Endangered Species 2019
In 2018, I started illustrating one endangered species per month, to complete a total of 12 illustrations for a non-for-profit calendar. My goal was to raise awareness for these wonderful creatures, by showing everyone their beauty. In total, we raised over 1000$, donated to various conservation groups that strive to further help these animals and therefore our ecosystem.
This is the KAKAPO, the world’s only flightless owl parrot, whose entire small population live on islands of New Zealand. They are Critically Endangered due to human hunting and deforestation around early 19th century, it wasn’t until late in the century that the problem was finally beginning to be recognized.
ASIAN ELEPHANTS are listed as endangered species and their habitat is shrinking fast in this day and age. Do not support camps that allow the poor treatment of elephants when you visit Asian countries. If you want to see them, consider visiting sanctuaries such as Kindered Spirits , BEES, BLES.
MALAYAN TIGER can only be found in Malaysia and Thailand’s southern tip. Dense tropical forests and areas close to rivers is where they most like to inhabit. Only about 250-340 of them left in the wild, they are considered critically endangered. Their strips are thinner compared to those of other tiger and are great at camouflaging.
SUNDA PANGOLIN is one of 8 species of pangolin, and these little guys are from Southeast Asia. Sunda Pangolin or Malayan Pangolin prefer forests and may burrow in trees like this one. Their unique scales, (which are made out of same protein as our hair and nails) are great protection for them when they are feasting on ant colonies.
COQUEREL’S SIFAKA is a type of lemur that can only be found in Madagascar. They are vegetarian creatures that love eating leaves, but also like fruits, flowers, bark and deadwood sometimes. They can leap as high as 30 feet. These Sifaks’ biggest threats are habitat lost from farming expansions, habitat fragmentation and hunting threats.
OKAPI is one of the most beautiful and elusive animal species that was brought to the Western world’s knowledge in 1901. Appearing to be a mix between a giraffe, zebra and a horse, they are also known as the Forest Giraffe, or Zebra Giraffe. One interesting fact about these amazing animals, is that they were known in ancient Egypt! Carved images were found by excavators.
WHOOPING CRANE is the tallest bird in North America, and it got its name from the whooping sound their wings make when they flap. There were only about 22 of these majestic creatures left in 1942 and now there are about 280 birds and increasing due to conservation efforts: using crane puppets to teach the young to feed and human pilots helping them to migrate.
AFRICAN WILD DOG likes to roam the open plains of Africa. They live in packs and are usually lead by one monogamous breeding couple. As very social pack animals, they like to share food, and help the ill and weak out. One of the ways they communicate is through adorable little sneezes! It is used to vote on when to move on to the next hunt.
SAOLA, or Asian Unicorn, is a rarely seen creature since its discoveries two decades ago. It was then one of the first large mammal discovered in more than 50 years . None in captivity and only maybe few hundred or few dozen of them in the wild. Their horns can grow up to 20in for both male and female. Cousins to cattle but most resemble an antelope.
HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLES are known for their beautiful shells, that are almost as colourful as the rocky corals they like swimming around in. Their bird-like beak and narrow head is how they got their name. These raptor like beaks can be used to pry food from crevices of coral reefs, their favourite being sea sponges, yum!
AMUR LEOPARD is a rare subspecies of leopards that live in northern regions. Their coat is usually paler compared to their other leopard siblings and have larger and more spaced out rosettes. The coat can grow up to 7.5cm in the winter. Currently they are listed as critically endangered and there were less than 60 of them in the wild in 2016.
BLUE WHALE, one of the largest creatures ever known to roam the Earth. Their diet consist of tiny krills, and a day’s worth of them roughly weighs 4 tons. These heavy weight champs themselves weight about 200 tons, that is about 33 elephants! Whaling, ship injuries and toxins in the ocean are among the top causes of its’ decline.
Limited release upon popular demand!
Our Vulnerable Earth 2021
In 2020, the series sought not only to capture 12 new endangered species but also their vulnerable environments. We selected 12 smaller organizations working towards the conservation and protection of these species. Wrapping up with an art auction on Earth Day, over 3.7k was raised and divided.
Click on the images below to read more about each adorable animal!
The word ORANGUTAN is derived from the Malay phrase for “person of the forest”. Imagine, most female Orangutans never touch the ground in their lives. One of their favourite foods is figs. In some corners of the island those are so abundant, that whole groups of Orangutans come together for big feasts.
These sea snails live in jungles of gigantic brown algae (kelp) that can grow half a meter per day. ABALONE feed on kelp, but competition for food is high and heatwaves have led to a rapid decline of kelp forests. To protect them, California suspended the recreational fishing season for Red Abalone until 2021.
POLAR BEARS’ fur is made of hairs that are hollow, which helps to insulate. Their outside body temperature is nearly as cold as the snow surrounding them. A female was recorded swimming over 680km in nine days without a break. Due to climate change and melting ice, they have to cover increasing distances to find stable sea ice, which they need to raise their cubs and hunt.
BOLSON TORTOISE shells can be up to 40cm long, which is small in comparison to its ancient ancestors that were double that size. This engineer digs long tunnels in order to escape the heat and avoid predators. Adults spend 99% of their lives underground. Originally, this tortoise was also found in the USA, but hunting and habitat destruction lead to its disappearance.
This trout was discovered in only four rivers of North Macedonia and Greece. It belongs to the large family of fish commonly referred to as salmon. It spends summers in the Great Prespa Lake and migrates upstream for spawning. Like in many places of the world, the construction of hydroelectric dam creates impassable barriers.
KOALAS feed solely on Eucalyptus leaves. Due to the low nutrient content of those leaves, Koalas can sleep up to 18 hours a day. Nowadays, they spend an increasing amount of time moving between trees, because their habitat is fragmented by deforestation. This makes them more vulnerable to dog attacks and car accidents.
This orange, fluffy insect can grow up to a size of 40mm and is sometimes called “flying mouse”. It is a key pollinator for many plants that only exist in its range, but the introduction of European bumblebees has led to a rapid decline in its population. Protecting the PATAGONIAN BUMBLEBEE means protecting nature at the most southern tip of the world.
MATILDA'S HORNED VIPER was named after the daughter of one of the researchers who discovered it in 2009. It is only found in a small patch of montane rainforest. To protect the most recently described snake species in the world from illegal trade and trophy hunting, the exact location where it was discovered is kept a secret.
The last 250 individuals of the JAMAICAN FLWOER BAT prefer to roost in hot caves. They are highly social and sleep together in large colonies that also include bats of other species. They feed on fruits, nectar and pollen, which makes them important pollinators. Due to mainly human impacts, the number of their roosting caves has decreased to only two.
BANDED GROUND-CUCKOO is a real secret agent. It is so rare that scientists rely on stories from local people to learn about its behaviour. The cuckoo follows swarms of army ants and catches insects that try to escape these ants. It inhabits one of the most biodiverse spots in the world and mostly relies on intact primary rainforest.
The AMERICAN BURYING BEETLE is a recycling specialist that keeps our soils full of important nutrients. It eats decaying flesh, which promotes the transfer of nutrients into the soil. It can take more than 1,000 years and lots of hard work from insects like this one to form 2-3cm of fertile soil.
Great whales are our allies in fighting climate change. By feeding on plankton, they store tons of carbon. After they die, they sink down to the bottom of the ocean, which makes their bodies one of the longest lasting carbon sinks. Many countries have banned whaling, but collisions with vessels or entanglement in fishing gear remain major threats.
One Home 2024
The first collaborative endangered species calendar! I have had this idea for a while, and in early 2023, we finally got the snowball rolling with inviting animal loving artists I admired! For the first time, we reached out to smaller local organization to collaborate with us and asked them to nominate threatened species in the region.
It was a wild ride, resulting in something I think is both beautiful and meaningful. We raised a total over $7k.
Visit the link below to learn more about it!
If you work for a conservation organization that would like to collaborate with me, feel free to reach out. I am always looking for any opportunity I can use my art to help our shared home.
Or if you are an individual that would like to contribute to any future projects artistically or any other ideas you may have, please email me as well:)