In the first half of the 20th century, many wild mammals in Europe were on the verge of extinction. Now, most are flourishing again.
How did Europe achieve this impressive recovery of mammal populations? Effective protection against hunting, overexploitation, and the destruction of habitats. This includes bans on hunting or hunting quotas along with region-wide protection schemes.
There are more than 30 times the number of European bisons alive today than there were in 1960. There are more than twice as many Brown bears. Three times as many Eurasian elks. Five times as many Red deer. The Eurasian beaver has made the most remarkable recovery. It's estimated to have increased by 140-fold since 1960.
The graphic below, by Our World in Data, shows the recovery of a wide spectrum of species since 1960.
