Days Until World Wildlife Day

About World Wildlife Day

March 3 marks the anniversary of the 1973 signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a major international wildlife protection treaty; General Assembly delegates voted the day into existence in 2013.

Each year's observance addresses a specific wildlife conservation theme, drawing attention to the world's wild animals and plants and the illegal wildlife trade.

CITES, the treaty this date commemorates, now regulates international trade in more than 38,000 species of animals and plants, ranking it among the most far-reaching wildlife protection agreements in force today.

The day's annual theme has covered a wide range of species and issues over the years, from big cats to marine species to the specific problem of wildlife trafficking enabled by online marketplaces.

CITES operates through a permit system requiring countries to certify that trade in a listed species won't threaten its survival, a regulatory mechanism the observance's messaging frequently explains to a general audience.