March 3 is recognized as World Wildlife Day
In 2025, World Wildlife Day will be celebrated under the critical theme of “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.” The year 2025 will also coincide with the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of CITES.
From the highland steppe to the coral reefs, wild animals and plants hold intrinsic value. As essential parts of Earth’s intricate web of life, they sustain ecosystems, regulate natural processes, and support biodiversity.
Wildlife also provides essential services that support human livelihoods and contribute to achieving the Strategic Vision of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) for 2030 (CITES Strategic Vision: 2021-2030), the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
With more than 1 million species now estimated to be threatened with extinction amid the intensifying triple planetary crisis, innovative finance for wildlife conservation has never been more urgent. Over half of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) is dependent on nature, making biodiversity loss an increasing threat to financial stability and livelihoods.
In 2025, World Wildlife Day will be celebrated under the critical theme of “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.” The year 2025 will also coincide with the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of CITES.
Building on the collaborative spirit of previous World Wildlife Day celebrations, World Wildlife Day 2025 (WWD2025) events will serve as a platform for exchanging ideas, showcasing solutions and advancing the conversation on how innovative finance can contribute to halting biodiversity loss, raising the interest of private sector stakeholders to invest in wildlife conservation, and creating a sustainable future.
CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero said: “We have a responsibility to unlock the power and agility of the finance sector and mainstream nature-positive considerations in the spheres of investment. Wildlife conservation finance is about conserving plant and animal species in the wild, and contributing to the conservation of our planet’s biodiversity that sustains all ecosystems and communities worldwide.”
The incalculable value of wildlife
People everywhere rely on wildlife and biodiversity-based resources to meet our needs – from food, to fuel, medicines, housing, and clothing. For us to enjoy the benefits and the beauty that nature brings us and our planet, people have been working together to make sure ecosystems are able to thrive and plant and animal species are able to exist for future generations. So, let’s celebrate wildlife and the important conservation work being done around the world!
World Wildlife Day is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that their conservation provides to people. At the same time, the Day reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime and human-induced reduction of species, which have wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts. Given these various negative effects, Sustainable Development Goal 15 focuses on halting biodiversity loss.
Get involved
Organize your own event or share your commitment to wildlife on social media.
Spread the word, especially to children and youth. They are the future leaders of wildlife conservation and they deserve a future where we humans live in harmony with wildlife that share the planet with us. Here are some outreach materials.
Remember to use the hashtag #WorldWildlifeDay on social media
