Since 1970 animal population sizes have declined by 60% on average — and freshwater populations are the worst hit with a decline by more than 80%

The Living Planet Index, produced for WWF by the Zoological Society of London, uses data on average decline in 20,811 populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians to track the decline of wildlife. It underlines how the vast and growing consumption of food and resources by the global population is destroying animal biodiversity upon which human society ultimately depends on.