Tim Flach, a photographer from Britain, dedicated two years to immortalizing these magnificent animals. Many of them are well known to them, while others are more exotic. However, these photos are an attempt to forge a connection between them and us.
1. Saiga
These unique animals are headed towards extinction through unregulated poaching. Moreover, the fewer numbers have made them more susceptible to fatal diseases.
2. Polar Bear
They depend heavily on ice in the sea to travel, hunt, rest, mate, and even build hibernation dens. However, global warming is making them turn to human-populated areas for sustenance.
3. Philippine Eagle
Rampant deforestation and shooting have made their dwindling numbers even rarer. Currently, less than 500 remain.
4. Hyacinth Macaw
Their colorful and friendly traits make them highly prized pets. Their colorful feathers are also in high demand among rural communities,
5. African Elephant
Among them, forest elephants are a sub-species that is distinct. There has been a sharp decline because of the ivory trade.
6. Iberian Lynx
These are the most endangered cats in the world. Their small size makes them good prey for hunting dogs.
7. Snow Leopard
Their fur is highly prized and their elusiveness makes them even more valuable. However, human expansion is taking away their prey.
8. Cheetah
An estimated 7000 cheetahs remain in the world currently. Direct hunting and a reduction of prey threaten these animals.
9. Ring-Tailed Lemurs
There used to be 107 types of this species. Now 103 of them are endangered. They are prized as pets and good targets for hunting.
10. White-Bellied Pangolin
Pangolins have come into the limelight recently because of the pandemic. This species of animals is no exception to being hunted to extinction.
Read: Poaching Pangolins: An Often Overlooked Trade Pushing The Species Towards Extinction
11. Ploughshare Tortoise
A native of Madagascar, the illegal pet trade threatens this long-living reptile. Less than 100 are left as per estimates.
12. Red Panda
Over the previous 20 years, there has been a 40% decline in their population. Habitat loss and poaching are the main threats to these Asiatic mammals.
13. Fireflies
You may have noticed seeing less of them as you grew up. Light pollution and pesticides are killing them gradually.
14. Hippopotamus
These large amphibian creatures are hunted for their teeth, meat, and skin. Conflicts with humans have also played a major role in declining numbers.
15. Giant Panda
Many of the bamboo forests that are their natural habitats have been destroyed. Their pelts and skins are also valuable materials.
16. Red-Crowned Crane
These cranes only live in wetland habitats. The habitats have since shrunk and these symbols of immortality are dying out.
17. Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey
These are social animals. As such, deforestation has led to fragmentation. This is leading to their deaths.
18. Pied Tamarin
Habitat destruction has led to fierce competition for food in the remaining tamarin habitats. The Pied Tamarin is losing out.
19. Sea Angels
The larval shells of this aquatic species need calcium carbonite. But ocean acidification as a part of climate change is preventing this process.
20. Shoebill
Habitat destruction has left only 10,000 shoebills in the wild. Extinction seems imminent for the species due to immense human interference.
21. Northern White Rhinoceros
Poaching is the largest threat to this majestic beast. Their horns are highly valued. These animals have been conserved to an extent but the threat remains at large.
22. Military Macaw
Loss of habitat and poaching sees this species of macaw face a similar fate. They are also stolen from their habitats for the pet trade.
23. European Honey Bee
Cell phones and parasites coupled with a loss of habitat are killing these insects. Parasites are a major threat which their reducing numbers are finding more and more difficult to fight off.
24. Egyptian Vulture
This is the smallest species of vulture. In India, a drug called diclofenac has resulted in a mass decline of the birds.
25. Scimitar Oryx
These animals are already extinct, sadly. However, they still survive in some zoos. Capture and uncontrolled hunting had finished them.
26. Western Lowland Gorillas
The bushmeat trade, expansive logging, and the Ebola pandemic have devastated a subspecies of the western lowland gorillas.
27. Scallop Hammerhead Aggregation
These unique-looking sharks are hunted for their fins. Their fins are the main raw material for the illegal industry of shark fins.
28. Blue Throated Macaw
This is a species of the macaw that was rediscovered in the 90s. Now about 300 remains. Like the others, they face similar reasons for being poached.
29. Proboscis Monkey
In the previous four decades, about half of their population has died off. The major cause was their habitat destruction to make way for palm oil and logging plantations.
30. Kaiser’s Newt
These are very valuable reptiles in the pet trade. They also face threats due to dams and droughts in the area.
31. Indian Gharial
They are almost extinct. A specialty of India, nets for fishing gill, riverine habitat destruction, and river pollution are the main threats.
32. Yellow-Eyed Tree Frog
Chytridiomycosis, and such diseases, as well as pollution and climate change, are pushing this amphibian towards a permanent death.
33. Arabian Oryx
They had once gone extinct. During WW2, the introduction of motor vehicles and automatic rifles hunted them mercilessly.
34. Marine Iguana
These animals exist in an extremely tiny area geographically. As such, any invasive species pose a threat to the animals.
35. Beluga Sturgeon
They are the main source of black caviar. These are thought of as premium food leading to merciless exploitation.
36. Lemur Leaf Frog
Similar to the yellow-eyed species, the same threats face this tree frog. They are found in freshwater marshes and moist forests.
37. Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey
Fortunately, they enjoy first-class protection in the state. Through conservation efforts, their numbers have increased to over 3000.
38. Smooth Fronted Cayman
The major concern for this species of caymans is its value as pets. Gold mining has also lead to their forested habitats being polluted and lost.
39. Yellow-Eyed Tree Frog Eggs
The eggs of the yellow-eyed tree frog are especially susceptible to diseases
40. Hooded Vulture
These animals are indiscriminately killed by poisoning the carcasses they scavenge. Furthermore, they are considered valuable in traditional medicines.
41. Olm Salamander
Clean water is essential for these quirky critters. However, changes in the usage of lands are causing the water in cave systems to get polluted.
42. Siamese Crocodile
Its skin is well known as authentic crocodile skin. It leads to large-scale commercial hunting and farming of the reptiles.
43. Partula Snail
This snail species only exists in captivity. A failed conservation effort led to this dire situation of the species.
Read: Endangered Animals Gives Their Voice To Inspirational Song In Heart-Wrenching Animation
The path for survival of these animals is becoming more and more adverse for these animals. Through the photos look into their eyes, and you can see the silent despair. They are not so different from us, in their eyes being the window of the soul.
All image credits: Tim Flach
