Wolves retain protection status in Europe
Parties to a European-wide wildlife conservation meeting rejected a Swiss proposal to downgrade the protection status of the gray wolf.
Looking for lynx in the Swiss Alps
The lynx, like its fellow European predators the brown bear and wolf, was wiped out of Switzerland's alpine landscape by the end of the 19th century as a result of human activity and persecution. One hundred years later and the pointy-eared feline has found its way back to the mountains, but just barely. Find out more about human-wildlife conflict in the Swiss Alps.
Brown bear shot in Germany
After several weeks of wandering through the alpine meadows of Austria and southern Germany, the first wild brown bear sighted in Germany for 170 years, was shot in Bavaria after weeks of attempts of trying to capture it.
Europe losing species and habitats at a dramatic rate
According to a series of surveys carried out by WWF and its partners as part of the European Habitats Forum (EHF), the diversity of Europe’s wildlife and habitats continues to be lost at a dramatic rate.
Tourism in the Alps, hard choices ahead
The Alps are one of the Earth's biodiversity hotspots, but they're also a tourist magnet, making up 12% of the world tourism. Now the market for Alpine tourism seems to have reached saturation. And ahead lie the threats posed by the consequences of global waming. A report by WWF Italy sheds a little light and raises many questions.
How “green” are the winter Olympics?
As the 2006 winter Olympics open in the Italian Alps, WWF gives the games a “satisfactory” grade for meeting environmental standards.
New Director General, James Leape, takes up post at WWF International
James P Leape, a 50-year old American, officially takes over today as the new Director General of WWF International. He will lead one of the world's largest independent conservation organizations with 4,400 staff and offices in more than 100 countries.
Alpine skies too bright
A Swiss study examined how much man-made lighting has penetrated mountain regions since the 1970s. The comparison of satellite imagery shows that areas which previously were lit only in isolated spots - if at all - are now increasingly exposed to night time lighting.
Beware of bear: Return of the brown bear to Switzerland
After a 100-year hiatus, it seems that bears may be coming back to Switzerland after the first brown bear was sighted recently in the Swiss canton of Graubünden, the eastern most part of the country. For some, the return of the bear was marked with great excitement, for others, a sense of apprehension. Find out more about brown bears in the Alps.
Switzerland wants to slay Europe’s wolves
WWF is urgning European Union member states to reject a proposal by the Swiss government to allow the hunting of wolves in Europe. According to the global conservation organization, a recent report shows that the wolf has not yet recovered in Europe and there are worrying gaps in available data.