Photographer Captures Rare Animals to Help Save Them From Extinction

By
Pie
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Award-winning photographer Joel Sartore specializes in capturing endangered species and landscapes around the world and is the founder of the Photo Ark, a 25-year documentary project which aims to save species and habitat.

“It is folly to think that we can destroy one species and ecosystem after another and not affect humanity,” he wrote on his website. “When we save species, we’re actually saving ourselves.”

The project wanted to reverse the extinction crisis that is currently happening all over the world. His animal portraits are remarkable, creating inspiring images to help endangered animals.

His works have been featured by famous TV shows such as National Geographic’s Explorer, NBC Nightly News, and CBS Sunday Morning Show.

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Fewer than 80 Florida grasshopper sparrows are left in the wild and their population decline is steep. There is a real danger of extinction unless the wild population can be supplemented with captive-bred birds. Learning how to breed these sparrows in captivity did not come easily, but biologists finally found success after five years of persistence and innovation. The plan for this spring was to release enough captive birds to arrest the rapid decline. Just days before the first planned release, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added layers of bureaucracy, which now require months to complete, before birds can be released. Not only does this negatively impact the wild population, without releases the captive breeding program must be put on hold since there is no additional space to house young birds. The loss of an entire breeding season due to politics or bureaucracy is unacceptable, especially when the population is so dangerously low and the sparrow’s life span is only a few years. We need to find another way, and quickly, before it is too late to release birds this season. Consider reaching out to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to let them know that these captive birds need to be released into the wild immediately. #usfws_south_florida #USFWS #floridagrasshoppersparrow

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I’d like to take a moment to thank all of the facilities that have opened their doors to me and made it possible for the Photo Ark to grow over the past 13+ years. As with any care facility, there will always be room for zoos to grow and evolve, but it is important to recognize that many of these accredited facilities are the only thing that stands between a species’ survival and its complete extinction. For many species that are completely gone from the wild now, zoos may be caring for the only individuals left. Their captive breeding efforts help keep the species going until habitat can be restored for animals to roam free again in the wild. Accredited zoos are also taking huge steps to not only raise awareness around the threats to wildlife, but encourage guests to take actions that will have a real impact on saving species in the wild. Zoos ensure we stay connected to the natural world, and that is a very important piece of the conservation puzzle – after all, we won’t save something that we haven’t learned to love. Oncilla footage taken @zoopraha.

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You can help the North American beaver this International Beaver Day by attending (or even organizing) a stream, river, or lake cleanup near your home to preserve aquatic habitats! We almost lost this species due to unregulated trapping during the 19t​ h​ and 20t​ h​ centuries when beaver pelts were the single most valuable commodity in most of North America. Now protected from over-exploitation, beavers have re-established themselves over most of the continent and have provided us with lots of useful information on everything from swimming techniques to dam building and even flood control. Their dams also help to maintain a healthy balance within environments by controlling run off, erosion and floods, and they keep the water table high enough to support rich vegetation. With all that beavers do for us, the least we can do is help to keep their home free of debris! Photo taken @newildliferehab, a center that saves injured and orphaned wildlife based in Omaha, Nebraska.

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Found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean and Black Seas, the common stingray typically hangs out in coastal waters with sandy or muddy bottoms. This is prime habitat for a species that spends most of its time buried underneath sediment on the seafloor. While these stingrays are not currently a target for commercial fisheries, they are often caught in nets by accident and later used for food or to make products like fishmeal and liver oil. There is also a growing demand for stingray skin, which can be processed into an almost indestructible leather. With no restrictions on stingray catches in place, a sudden increase in demand for stingray leather could seriously threaten several stingray populations. Photo taken @loroparque.

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A few months ago, we introduced you to Romeo and Juliet. We've been anxiously waiting for updates on their budding relationship ever since, and we finally have news to share! The first date between Romeo, once the last-known Sehuencas water frog, and Juliet, whose discovery in the wild made headlines worldwide, went so well that the two have been living together in Romeo’s aquarium since. While they haven't quite figured out how to breed, Romeo has begun calling for the first time since the end of 2017—a sign that he is ready and eager. The pair, in addition to four additional individuals, will be the founders of a conservation breeding program @museodorbigny 's @centro_kayra as part of a broader initiative to bring this species back from the brink of extinction. You can help support the couple's future and the establishment of the conservation breeding center by making a donation to Romeo and Juliet’s "happy future" registry using the link in my bio!​ ​ Juliet on black, Romeo on white

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Believe it or not, today is world rat day, which means it is the perfect opportunity to talk about a rodent that is great at sniffing out trouble for humans – the Gambian giant pouched rat. About the size of a small domestic cat, these talented rodents have been trained to detect landmines and buried explosives left over from wars in countries like Cambodia, Angola, and Mozambique. Even more impressive? This species has also been trained to detect the presence of one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases – tuberculosis. Detection rats are able to sniff out tuberculosis in samples collected at hospitals, speeding up the discovery of the disease before it has the chance to spread. No wonder there’s an entire day devoted to celebrating rats – these guys are superheroes in disguise! Photo taken @philadelphiazoo

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This juvenile northern spotted owl was found under a tree in Trinity National Forest and brought to the @calraptorcenter at @ucdavis for treatment. When it first arrived, its head was tilted 180 degrees (nearly upside down) and it struggled to turn its head and feed itself. With medical care administered through @ucdavisvetmed and physical therapy sessions twice a day at the California Raptor Center, this owl regained a healthy posture and normal range of motion in its neck. As a facility that cares for over 200 injured, orphaned, and sick raptors every year, the California Raptor Center is doing tremendous work to save wildlife, but they need your help to protect this owl’s forest habitat! When purchasing paper products, try to buy those made of recycled content – this helps to protect trees in old-growth forests from logging, saving the homes of owls and hundreds of other species!

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The magnificent sea slug is found in coral and rocky reefs from Indonesia and the Philippines to eastern Australia. At just over two inches long, the sea slug relies on it’s strikingly bright coloration to protect it from potential predators. While predators are a concern, the biggest threat to this species comes from a decline in their favorite food source – sponges. As sponge populations decline due to climate change and habitat loss, the sea slug population suffers as well because less prey means there isn't enough food to support the current sea slug’s current numbers. Photo taken at Semirara Mining and Power Corporation’s Marine Hatchery Laboratory in the Philippines.

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