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Sunday, August 2, 2026

WWF Living Planet Report 2020: Our relationship with nature is broken.

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The Worldwide Fund for Nature says wildlife populations have fallen by more than two-thirds, in less than 50 years.

In its 2020 Living Planet Report, the WWF says this decline shows no sign of slowing.

The report looked at thousands of different wildlife species across the world, and recorded an average 68% decline in more than 20-thousand populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish since 1970.

“This report reminds us that we destroy the planet at our peril—because it is our home. As humanity’s footprint expands into once-wild places, we’re devastating species populations. But we’re also exacerbating climate change and increasing the risk of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19. We cannot shield humanity from the impacts of environmental destruction. It’s time to restore our broken relationship with nature for the benefit of species and people alike.”

Liesl Smit
Liesl Smit
Liesl is the Smile 90.4FM News Manager. She has been at Smile since 2016, with nearly 20 years experience in the radio industry, including reading news, field reporting and producing. In 2008 she won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award, Western Cape region. liesl@smile904.fm

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