UN Grants Protection to 40 Species Including Cheetahs

When 132 countries came together in Brazil this March, they made a promise to animals that cross borders: we'll protect you, no matter where you roam.

The United Nations Convention on Migratory Species voted to add 40 species to its international protection treaty at the COP15 summit in Campo Grande. These animals join 1,200 others already safeguarded under the agreement.

The protected list now includes snowy owls gliding across Arctic skies, giant otters swimming South American rivers, and great hammerhead sharks navigating ocean currents. Three types of thresher sharks, striped hyenas, and the flesh-footed shearwater also gained new protections.

Zimbabwe's cheetah population received special attention. With only 150 to 170 individuals remaining, the nation's fastest cats now have enhanced international support.

"We came to Campo Grande knowing that the populations of half the species protected under this treaty are in decline," said Amy Fraenkel, executive secretary of the CMS. "We leave with stronger protections and more ambitious plans."

The treaty works through two levels of protection. Appendix I covers species in danger of extinction, requiring countries to ban hunting, capturing, or disturbing them. Nations must also restore habitats and remove migration barriers.

Appendix II focuses on species needing international cooperation. Countries share research, create joint action plans, and set coordinated conservation goals.

The Ripple Effect

These protections matter because migratory animals don't respect borders. A bird that nests in Canada might winter in Argentina. A shark born off one coast might feed near another.

"We protect species that may never remain within our borders," said João Paulo Capobianco, COP15 chair. "We invest in a natural heritage we do not own, but are all responsible for."

The agreement shows how global cooperation can work. While 132 nations committed to these protections, they're sending a clear message: some things matter more than politics.

The science is clear, officials emphasized, and now the work begins on the ground.