Five Species Fighting Their Way Back From the Brink

Reintroductions, hunting bans and protected habitat have helped these species recover — but recovery is not the same as safety.

By Biosphere Editorial Team · 2026-09-22

Most conservation news is about decline. These five stories are different: each species was pushed close to the edge and is now in a better position than it was a few decades ago.

1. Gray wolf

Gray wolves had been eliminated from Yellowstone National Park by the 1920s. In 1995 and 1996 wolves from Canada were released in the park, and they have been part of its ecosystem ever since. How strongly their return reshaped the park’s vegetation is still debated by ecologists.

2. Bald eagle

The pesticide DDT thinned bald eagle eggshells so badly that chicks failed to hatch. After DDT was banned in the United States and the species was protected, eagles recovered and were removed from the US list of endangered and threatened species in 2007.

3. Giant panda

In 2016 the IUCN moved the giant panda from Endangered to Vulnerable, after decades of reserve creation and forest protection in China.

4. Snow leopard

The snow leopard was moved from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2017. Conservationists stress that it still faces poaching, conflict with herders and climate change.

5. Humpback whale

Commercial whaling drove humpback whales to very low numbers. Since the global moratorium on commercial whaling took effect in 1986, many populations have grown, and the species is now listed as Least Concern globally.