Announcing the World Animal Day 2026 Theme
It’s that exciting time of year again, when we reveal the official theme for World Animal Day 2026!
As always, we turned to you for inspiration. We received hundreds of creative submissions, reflecting the diversity of animals across land, air and water. Choosing just one was no easy task, but after much discussion, we’re delighted to announce that the 2026 is:
“See the World Through Their Eyes”
A huge congratulations to Zoe from the UK, who submitted this theme. As a token of appreciation, Zoe will receive a World Animal Day logo pin.
Here’s the inspiration behind her suggestion:
“In a planet ever-affected by a changing climate and the consequences of human activity, it is important to remember that it is not just us that are impacted – it is animals.
We often make decisions and think to the future from a human-centric stance. But what about viewing things from a different pair of eyes?”
A Beautiful Design for 2026
We feel very lucky to once again partner with our talented illustrator-in-residence, Emma Jayne, who has created a stunning commemorative stamp design for this year.
Emma drew inspiration from one of the most biodiverse marine regions on Earth: the Coral Triangle, which includes waters surrounding Papua New Guinea. She explains:
“I find the Coral Triangle which encompasses Papua New Guinea to be such a fascinating area. There is a huge amount of sea life to be found there. The coral reefs are some of the planet’s richest and most important ecosystems, supporting around 25% of all marine life, in an area covering just 1% of the ocean floor.”
The region is home to:
- Around 3,000 species of fish – the greatest reef fish diversity in the world
- Approximately 600 types of reef-building coral
- 131 documented species of sharks and rays
- 6 of the 7 species of sea turtles
Yet these extraordinary ecosystems are under increasing threat. Rising global temperatures and human impact are causing coral bleaching, a process in which coral lose their symbiotic algae partners. When this happens, the ripple effects are devastating, impacting not just reefs but the countless species and communities that rely on them.
Emma’s design reflects this:
“In my composition, I am looking at the ecosystem from the perspective of the sea life within it. To represent sea life, I am creating a lens in the shape of a fish, through which we can see coral and coral bleaching.”
Within this fish-shaped lens, Emma features species such as parrot fish, clown fish, sea turtles, dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, octopuses and a sperm whale, a reminder of the richness of life beneath the waves.
Changing Our Perspective
This World Animal Day, we invite you to slow down and shift your perspective.
When we truly see the world “through their eyes”, our choices begin to change.
Once again, we have many exciting projects in the pipeline for this year’s celebration. 2026 will see the return of our design-a-mug competition for all those wanting to get creative, as well as our donate a dinner campaign, which seeks to recognise and give back to shelters that work tirelessly across the UK. Keep an eye out on our social media for updates within the coming months.
- If you missed last year’s 100th Anniversary celebrations, you can catch up on everything here.
Let’s come together on October 4 and raise the status of animals around the globe.