By Nick Engelfried
Around the world, animals are struggling. From entire species threatened with extinction by habitat loss and poaching, to pets swept up in the cat and dog meat trade, the beings with whom we share this planet face a multitude of hardships because of humans. However, millions of people are also doing good work to benefit animals. This month, we’re taking time to recognize what we can accomplish together, by sharing some of the most inspiring animal success stories from 2025.

Sea turtles are recovering

Sea turtles have traversed the world’s oceans since the time of the dinosaurs, surviving catastrophes that wiped out other animals. Yet, today habitat destruction, pollution, and hunting pose existential threats to the seven living sea turtle species. So, it’s heartening to know a report released this year found most sea turtle populations are now increasing.

For decades, sea turtles have been hunted for their meat, becoming most vulnerable when females come ashore to lay eggs. The eggs themselves have also been considered a delicacy in parts of the world. More recently, new threats have emerged. Sea turtles are caught and drowned as “bycatch” of the commercial fishing industry, while their habitat is threatened by development and climate change. Ingested plastic pollution is another source of mortality. Today, these threats remain–but conservation efforts have turned the tide at least for now.

Years of dedicated conservation and public education work have led to increased protections for beaches where sea turtles nest, and a shift in attitudes where growing numbers of people value live sea turtles over dead ones. Meanwhile, fishing fleets have adopted practices to reduce the numbers of sea turtles taken as a bycatch. As a result, a study published in the journal Nature Reviews Biodiversity found most sea turtle populations are increasing, with some showing a dramatic increase over prior years.

Major city bans dog and cat meat

Animal welfare activists were excited to announce this year that Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital and largest city, has officially banned the cruel trade in dog and cat meat. Changing cultural attitudes in Indonesia have led to fewer and fewer people viewing the consumption of dogs and cats as acceptable, and concerns about the potential spread of rabies lent new urgency to efforts to ban the trade in their meat. Importantly, the new ban includes provisions for enforcement that will allow local officials to confiscate cats and dogs if needed, and penalize offenders.

Jakarta’s ban is part of a larger trend toward eliminating the global dog and cat meat trade, and builds on other recent successes like last year’s dog meat ban passed in South Korea. While work remains to be done to ensure the bans are enforced, there are clear signs consumption of dogs and cats is becoming a thing of the past–-good news for thousands of pets.

India’s tigers are on the rebound

In just ten years, India’s tiger population doubled. That’s according to a study published this year in the journal Science, which analyzes how tigers have managed to stabilize and even increase their numbers after more than a century of heavy losses to hunting and habitat destruction. Today, India is home to more than 3,600 wild tigers, making it by far the most important stronghold for the species. Researchers credit habitat protection and changing attitudes toward big predators as being largely responsible for the increase.

Importantly, the rebound in tiger populations has been accompanied by a 30% increase in habitat since 2006. This shows the effectiveness of conservation work, and is also good news for thousands of other species that depend on the same ecosystems. The study also found reducing poverty levels tends to benefit tigers, as a less economically desperate human population results in less hunting of tigers and their prey.

To be sure, tigers in India still face numerous threats, including continued hunting and pressures on their habitat. However, this year’s numbers are a good sign for the big cats in the country that’s also home to the world’s largest human population.

Rare frog rediscovered after 130 years

Prior to this year, the last time there was a verified sighting of the Chilean frog species Alsodes vittatus was in 1893. That year, a few of the elusive amphibians were found by a naturalist in southern Chile, which allowed the species to be described by science. Since then, though, no one had seen or heard from the frog in over 130 years. With threats like climate change and a lethal skin fungus affecting so many other amphibian species, there seemed a very real possibility Alsodes vittatus had gone extinct.

Fortunately, this year a team of Chilean researchers were able to rediscover Alsodes vittatus after conducting some impressive detective work. The scientists had to retrace the steps of the naturalist who first discovered the species, using old documents to determine where the frogs had once been seen. This led to the discovery of not one but two living populations. Conservation groups and governments can now work to ensure the habitat of Alsodes vittatus is protected, raising hopes of a healthy future for the frog.

Giraffe conservation pays off

Data released this year by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation shows at least three of the four giraffe species are growing in numbers, with some positive signs for all four species. The plight of giraffes has received less public attention than threats to other African megafauna like elephants and rhinos–however, decades of habitat loss and hunting put giraffes on a path to what some have called the “silent extinction.” This year’s numbers provide reason for cautious optimism as the work of conservation groups and national governments in Africa pays off.

The most impressive statistics are for the southern giraffe, whose total population estimates now place at almost 69,000, a nearly 50 percent increase from five years ago. On the other end of the spectrum, the northern giraffe has just over 7,000 individuals remaining in the wild, making it the giraffe species most threatened with extinction. However, northern giraffe numbers are still up by 5 percent, a hopeful sign. If these trends continue, the future could be bright for the world’s tallest land animals.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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Nick Engelfried Writes About Animals, the Environment, and Conservation for the ForceChange network