National Wildlife Day

National Wildlife Day is the perfect opportunity to draw attention to their plight.

Learn more about National Wildlife Day, what you can do to celebrate, and how you can support wild animals, at home and across the globe.

What is National Wildlife Day?

National Wildlife Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of different animal species around the world and to encourage their conservation.

It’s also a chance to celebrate wildlife closer to home — the birds, mammals, and insects we find in our gardens and local communities.

National Wildlife Day is sometimes confused with World Wildlife Day. But the two awareness days are distinct events.

While National Wildlife Day focuses on animal species and conservation, World Wildlife Day was created to raise awareness of endangered animals and plants.

When is National Wildlife Day 2026?

National Wildlife Day is celebrated twice a year, on the 22nd of February and the 4th of September.

National Wildlife Day was first celebrated in September 2005. The day was established by animal behaviourist and philanthropist Colleen Paige.

After the death of wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin in 2006, Paige added a second date. This date (Irwin’s birthday) was chosen to honour his memory and his contribution to global conservation efforts.

Why celebrate National Wildlife Day? 

Animals across the world are threatened by human activity. Climate change, habitat destruction, and ocean exploitation are threatening the habitats that wild animals rely on.

Wild animals are also commercially exploited. They’re hunted, taken from their natural habitats, and bred in captivity for use in wildlife entertainment attractions, traditional medicine, and the exotic pet trade.

National Wildlife Day is a chance, alongside a global network of wildlife lovers, to highlight these issues and to support the organisations striving to put a stop to them.

Together, we can fight for a new deal for wildlife, ensuring they and their habitats get the protections they deserve.