Just...back to the whales for a moment.
In the 1960s, the GLOBAL humpback whale population dropped below 5,000.
Today, it's over 135,000.
Like, obviously climate change and commercial fishing are still ongoing threats, but like.
We really thought we were going to lose them. The entire plot of Star Trek IV hinges on this as an almost foregone conclusion. That we would lose them and it couldn't be stopped.
But here we are. There they are. All over the world. The North Pacific, the South Atlantic, Oceania- many populations are on track to return to pre-whaling numbers.
But they aren't the only ones.
In the 1960s, we have fewer than 500 nesting pairs of bald eagles left in the lower 48, mostly due to the use of DDT.
Over 71,000 breeding pairs and over 300,000 individuals.
In 1987, we only had 23 California Condors left in the world. 23. All 23 were captured so they could be safely bred in captivity.
Today, its over 500. Those chicks raised in captivity are being reintroduced to the wild, and successful wild hatchings have been seen. In 2008, more California Condors are in the wild than in captivity.
And it's everywhere. The success of any wildlife conservation is not a given, is not a guarantee, and it hasn't always worked. The successes are built on the world of people who dedicated their lives to these animals and the support of legislation and local outreach to the people who live in their native range.
But it's also not hopeless. Never believe that it's hopeless.
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