The average size of monitored populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians declined 73% globally, with declines averaging roughly 2.5% per year, according to Free Malaysia Today. ZSL chief conservation officer Andrew Terry said there is "no evidence yet of that global recovery."

Habitat destruction and degradation are the most frequently reported pressures on the tracked populations, followed by overexploitation, climate change, pollution, disease and invasive species. In the Congo Basin, those pressures include expanding agriculture, logging and mining, plus roads that fragment forests and open remote areas to hunting and poaching, Mongabay reports. WWF says African forest elephant populations have fallen more than 60% in recent decades, largely from habitat loss and illegal killing for ivory.

Despite the grim average, half of the populations in the index are stable (7%) or increasing (43%) — steep declines among the rest simply outweigh the gains. Targeted conservation has delivered recoveries in tigers, bluefin tuna, green sea turtles and southern African elephants. The Times of India reports India turned around tigers, one-horned rhino and Ganga river dolphins, with WWF-India's Sejal Worah crediting political will, finances and community involvement. Some savanna elephant populations grow where communities directly manage and benefit from wildlife.

The findings land as governments prepare to assess progress on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, whose 23 targets include halting human-induced extinctions and conserving at least 30% of the world's land, inland waters and seas by 2030. The report argues protecting species and habitats alone will not be enough: food and energy production and financial systems must change too. WWF director general Kirsten Schuijt said recovery "is in reach," and WWF's Nadège Nzoyem called for coordinated action with Indigenous Peoples and local communities at the centre.