecuador named after Led Zeppelin

“Pristimantis ledzeppelin, known in English as Led Zeppelin’s Rain Frog, was found by the scientists David Brito-Zapata and Carolina Reyes-Puig in the Cordillera del Cóndor, which straddles south-east Ecuador and north-east Peru..“

6. Thousandth dormouse brought back to the wild in the UK

“Big-eyed and famously sleepy, the dormouse is a woodland and fairy tale icon, but it is a species in decline. Once widespread, the animals have now disappeared from 17 English counties. Reintroduction, scientists say, is the only way to bring dormice back to habitats from which they have been lost.”

7. First release of African Penguins at De Hoop Nature Reserve in South Africa

“The release of 30 juvenile African Penguins into the wild this week represents a big step forward to re-establish a penguin colony on the south coast of South Africa.”

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