The new Living Planet Index estimates an average 73% decline in the populations of studied wildlife since 1970. The figure is an average of population trends across many monitored species, not a count of animals lost or a tally of extinctions. Our World in Data notes that journalists often misreport it in those ways, which is why precision matters. The index tracks monitored vertebrate populations over time, so a falling average signals widespread pressure on nature. It is published every two years and gives a rare headline-level measure of biodiversity loss. Understanding what the number measures makes it more useful for policy. It is a sign of broad ecological strain rather than a single catastrophe.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.