To wrap up the year, I always like to highlight some of the things we’ve accomplished. So often, the online world is filled with stories of species going extinct and forests burning to the ground. Although it’s vital to talk about those topics, approaching them with hope is critical to truly make a change. The best way to develop a positive outlook and hope for wildlife and the earth is to celebrate every win.

Unfortunately, many of you probably never even heard about some of these 11 wins, so let’s take the time now to celebrate the progress being made in the conservation industry!

30 White Rhinos Introduced into Akagera National Park in Rwanda

The past few weeks of 2021 have been all but smooth sailing for the white rhino. Some major poaching events occurred; however, conservationists undertook a massive project to turn things around for the species. In the largest rhino translocation event in history, conservationists flew 30 rhinos to Rwanda, where they’ll be safer from poachers.

In Akagera National Park, the rhinos will be able to breed with less risk of falling into harm’s way. This could be a significant turning point for the species and allow them to repopulate and thrive. The translocation was documented by African Parks and Martin Meyer, a fantastic wildlife photographer. Click the photo above to check out more of his photography from the impressive translocation, and fingers crossed for some happy rhinos and lots of new babies to come in Rwanda!

France Banned Wild Animals in Circuses, Dolphin Shows, and Fur Farming

In November, the French parliament voted to outlaw wildlife in entertainment settings like circuses and shows. At the same time, they outlawed mink farming for fur. This means the last mink farm in the country will soon be closing, along with all dolphin shows and circus venues.

Under this new legislature, all animals will have to be out of performative or fur farming environments within the next two years. Any private ownership of wild animals will also be outlawed in seven years. Along with these regulations are also coming stricter penalties for animal mistreatment. The fine is now up to 75,000 euros and five years in prison for animal cruelty.

Every single ban of these cruel activities is a major win for animal rights and welfare!

Expedia Group Banned Activities that Exploit Captive Dolphins and Whales for Entertainment

This was a huge milestone in 2021! It can be challenging to create mass change as one individual, which is why it’s such a huge win to have a giant company, such as Expedia, get on board with improving animal welfare. Having taken these exploitative activities off their website, many travelers will now be swayed away from participating.

In addition to this, Expedia influences other travel companies around the world. With them paving the way in prioritizing ethical travel activities, we can hope to see more travel companies following suit in 2022.

Over 100 Countries Signed a Pledge to End Deforestation By 2030 and Begin Reforesting at the COP26 Climate Summit

Although a lot of frustration came out of this year’s climate summit, some progress was made that’s important to highlight. While some government initiatives are seemingly empty promises, a few may lead to significant change. Over 100 countries have joined forces to end deforestation by 2030, and although that’s quite a few years out, progress should start being made to accomplish this goal soon.

We will soon see if this will stand; however, it’s a great start to tackling the urgent climate crisis. To ensure this initiative and others are upheld, we must continue putting pressure on governments globally to work towards a healthier climate.

100 Animals Were Recognized as Legal Persons for the First Time in US History

Although this sounds like a strange one, the US government recognizing the rights of even a few animals is a step forward for all animals. The best way to enforce more ethical treatment of wildlife and domesticated animals worldwide is to acknowledge them as living beings that deserve to live pain-free and high-quality lives. By recognizing these 100 hippos as legal persons, they will receive more rights than many other animals. This gives the animals more autonomy back as captive privately owned animals.

If enforced in places where animals are being majorly exploited for tourism, this could improve animal welfare globally. It’s 2021; we’re long overdue to start treating animals with more kindness.

The UK Recognizes Lobsters, Octopuses, and Crabs as Sentient Beings and Bans Boiling Them Alive

This is a huge win for animal welfare. This does not implement any restrictions on consuming these animals in any way; however, it does acknowledge that we do not need to be killing them in such cruel ways! This is a huge step forward for animal rights. The least we can do is slaughter animals as humanely as possible when it’s necessary.

The hope is that this legislature will catch on in more countries to become common practice to prevent inhumane slaughter methods for all species.

16 More Critically Endangered Mountain Gorillas Were Born in Virunga National Park

Every mountain gorilla born is a major win for this at-risk species. This brings so much hope to a species listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. With the ongoing conflict in and around Virunga National Park for the resources in the region, the mountain gorillas are constantly at risk of being targeted in attacks by militia groups and poachers.

However, with several successful conservation efforts in the park, the gorillas can successfully breed and hopefully continue growing their population. As one of the most urgent conservation projects globally, it’s essential to continue supporting mountain gorilla efforts while celebrating every small win.

Cheetahs Return to Mozambique After 60-Years

When a species returns to its former native habitat after a long absence, it’s a good sign that the environment is thriving once again. This can indicate that habitat reparations have been successful, giving the species the safety and prey they need to move back into the landscape. The more widespread we can see animals like cheetahs in Africa, the better off the species will be as a whole. With more parks inhabited, there will be more breeding pairs. This puts less pressure on the breeding pairs in more at-risk regions targeted by poachers.

Over 124k Trees Were Planted in Sumatra to Restore the Rainforest

Due to the increasing demand for crop plantations, like coffee, mass deforestation has occurred around Indonesia. This year locals and conservation groups have taken the land back and planted over 124,000 trees to help rebuild the rainforests! This will support the wildlife, biodiversity, locals who rely on the land, and more.

This paves the way for more sustainable farming methods to commence in the region. You can continue supporting this kind of positive change by ensuring you’re paying attention to the products you’re buying. Switching to shade-grown coffee rather than sun-grown (more on that here) can be a great start to supporting reforestation.

Thousands of Bees Survive After Being Buried in Volcanic Ash for 50 Days

This is such good news because it shows the resiliency of some of the most important creatures on earth! It’s no secret that life on earth is highly reliant on pollinators, and with every pollinator we lose, we lose plant life. As we enter into an uncertain period of history where climate change is looming over us, it’s comforting knowing some of our most important species are resilient. This may hugely benefit us as we move forward in a changing climate where certain species cannot adapt to environmental changes.

Jaguar Populations are Increasing in Mexico

The jaguar is increasing once again in Mexico thanks to conservation efforts. Having more jaguar sightings means the plans implemented by local conservation groups to encourage growth have been successful. This gives hope for other species currently on the brink needing protection. With every successful conservation project, we are seeing that we can effectively bring species back into a healthy population status.