2019 is a year packed of stories. In the field of environment and wildlife protection, there was good and bad news to be accounted for. 

The year that is now coming to an end saw the number of giant pandas in captivity reach 600 and the promising return of the Vietnam mousedeer, but also the tragic death of the last Sumatran rhino in Malaysia, the tortured elephant in Sri Lanka, and the death of an orphaned dugong in Thailand.

This year, climate change continues to deteriorate. Several serious disasters have destroyed vast lands. Wildfires in Australia are still burning, while the damages caused by the Amazon fires have not been restored. However, there is still hope, as progress and achievements are made in many countries in environment protection and wildlife conservation. It has not been easy this year, but people are working for a rosy future. 

The opening ceremony of the 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Expo took place in Beijing on April 28, 2019. The Botanic Garden for Beijing Horticultural Exposition is an opaque greenhouse, casting a veil of mystery over the 1,000 plants living inside it. For those who had no opportunity to visit the Expo, check this VR. 

On May 30, 2019, China released its annual report on the conditions of its ecology and environment, providing substantial data and facts on the improvements made since 2018. China's environmental authority said that the situation is improving, but more efforts are needed to maintain the positive trend.

A captive-bred giant panda gave birth to her first cub in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, on June 5, marking the start of a series of newborns: This year, the number of giant pandas in captivity worldwide has reached 600. 

There is another record in August: A female giant panda cub becomes the world's lightest ever. Interestingly, the world's heaviest twin pandas were born this year, too. 

Another good news is, the world's oldest giant panda turns 37 in 2019. Way to go, Xinxing! 

Studies show that Himalayan glaciers are melting twice as fast now as they were before the turn of the century. In fact, the problem is not confined to the Himalayas. Greenland saw massive glaciers melt, and Iceland has lost its first glacier to climate change. Switzerland even held a wake for its lost glacier as the country's glaciers shrink 10 percent in five years. Glaciers in the Alps and western America are facing serious threats, too. 

The Arctic ice melting is giving animals a hard time. Even humans can be threatened as a result. 

Climate change brings disaster to coral reefs. In 2019, the Great Barrier Reef has been downgraded to "very poor" due to warming oceans. What is worse, they are now suffering from a disease.

Africa's elephants still face extinction, as the rising ivory prices are a major threat. Droughts are also putting them in great danger. Other endangered species like tigers, lions, orangutans, chimpanzees, giraffes, and vaquita porpoises also face threats.

With as many as a million species threatened with extinction due to mankind's destruction of the planet, there have been scant conservation successes in recent years. However, animals are not fighting alone. CITES has raised the protection level of some endangered species, including saiga, giraffe and the African elephant. 

The northern white rhino is considered to be one of the loneliest species in the world, as there are only two females left. The good news is, in August 2019, seven eggs from the last two remaining northern white rhinos have been successfully fertilized artificially, reviving hopes of saving the endangered animals. 

The year 2019 saw the tragic death of an orphaned baby dugong, a tortured elephant in Sri Lanka, dead tigers in Thai temple, and the death of the last Sumatran rhino in Malaysia. 

In Vietnam, a once thought-to-be-extinct species reappeared. Russia has released all orcas and belugas from its "whale jail." You will be encouraged by this tough snow leopard, who received surgery and regained his sight, and happy for this lucky little macaque, as this is one of the most viewed stories from CGTN in 2019. 

A fleet of whaling ships set off from ports in Japan on July 1st, marking the resumption of commercial whaling in Japan in over 30 years. This move draw mixed reactions - most negative. 

This is probably the biggest environmental piece of news for 2019. Here is the review of everything you might have missed: 

Amazon wildfire 'ignites' social media, but why should we care?

How can wet rain forests burn?

What if we lost it all?

How important is Amazon in slowing global warming?

What impacts the fire has brought to the animals?

And wetlands?

Fires are not the only threat facing the Amazon. 

Deforestation is the long-lasting problem. 

In December, deadly bush blazes along Australia's eastern coast devour vast lands in the country. Toxic haze has blanketed Sydney for weeks, and koalas face the destruction of their habitats.

This year's World Environment Day emphasized the theme of "Beat Air Pollution," which remains a serious problem for human kind. In the last two months of 2019, New Delhi has been enveloped in heavy, toxic smog.

The Earth has continued to warm up. This year's October was the second-hottest October recorded. And this decade is set to be the hottest in history. Global temperatures were 1.1 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, which could bring destructive effects. Certainly, this is not good news for species. 

2019 has seen the establishment of over 10,000 protected areas in China, as the country is taking multiple measures to protect the environment and species, both domestically and internationally. In the field of wildlife conservation, China has been working together with Japan to stop species extinction and teamed up with Russia to protect tigers and leopards. Chinese institutes are helping with the biodiversity conservation in Amazon and Africa.  What's more, a conservation initiative by a global Chinese firm has won the 2019 Champions of the Earth award, the UN's highest environmental honor. 

China will hold the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) themed "Ecological Civilization – Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth" in 2020. The meeting will determine the new goals of global biodiversity in 2030. 

For the next year, China has been preparing the upcoming national park system. To date, there are 10 pilot national parks in China, covering some 220,000 square kilometers. Several new national parks will be established in the second half of 2020. 

(Cover photo designed by CGTN's Qu Bo. Edited by An Qi)

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