Inspiring Wildlife Comebacks: Snow leopards, mountain gorillas & black rhinos

In this special World Wildlife Day episode of Nature Breaking’s “Headlines & Trendlines” series, hosts Seth Larson and Hayley Lawton share uplifting conservation success stories that prove we can make a difference for endangered species. Discover how mountain gorillas have rebounded from critically endangered to endangered status with populations now exceeding 1,000 in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Learn about Bhutan's remarkable 40% increase in snow leopard numbers—these elusive "Ghosts of the Mountain" are making a comeback thanks to strategic conservation efforts. We also explore how cutting-edge AI technology and camera traps are helping monitor wildlife recovery after Australia's devastating 2020 bushfires, and how black rhinos have grown from just 2,400 to over 6,000 animals through targeted conservation initiatives. These success stories demonstrate that while many species face threats from habitat loss and poaching, collaborative conservation work is creating real impact. Join us to celebrate these wildlife victories and find hope for our planet's biodiversity. Links for More Info: WWF’s mountain gorillas page International Gorilla Conservation Program  Snow leopard conservation in Bhutan AI & camera traps in Australia Black rhino conservation study  CHAPTERS: 0:00 Preview 0:16 Intro 1:45 Seth & Hayley’s bucket list animals to see in the wild 4:07 Mountain gorillas 7:02 Snow leopards 10:27 Ghosts of the Mountain 11:59 How AI & camera traps helped identify wildlife after Australia’s bushfire in 2020 14:36 Black rhinos 17:56 Hayley’s black rhino encounter story 19:18 Closing reflections on World Wildlife Day 21:32 Outro