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Photographer Spends 2 Years Photographing Animals That May Soon Be Extinct, And It Breaks Our Hearts
For most of us, endangered animals are a far-away mystery. British photographer Tim Flach, however, has spent the last two years braving their habitats and documenting the rare animals' fragile existences. The resulting body of work, Endangered, provides us with an intimate and rare view into the beautiful lives of Earth's most threatened species and reminds us of everything we should be afraid to lose.
From species we're all familiar with (polar bear, snow leopard, cheetah) to exotic wild animals we'd only imagine in fantasy films (saiga, Philippine eagle, olm salamander), Flach presents a wide spectrum of biodiversity of endangered species, and sheds light on the unique challenges each animal faces in order to survive. Some have had their numbers cut down by habitat destruction. Others endure more gruesome ordeals, such as hunting, poaching, and being sold into the black market.
Flach has often stated that he aims to reveal in his animal pictures the relationships that connect humans to our wilder counterparts. Staring into the eyes of the animals featured in Endangered, it's heartbreaking to imagine that any one of them would ever be considered less worthy of life than one of us. Scroll down to see the most stunning pictures of animals from the series, and vote for the ones that took your breath away.
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Saiga
Polar Bear
Philippine Eagle
African Elephant
I would be heartbroken to lose elephants. :( Every creature on this list deserves to live, but I have a special place in my heart for elephants.
"For comparison's sake, while there are warnings and alarm bells ringing about the imminent extinction of the African elephant as a result of the poaching crisis—a situation not in any way to be minimized—there are an estimated 450,000 African elephants compared to 80,000 giraffe," says Kathleen Garrigan, senior African Wildlife Foundation
and they've done nothing to stop it. When they're all gone, the poachers will move on to something else to kill. it's so sad to know that every year there are more people and less animals. I don't want to live in that world. Humans are the worst.
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No matter how beautiful ivory is, they die from detusking. Even if they let them live tuskless, it's still cruel and immoral.
To look into an elephant's eye is to see their soul looking back at you.
There numbers are on the increase so hopefully the species won't die out.
These wonderful sentient, feeling beings are being pushed to extinction - they are being killed faster than they can breed so that some human creature can have an ivory trinket. Even though China is banning the import of ivory, I can see some sectors of the community wanting it, and it will still be available - illegally. The powers that be can't stop the smuggling of drugs, so how on earth are they going to stop the smuggling of ivory. They don't have the where-with-all - and, of course, money talks. These poor animals. It breaks my heart.l
what kills me about this is that China FINALLY decided to phase out ivory purchase in another couple of years, by which time they'll most definitely be gone. With the poachers knowing that they only have a couple of years left, they'll be going full throttle with the tusk trade. Great going, China. Thanks for nothing.
I believe that is the saddest looking eye I have ever seen. I feel so sorry for him, and so angry about what we have done to him and his.
sad sad as these animals are so smart and can think. but men think if it does not look like them, it is not worth anything.
The elephant is loyal, they grieve when they lose a family member. They'll fight to protect each other from predators. Unfortunately, they can't fight off greedy evil men who track them on the ground and in helicopters and shoot them down with guns, just for their ivory. They are some of the most intelligent animals alive. They will do everything in their power to keep their babies alive and healthy. They have a special bond with each other, even in captivity and from different family units. They need each other and can become deeply depressed when they are kept alone with no other elephants to interact with. And some have been known to die from loneliness. And because of their intelligence people torture them with whips and hooks and chains and train them to do tricks in circuses and give rides to tourists to make money off of them. The elephant is a noble, kind, loving, beautiful and intelligent creature and deserves better than to be treated in such cruel and evil ways.
This photo really speaks of the pain of what elephants have gone through.
Snow Leopard
Cheetah With Cubs
The first time I saw a cheetah was a female with cubs, surrounded by safari vehicles. The thrill was real but it was kinda sad too
Ring Tailed Lemur
White Bellied Pangolin
Ploughshare Tortoise
Red Panda
I WANNA SLAP THAT POPSICLE OF ADORABLENESS OFF THAT ENDANGERED LIST
Fireflies
There used to be so many of them when I was a kid. It's been so long since I last saw one :(
Hippopotamus
Giant Panda
Ok I am going to move to where ever these animals reside and buy a huge piece of land and keep them all safe with me!
Golden Snub Nosed Monkey
Pied Tamarin
Sea Angels
Shoebill
Northern White Rhinoceros
European Honey Bee
Egyptian Vulture
Scimitar Oryx's
They were extinct in the wild but have been successfully captive bred and reintroduced.
Western Lowland Gorillas
Scallope Hammerhead Aggregation
Blue Throated Macaw
Proboscis Monkey
That looks like Trump. Nevermind, that's an insult to this Monkey.
Kaiser's Newt
Indian Gharial
Yellow-Eyed Tree Frog
Arabian Oryx
The scimitar-horned oryx. They were extinct in the wild but captive breeding programmes have been successful enough to reintroduce them in selected protected locations.
Beluga Sturgeon
Due to our appetite for caviar, pregnant females are killed for their eggs - nothing left to grow up
Yunan Snub Nosed Monkey
Smooth Fronted Cayman
Yellow Eyed Tree Frog Eggs
Hooded Vulture
Olm Salamander
Siamese Crocodile
I thought crocodile farms in Thailand had bred plenty of these for repopulating the species.
Partula Snails
Such amazing photos, this is one skilled photographer! And while we are on the subject, consider this carefully: Which is better? Having more money(by not taking care for nature) or having these beautiful creatures roaming in the world in the future? Because, I choose the second option.
I think about this often too. We are horribly wasting the planet resources and our whole economy is based on wasting. Today everything is made so that it does not last long so people would buy new things. Economist are constantly babbling about need for infinite growth and production, but no one cares if this is manageable in the long term. Poor countries are devastating themselves for money .. really sad when I think about how our planet is being destroyed by our greed and expansion.
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Amazing, how all these majestic and beautiful species were here long before us and how little time it took us to change the world to it's worse. Funny how we keep asking about our origins, where we come from, and the purpose of our lives, yet everything is right in front of us, but apparently we are blind on this eye and keep starring into the sky with its stars and search for alien life, yet waste everything so beautiful and unique on this planet, really sad!
It's just so sad to think that one day these creatures could just be gone. And it's the fault of humans. Humans cut down forests and kill for sport and profit. We are the cruelest of Earth's species.
Yes Analyn Lahr, I'm agree with ur point of view, one day evey things would be down, but we should never give pu these creatures of things, hope u don't mind it.
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I think about these wonderful creatures, yes. But I also think about tinier, less showy creatures like insects. And I think about the flora that will vanish with climate change and human mindlessly encroaching upon their habitats. What wildflowers and birds will my grandsons never have a chance to see, even though they once lived on the creek near their house?
one of the saddest things to think my great grandkids will not see a lot of these breaks my heart. so isn't it time this was put to right
We're facing another great extinction like many before it. The good news is that the planet will survive long after we've extinguished ourselves and our animals. It will be reborn and flourish. People keep talking about humans destroying the planet... b******t, the planet is just fine, we're destroying ourselves.
OMGosh these are incredible photos of incredible animals. It is very sad that they may be extinct some day. God made some beautiful creatures and some exceedingly scary creatures! WOW!
Saddened by our blindness to this perfect world that we spend so much energy and effort in destroying....Is this what we call Progress!!
Money obsessed and people who always consume irresponsibly will always fail because they don't know the true meaning of being an human being...
It seems like the most beautiful animals are endanger!! ! Truely heart breaking. 😭
Kinda scary, I hope somebody is caring enough to listen. The lack polar bear food source is what going to end it all. I think unless some really quick action for humanity, extinct animal to die likely be the polar bear and will everything fall like dominoes?
made me sad. they are so beautiful and yet they're almost gone and or gone :<
i really hope we all go extinct so we don't have to deal with petty squabbles of people who don't vaccinate their kids and yeah i'm talking bout you, Susan Shaddock. why don't you let your kid do that for us 089fd17522...fd-png.jpg 
Yes amazing photos of threatened creatures, but people please consider supporting a conservation group so you can make a visible difference. The more we petition, donate or work at grassroots level, the more we can stop the extinction rates.
IF PEOPLE COULD LEARN TO LIVE WITH THESES WONDERFUL CREATURES , WE All DESERVE TO Have a good life LIVING beside and around EACH other. OUR NEXT GENERATION DESERVES TO SEE THESE WONDERFUL CREATURES TOO! LET US ALL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE TOGETHER!
Who would kill such beasts of wonderful unusual qualities? I just want to ban every chainsaw, poaching gun, and other deforestation device in existence
the humans are just stupid they dont appreciate what the earth gives to them
Whoever was putting together this set, didn't bother to read the titles of the original photos on Tim Flach's website, or they'd realize that that first photo is not a Ring Tailed Lemur. It's a Crowned Sifaka. http://timflach.com/work/endangered/slideshow/#72 (click the i in the bottom right corner, it tells you what's in the photo)
All the money spent on black African subhuman filth is useless garbage. We should stop financing UN and use all the resources on this beautiful animals, give them space where they can reproduce. This animals are better for us than black Africans or degenerated Islamic filth we importing to Europe and USA.
Judging by a lot of these comments there seems to be a lot of people that think humans are the ONLY cause of a species going extinct. Much like the climate, that has been changing cyclically since the beginning of time... So too have various species been going extinct. All without ANY help form mankind.
While it IS sad when a species goes extinct, please remember that species have been going extinct since the beginning of time. All before man could have had ANYTHING to do with it. My point is, don't just jump to conclusions that "we've" killed off some species. Have some gone extinct due to the expansion of modern man? Sure, but some also go extinct do to the expansion of other species. It's just nature.
Looking up a few of these and they are certainly not on the level of "may soon be extinct". Beautiful photos and something I do care about, but misleading.
Yeah, but the impact is still the same in the way that there are many, many critically endangered species, and its one way to raise awareness.
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You want to eat them? Are you serious? They can stop existing any year now and you want to kill then so you can eat them? I'm sorry but you are not normal
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Gorgeous pictures, but Lev is absolutely right, misleading title. A lot of these species are still doing fine. Some of them aren't even bothered by humans at all.
Friend, you really have odd beliefs about our world. Our toxic kind's actions affect all the planet, from the smallest fly, to the largest blue whale.
Load More Replies... Such amazing photos, this is one skilled photographer! And while we are on the subject, consider this carefully: Which is better? Having more money(by not taking care for nature) or having these beautiful creatures roaming in the world in the future? Because, I choose the second option.
I think about this often too. We are horribly wasting the planet resources and our whole economy is based on wasting. Today everything is made so that it does not last long so people would buy new things. Economist are constantly babbling about need for infinite growth and production, but no one cares if this is manageable in the long term. Poor countries are devastating themselves for money .. really sad when I think about how our planet is being destroyed by our greed and expansion.
Load More Replies... Amazing, how all these majestic and beautiful species were here long before us and how little time it took us to change the world to it's worse. Funny how we keep asking about our origins, where we come from, and the purpose of our lives, yet everything is right in front of us, but apparently we are blind on this eye and keep starring into the sky with its stars and search for alien life, yet waste everything so beautiful and unique on this planet, really sad!
It's just so sad to think that one day these creatures could just be gone. And it's the fault of humans. Humans cut down forests and kill for sport and profit. We are the cruelest of Earth's species.
Yes Analyn Lahr, I'm agree with ur point of view, one day evey things would be down, but we should never give pu these creatures of things, hope u don't mind it.
Load More Replies... I think about these wonderful creatures, yes. But I also think about tinier, less showy creatures like insects. And I think about the flora that will vanish with climate change and human mindlessly encroaching upon their habitats. What wildflowers and birds will my grandsons never have a chance to see, even though they once lived on the creek near their house?
one of the saddest things to think my great grandkids will not see a lot of these breaks my heart. so isn't it time this was put to right
We're facing another great extinction like many before it. The good news is that the planet will survive long after we've extinguished ourselves and our animals. It will be reborn and flourish. People keep talking about humans destroying the planet... b******t, the planet is just fine, we're destroying ourselves.
OMGosh these are incredible photos of incredible animals. It is very sad that they may be extinct some day. God made some beautiful creatures and some exceedingly scary creatures! WOW!
Saddened by our blindness to this perfect world that we spend so much energy and effort in destroying....Is this what we call Progress!!
Money obsessed and people who always consume irresponsibly will always fail because they don't know the true meaning of being an human being...
It seems like the most beautiful animals are endanger!! ! Truely heart breaking. 😭
Kinda scary, I hope somebody is caring enough to listen. The lack polar bear food source is what going to end it all. I think unless some really quick action for humanity, extinct animal to die likely be the polar bear and will everything fall like dominoes?
made me sad. they are so beautiful and yet they're almost gone and or gone :<
i really hope we all go extinct so we don't have to deal with petty squabbles of people who don't vaccinate their kids and yeah i'm talking bout you, Susan Shaddock. why don't you let your kid do that for us 089fd17522...fd-png.jpg
Yes amazing photos of threatened creatures, but people please consider supporting a conservation group so you can make a visible difference. The more we petition, donate or work at grassroots level, the more we can stop the extinction rates.
IF PEOPLE COULD LEARN TO LIVE WITH THESES WONDERFUL CREATURES , WE All DESERVE TO Have a good life LIVING beside and around EACH other. OUR NEXT GENERATION DESERVES TO SEE THESE WONDERFUL CREATURES TOO! LET US ALL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE TOGETHER!
Who would kill such beasts of wonderful unusual qualities? I just want to ban every chainsaw, poaching gun, and other deforestation device in existence
the humans are just stupid they dont appreciate what the earth gives to them
Whoever was putting together this set, didn't bother to read the titles of the original photos on Tim Flach's website, or they'd realize that that first photo is not a Ring Tailed Lemur. It's a Crowned Sifaka. http://timflach.com/work/endangered/slideshow/#72 (click the i in the bottom right corner, it tells you what's in the photo)
All the money spent on black African subhuman filth is useless garbage. We should stop financing UN and use all the resources on this beautiful animals, give them space where they can reproduce. This animals are better for us than black Africans or degenerated Islamic filth we importing to Europe and USA.
Judging by a lot of these comments there seems to be a lot of people that think humans are the ONLY cause of a species going extinct. Much like the climate, that has been changing cyclically since the beginning of time... So too have various species been going extinct. All without ANY help form mankind.
While it IS sad when a species goes extinct, please remember that species have been going extinct since the beginning of time. All before man could have had ANYTHING to do with it. My point is, don't just jump to conclusions that "we've" killed off some species. Have some gone extinct due to the expansion of modern man? Sure, but some also go extinct do to the expansion of other species. It's just nature.
Looking up a few of these and they are certainly not on the level of "may soon be extinct". Beautiful photos and something I do care about, but misleading.
Yeah, but the impact is still the same in the way that there are many, many critically endangered species, and its one way to raise awareness.
Load More Replies... You want to eat them? Are you serious? They can stop existing any year now and you want to kill then so you can eat them? I'm sorry but you are not normal
Load More Replies... Gorgeous pictures, but Lev is absolutely right, misleading title. A lot of these species are still doing fine. Some of them aren't even bothered by humans at all.
Friend, you really have odd beliefs about our world. Our toxic kind's actions affect all the planet, from the smallest fly, to the largest blue whale.
Load More Replies...