About World Wildlife Day
World Wildlife Day is observed on 3 March, and in 2027 it falls on Wednesday, 3 March 2027. The date marks the signing of CITES, the treaty that controls international trade in wild animals and plants, in Washington in 1973. Schools, zoos, forest departments and wildlife groups in India use the day for talks, camera-trap displays and park events.
Most wildlife days end up as tiger days. India has plenty of reasons for that, but the treaty behind 3 March covers orchids, sandalwood, pangolin scales, star tortoises, corals and sea cucumbers as well. It is a trade agreement first, and an awareness day second.
What is World Wildlife Day and why 3 March?
World Wildlife Day is on 3 March because the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, always shortened to CITES, was signed on that date in 1973. The UN General Assembly adopted the day in 2013, on a proposal from Thailand, at the CITES meeting held in Bangkok.
CITES works by listing species in appendices. Trade in an Appendix I species is banned except in rare cases; Appendix II species can be traded only with permits. India has been a party since 1976, and the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 is the law that gives that commitment teeth at home. A 2022 amendment reworked the Act's schedules, cutting them from six to four so that they line up better with CITES listings.
The theme changes each year and is announced by CITES. For 2026 it was "Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods", which is a useful reminder for India, where a large share of the plants used in ayurveda and siddha are still collected from the wild.
How does India mark World Wildlife Day?
The day falls in the middle of India's best wildlife-viewing season, when the grass is short and water is scarce. Forest departments open interpretation centres, run nature walks and hold painting or quiz competitions for school children. Zoos and the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun hold public events. The big national announcements about tiger and elephant numbers usually come at other times, so 3 March tends to be a local, park-level affair.
- 1972The Wild Life (Protection) Act
India's main wildlife law, setting up national parks, sanctuaries and a list of protected species.
- 1 April 1973Project Tiger
Launched with nine reserves covering about 9,115 sq km.
- 1976India joins CITES
Indian permits and seizures start feeding into the international trade system.
- 1992Project Elephant
A central scheme for elephant habitats, corridors and captive-elephant welfare.
- 2013The UN day begins
The General Assembly proclaims 3 March as World Wildlife Day.
- September 2022Project Cheetah
Eight cheetahs arrive at Kuno in Madhya Pradesh from Namibia, followed by twelve from South Africa in 2023.
India's fifth all-India tiger estimation, released in 2023 for the 2022 cycle, counted a minimum of 3,167 tigers, with an upper estimate of about 3,900. The number of tiger reserves has grown from nine in 1973 to more than fifty. Those numbers get quoted a lot, so it helps to know what they are: a modelled estimate from camera traps and sign surveys, not a headcount.
If you want to plan a trip around the day rather than post about it, these are places where the animal is genuinely the reason to go.
| Animal | Where | Best months |
|---|---|---|
| Asiatic lion | Gir, Gujarat | December to April |
| One-horned rhinoceros | Kaziranga, Assam | November to March |
| Snow leopard | Hemis, Ladakh and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh | January to March |
| Asian elephant | Bandipur and Nagarhole, Karnataka | October to April |
| Olive ridley turtle | Rushikulya and Gahirmatha, Odisha | Late February to March |
| Lion-tailed macaque | Valparai and Silent Valley, Western Ghats | Any dry month |
What to avoid saying and posting on World Wildlife Day
The awkward part of this day is that a lot of well-meant celebration works against it. Photographs of people holding wild animals travel well and encourage the pet trade, which is exactly what CITES is trying to control.
Do
- Name a species or a park you actually know, even a common one like the nilgai or the house sparrow
- Share photographs taken from a distance, with the location if the species is not at risk from poachers
- Thank forest guards, drivers, naturalists and veterinarians by name
- Point people to a park, a sanctuary or a bird count they can join
Avoid
- Avoid photos of anyone holding, feeding or posing with a wild animal
- Avoid sharing exact locations of rare species like the great Indian bustard or pangolins
- Avoid gifting or buying ivory, shahtoosh, tortoise shell, coral or wild-collected orchids
- Avoid calling animals pests or man-eaters in a greeting, even in jest
Owning most Indian wild animals, alive or dead, is an offence under the 1972 Act. That includes feathers of protected birds and many kinds of shells and antlers picked up as souvenirs.
What to write on World Wildlife Day
On World Wildlife Day, thank you for the night patrols nobody photographs. The animals in your beat are safer for it.
Happy World Wildlife Day. Here's to the hours of waiting behind every frame people scroll past in a second.
Happy World Wildlife Day. Your list of favourite animals is longer than mine, and you know all their names. Keep it that way.
Happy World Wildlife Day, and happy trip. Even if the tiger stays away, the drongos and the langurs will not.
Wishing you a good World Wildlife Day. Thank you for the calls you take at 2 am about an injured owl.
Happy World Wildlife Day. A generation of your students can identify a bird by its call because of you.
Related days on this site: World Wetlands Day on 2 February, International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May, and World Animal Day on 4 October, which covers pets and working animals as well.
How to wish someone on World Wildlife Day
This day is about wild animals and plants in the wild, not pets. A good message names a species, a park or a person who works on them, and avoids the language of ownership. For forest staff and field biologists, thank them for specific work. Skip images of people holding wild animals, and skip captive-animal selfies as a greeting.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is World Wildlife Day in 2026 and 2027?
World Wildlife Day is on 3 Mar every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is World Wildlife Day in 2027?
World Wildlife Day 2027 falls on Wednesday, 3 March 2027.
Why is World Wildlife Day celebrated on 3 March?
World Wildlife Day is on 3 March because the CITES treaty, which controls international trade in endangered wild animals and plants, was signed on that date in 1973. The UN General Assembly proclaimed the day in 2013 after a proposal from Thailand.
What is CITES in simple words?
CITES is an agreement between countries that decides which wild animals and plants may be traded across borders and under what conditions. Species at the highest risk are banned from commercial trade, while others need an export permit from the country they came from.
What is the difference between World Wildlife Day and World Animal Day?
World Wildlife Day on 3 March is about wild species and the trade that threatens them, and comes from the CITES treaty. World Animal Day on 4 October grew out of the feast of St Francis of Assisi and covers all animals, including pets, strays and working animals.
How many tigers does India have?
India's fifth all-India tiger estimation, published in 2023 for the 2022 survey, put the minimum number at 3,167 tigers, with an upper estimate near 3,900. India holds roughly three-quarters of the world's wild tigers.
Is it illegal to keep a wild animal as a pet in India?
Yes, for almost all native species. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 makes it an offence to capture, keep or trade protected animals or their parts without permission, and that covers feathers, skins, antlers and shells kept as souvenirs.
What is the theme of World Wildlife Day?
CITES announces a new theme each year. The 2026 theme was "Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods", focused on plants used in traditional medicine and perfumery that are still gathered from the wild.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .