Today in 1961, WWF opened its doors

Today in 1961, WWF opened its doors

Man hunt food? Yes? No! World Wide Fund for Nature, or WWF, was founded on this day 51 years ago with the mission to raise funds for the conservation of wild animals. It was formed mainly by British naturalists and conservationists after experiencing the environmental crisis in Africa and witnessing the strong reactions towards it.

In its first 3 years WWF donated an impressive $1.9 million dollars to projects in Africa, Europe and India, this shows how over 5 decades ago people were affected enough by the campaign and the morals it stood by to donate and support it.

If you mention the three letters – WWF – to anyone, the majority of people will know what they stand for. It’s incredible how in such a short space of time it has established and grown. However, the most recognised aspect of WWF is the panda logo. It was based on a real panda, called Chi-Chi, who was in London zoo at the time. Chi-Chi was in fact the only giant panda in the West, arriving all the way from China. This proved to be a strong symbol for the organisation and all it stood by – the preservation of wild species’.

Now WWF not only focuses on animals but the world as a whole; poverty, the environment, habitats and climate change. From humble beginnings and simple objectives has grown a world-wide organisation which is slowly but surely changing the world to achieve their ultimate goal: ‘people living in harmony with nature.’