World Wildlife Day

World Wildlife Day is marked every year on 3 March as a global moment to celebrate wildlife and to raise awareness of the urgent need to protect the world’s wild animals and plants.

The day was officially proclaimed in 2013 by the United Nations General Assembly at its 68th session through Resolution 68/205. The chosen date commemorates the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) on 3 March 1973. The proposal to establish World Wildlife Day was put forward by Thailand, with the aim of celebrating wildlife and increasing global awareness of its importance to people and the planet.

In its resolution, the General Assembly reaffirmed the intrinsic value of wildlife and its wide range of contributions to sustainable development and human well-being. These include ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic benefits. The UN emphasised that healthy wildlife populations are essential not only for biodiversity but also for resilient ecosystems and human livelihoods.

The resolution also took note of the outcomes of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, held in Bangkok in March 2013. In particular, it recognised the designation of 3 March as World Wildlife Day and highlighted the vital role of CITES in ensuring that international trade in wild species does not threaten their survival.

To support the global observance of the day, the General Assembly requested the CITES Secretariat, working in collaboration with other organisations across the United Nations system, to help facilitate World Wildlife Day activities and awareness efforts around the world.

Each year, World Wildlife Day focuses on a specific theme to draw attention to key conservation challenges. Recent themes have included Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet for 2025, Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation in 2023, Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration in 2022, and Forests and Livelihoods: sustaining people and planet in 2021. Earlier themes have addressed issues such as life below water, threats to big cats, youth engagement in conservation, the future of elephants, and the fight against wildlife crime.

World Wildlife Day serves as a reminder that protecting fauna and flora is a shared global responsibility. As pressures on biodiversity continue to grow, the day calls on governments, organisations and individuals to work together to ensure that wildlife can thrive for generations to come.