The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation , research and restoration of the environment , formerly named the World Wildlife Fund , which remains its official name in Canada , United States and the United Kingdom .

It is the world's largest independent conservation organization with over 5 million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries.

The group says its mission is "to halt and reverse the destruction of our environment"

WWF came into existence on 29 April 1961, when a small group of passionate and committed individuals signed a declaration that came to be known as the Morges Manifesto.

And its first office was opened on 11 September that same year in Morges, Switzerland.

It originally worked by providing grants to non-governmental organizations, based on the best-available scientific knowledge and with an initial focus on the protection of endangered species.

The well-known panda logo of WWF originated from a panda named Chi Chi that was transferred from the Beijing Zoo to the London Zoo in the same year of the establishment of WWF.

From its origins as a small group of committed wildlife enthusiasts, WWF has grown into one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations

The diversity of life on Earth is not simply something to marvel over – it’s also vital for our own health and livelihoods. Plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms form a complex, interconnected web of ecosystems and habitats that provides our life support system.

They give us clean water, breathable air, food, medicine, energy, and much more. We simply cannot survive without them.

WWF: Building a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.