FT editor Lionel Barber introduces our Seasonal Appeal

“We’re facing huge losses . . . A lot of species are just disappearing without anyone noticing.” In our first story for this year’s FT Seasonal Appeal, a major report from Mongolia, the director of conservation and policy at ZSL Andrew Terry sets out the stark facts of the international illegal wildlife trade. It is a fast track to extinction for some of the most endangered animals on our planet. According to the journal Science, as many as 8,775 species — from elephants and giraffes to tiny amphibians — are now at risk.

ZSL — the Zoological Society of London — is our Appeal partner this year. It is a global, science-based conservation charity with 200 years of research and experience. Over the next four weeks, we will be reporting how ZSL works to fight organised poaching across the world, and to support communities affected by it. We’ll discover how conservation investing is developing, how advances in technology are transforming wildlife protection, share personal stories from people working in the field, and much more.

A donation from you can make a difference in the fight for our wildlife. Please join us in supporting ZSL through the FT Seasonal Appeal.

How you can help

Please help us support ZSL’s urgent work by making a donation to the FT’s Seasonal Appeal. Click here to donate now.

If you are a UK resident and you donate before December 31, the amount you give will be matched by the UK government — up to £2m. This fund-matching will be used to help communities in Nepal and Kenya build sustainable livelihoods, escape poverty and protect their wildlife.

The above information about the UK government matching scheme was revised on November 21 to clarify that it only applies to UK residents