World Wildlife Fund marks 50th anniversary

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was established in April 1961 in Switzerland. Even those who don’t speak English recognize the abbreviation WWF today.

A giant panda bear is the logo of the World Wildlife Fund.

The inspiration for the logo came from a panda named Chi Chi that was transferred from China to the London Zoo, where it was spotted by naturalist and wildlife artist Sir Peter Scott. Sir Peter Scott drew a stylized portrait of the panda and decided that the image of this friendly endangered animal would serve as a wonderful symbol for the WWF.Photo: Sketches of the WWF logo drawn by Sir Peter Scott and the signatures of members of the WWF Council of Trustees.

Prince Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld was the first president of the WWF.

The mission of the World Wildlife Fund is to prevent the increasing degradation of the global environment and to achieve harmony between human beings and nature. Its main goal is preserving the biological diversity of our planet.

In 1975, the WWF launched the first international campaign to save tropical rain forests.

In 2009, the WWF demanded that the United States declare a moratorium on hunting the polar bears of the Chukotka-Alaska population.

The WWF Russia prioritizes the protection of rare animal and plant species. The Amur tiger, the Far Eastern leopard, the snow leopard and the European bison are all protected by the WWF.