From bears to grey wolves, Europe's persecuted carnivores are bouncing back

A study of the fortunes of 50 European wildlife species over the past 50 years have given us incredible comeback stories, a positive reminder that even from dire situations, wildlife can recover — if we let it

The population of grey wolves in Europe has increased by 1,871% over recent decades.

Despite numerous warnings that sound like the "final nails in the coffin" of biodiversity across Europe, there are heartening examples of European wildlife bouncing back from the brink.

For the past two years, we at the Zoological Society of London’s Institute of Zoology, along with colleagues at BirdLife International and the European Bird Census Council, have been investigating the fortunes of 50 European wildlife species over the past 50 years, from humpback whales to Iberian wild goats to white-tailed eagles.