The White-tailed eagle, Eurasian beaver, and European beaver populations have all made remarkable recoveries over the past 50 years.
Researchers gathered data on where and why 37 crucial species have made a comeback in Europe, a Rewilding Europe press release reported.
"It is essential that we both celebrate and learn from major successes in conservation. This study helps us understand the interventions and conditions necessary for a broad range of species to experience similar recoveries," Professor Jonathan Baillie, ZSL's Director of Conservation said.
"Wildlife will bounce back if we allow it to - this report shows that," Frans Schepers, Managing Director of Rewilding Europe who initiated and commissioned this study, said. "With continued and strong legal protection, active boosting of existing wildlife populations and reintroductions to bring back lost species, combined with an increasing tolerance towards wildlife, more species will surely follow."
The White-tailed eagle is one of the world's largest birds of prey. It was extinct in some countries and its populations had dramatically declined worldwide between the years of 1800 and 1970. In 1970 there were less than 2,500 pairs left, thanks to government protection there are now at least 9,600 pairs and the species has spread back into parts of northern and central Europe where it had previously been absent.
The European bison is also a giant, known as the largest herbivore on the continent. It was considered to be extinct in the early 20th century, now the population has been restored to 3,000 individuals.
"This report shows first of all the amazing resilience of nature. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of EU policy: the Birds and Habitats Directives, the Natura 2000 network of protected areas and the Water Framework Directive are all explicitly credited for supporting this impressive return of wildlife. The rewilding of Europe exceeds nature protection, because these iconic species create unique opportunities for rural development," Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Member of the European Parliament and Rapporteur for Biodiversity, said.
