Human activity continues to drive an alarming loss of species worldwide, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The WWF’s Living Planet Report—a major assessment of the state of global wildlife—reveals that animal populations have declined by an average of 73% over the last 50 years, with habitats from tropical forests to coral reefs teetering on dangerous tipping points.

The report draws on the Living Planet Index, which tracks over 5,000 populations of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and fish across five decades. This drastic reduction is putting many ecosystems at risk.

Tanya Steele, WWF UK’s head, warns that iconic habitats like the Amazon rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef are “on the edge of very dangerous tipping points.”

For instance, the report highlights the Amazon’s pink river dolphins, which have lost 60% of their population due to pollution, mining, and civil unrest.

However, some success stories provide hope. Conservation efforts have led to an annual 3% increase in a sub-population of mountain gorillas in East Africa’s Virunga Mountains between 2010 and 2016. This suggests that concerted, well-supported action can help reverse some species declines.

Yet, the report stresses that the greatest threats to wildlife persist, with habitat destruction at the top of the list, followed by overexploitation, invasive species, disease, climate change, and pollution. These threats are pushing ecosystems towards irreversible points, including the potential collapse of the Amazon rainforest. Should this happen, the Amazon would lose its ability to sequester vast amounts of carbon, undermining efforts to mitigate climate change.

Tom Oliver, an ecology professor at the University of Reading, notes that combining the report’s findings with other data, like insect declines, means “we can piece together a robust – and worrying – picture of global biodiversity collapse”.

Lead author and WWF chief scientific adviser Mike Barrett said through human action, “particularly the way that we produce and consume our food, we are increasingly losing natural habitat”.

“Please don’t just feel sad about the loss of nature,” Mr Barrett said.

“Be aware that this is now a fundamental threat to humanity and we’ve really got to do something now.”

Similarly, Valentina Marconi from the Zoological Society of London warns that the natural world is in a “precarious position.” However, she emphasised that with urgent action “we still have the chance to reverse this”.

Nearly 200 countries have pledged to address the biodiversity crisis through a landmark 2022 UN agreement, aiming to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030. The UK has committed to this goal, with its foreign secretary declaring that combating climate change and nature loss will be central to government policy.

Steele describes the report as an “incredible wake-up call,” underscoring the urgency of unified global action to preserve biodiversity.

Ms Steele said the report was an “incredible wake-up call”.

“Healthy ecosystems underpin our health, prosperity and wellbeing,” she told BBC News.

“We don’t think this sits on the shoulders of the average citizen – it’s the responsibility of business and of government.

“We need to look after our land and our most precious wild places for future generations.”

 

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