Vanishing: The World's Most Vulnerable Animals
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- Create Date：2022-05-12 07:00:10
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Joel Sartore
- ISBN：1426220596
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Summary
National Geographic photojournalist Joel Sartore continues his Photo Ark quest， photographing species around the world that are escaping extinction thanks to human efforts。
Joel Sartore's quest to photograph all the animal species under human care celebrates its 15th year with this collection of photographs。 The animals featured in these pages are either destined for extinction or already extinct in the wild but still alive today， thanks to dedication of a heroic group committed to their continued survival。 From the majestic Sumatran rhinoceros to the tiny Salt Creek tiger beetle。
Sartore singles out the species most likely to disappear in the next decades， as well as some that have already been lost。 Alongside these images are the words of scientists and conservationists who are working to protect and restore populations of endangered species。
Joel Sartore's quest to photograph all the animal species under human care celebrates its 15th year with this collection of photographs。 The animals featured in these pages are either destined for extinction or already extinct in the wild but still alive today， thanks to dedication of a heroic group committed to their continued survival。 From the majestic Sumatran rhinoceros to the tiny Salt Creek tiger beetle。
Sartore singles out the species most likely to disappear in the next decades， as well as some that have already been lost。 Alongside these images are the words of scientists and conservationists who are working to protect and restore populations of endangered species。
Reviews
Philip
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Stunning photos combined with generally depressing content， as in many cases these could well be the last pictures ever taken of these amazing creatures， （all were shot at various zoos and aquariums around the world， but none in the wild）。Joel Sartore has over 25 years with National Geographic， and has been the driving force behind their "Photo Ark" for much of that time， having photographed over 12，000 species for the ark as well as publishing several other books on the project。 However， this i Stunning photos combined with generally depressing content， as in many cases these could well be the last pictures ever taken of these amazing creatures， （all were shot at various zoos and aquariums around the world， but none in the wild）。Joel Sartore has over 25 years with National Geographic， and has been the driving force behind their "Photo Ark" for much of that time， having photographed over 12，000 species for the ark as well as publishing several other books on the project。 However， this is the only one that focuses on those animals that are most at risk of disappearing， grouping them into such conveniently dispiriting categories as Endangered， Critically Endangered， Extinct in the Wild， etc。 （You can see much more of his work at www。joelsartore。com and www。natgeophotoark。org， or actually find this book on Barnes & Noble's bargain shelf， if you're lucky。）While everyone loves the larger mammals and such weirdos as this dude……in many cases it was the stories of the smaller animals - lizards， snails， dull-colored birds and tiny freshwater fish - that for some reason hit me the hardest。 We all tend to overlook such "less cute" creatures， but they too are the result of thousands if not millions of years of evolution， and fill individual and important niches in the interconnected and interdependent ecosystems of which they are a part。 And the sheer speed with which many of them are disappearing - it seems like every other page tells us that "this species numbers have decreased by 57% in the last two decades" or the like - is not only mind-boggling， but a damning indictment of humanity's negative and snowballing impact on the planet in what is increasingly being recognized as the Anthropocene - a proposed "geological epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems， including - but by no means limited to - anthropogenic climate change。"One interesting （and again， depressing） revelation was the impact that coffee cultivation is having on tropical deforestation and related species endangerment。 I know in other reviews I have railed against Southeast Asia's widespread replacement of old-growth rain forest with palm oil plantations， but I hadn't realized that similar devastation was taking place just so that we could enjoy our morning cuppa - so will have to review my drinking habits， or at least look for more sustainable and eco-friendly sources。Coming hard on the heels of the equally upsetting Meltdown in Tibet， that's two big bummers in a row - so will have to look for something a little more upbeat to read next， because otherwise I'm beginning to feel more and more like this little guy: 。。。more
Dave
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beautiful pictures。 sad stories。
Deborah
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5 Amazing Stars！ Photographer Joel Sartore traveled the world capturing stunning images of our vanishing creatures。 Almost 300 vulnerable， threatened， endangered， or extinct animals are showcased in this powerful， poignant， and remarkable tome。 This is a call to all of us to help save these dwindling species。 The images are up close and personal and are photographed with reverence and sensitivity from the soulful stare of the Western Lowland Gorilla， the glow of the Gee’s Golden Langur， the patt 5 Amazing Stars！ Photographer Joel Sartore traveled the world capturing stunning images of our vanishing creatures。 Almost 300 vulnerable， threatened， endangered， or extinct animals are showcased in this powerful， poignant， and remarkable tome。 This is a call to all of us to help save these dwindling species。 The images are up close and personal and are photographed with reverence and sensitivity from the soulful stare of the Western Lowland Gorilla， the glow of the Gee’s Golden Langur， the patterned Cagle’s Map Turtle， and Nabire the dignified and now deceased White Rhinoceros in the Czech Republic。 “Nobody knows exactly how many species of plants and animals call our planet home。 Scientists have given names to just under 2 million， but the actual number may be between 6 million and 2 billion。” The International Union for Conservation of Nature （IUCN） is the leading authority on our vanishing creatures and since 1964 has garnered a massive inventory of almost 100，000 species， assessed their risks for extinction， and created The Red List of Threatened Species and the IUCN classifications ranging from Extinct， Extinct in the Wild， Critically Endangered， Endangered， Vulnerable， Near Threatened， Least Concern， Data Deficient， and Not Evaluated。 More than 26，000 of the assessed species are endanger of extinction。 IUCN has designated “more than 200 mammal species and subspecies as ‘critically endangered’” such as the Sumatran Rhinoceros and the Vaquita （a Gulf of California porpoise）。 I recently learned my father， who was a zoology major， has been a member of IUCN for at least 20 to 30 years。Mr。 Sartore created Photo Ark to save both species and habitats and has photographed over 10，000 species in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries in 40 countries。 Joel is on a mission to photograph every captive animal species， because “I want people to care， to fall in love， and take action。” Zoos and “special breeding facilities” are increasingly housing the last remaining of many species。 The world has become more informed “to ensure biodiversity survives” through the internet （P。 18 and 19）。 He advocates that there are a 1000 things you can do such as insulate your home， burn less fossil fuels， consume less meat， reduce， reuse， and recycle。 National Geographic has joined in his efforts by pledging to support protecting 30% of the planet’s threatened species and wild habitats globally。 In 50 years， “more than 60% of the wildlife populations， and world habitats have disappeared。” “One in eight of the world’s bird species was threatened with extinction as of 2017。” Unfortunately， who knows how many unknown “reptiles， amphibians， fish， even insects” have already vanished。 Will humans have the same impact as asteroids on dinosaurs？ As quoted by Elizabeth Kolbert in her Foreword， “The great naturalist E。O。 Wilson has noted that humans are the ‘first species in the history of life to become a geophysical force。 Many scientists argue that we have entered a new geologic epoch - the Anthropocene or age of man。 This time around， in other words， the asteroid is us。 What’s lost when an animal goes extinct？ One way to think of a species， be it of ape or of ant， is as an answer to a puzzle: how to live on planet Earth。 In this sense， a species’ genome is a sort of manual; when the species perishes， that manual is lost。 We are， in this sense， plundering a library – the library of life。 Instead of the Anthropocene， Wilson has dubbed the era we are entering the Eremozoic – the age of loneliness。”Why are these creatures disappearing？ Overpopulation， development and encroachment on their habitats， logging， poaching， pathogens， climate change， overfishing， ocean acidification， deforestation， hunting， long fertility periods， pollution， inbreeding， and other animal predators。 A sampling of those photographed:For over a decade， Romeo， a Sehuencas Water Frog， in Bolivia was thought to be the last of his kind until Juliet and four others were found in the wild in 2018。Due to “collaborative conservation efforts，” the Mountain Gorilla “was downlisted from critically endangered to endangered in 2018。” The stotting （bouncing on “all four feet off the ground”） of the Mhorr Gazelle。 “The world’s largest gazelle 。。。 were once widespread across Chad， Sudan， and Darfur。”In the Florida Keys， not far from where I live， the rising seas have imperiled the Key Largo Cotton Mouse， the Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit， the Silver Rice Rat， the Stock Island Tree Snail， the Key Deer， the Key Largo Wood Rat， and Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly。 I was unfamiliar with all except for the Key Deer。Only two Peacock Parachute Spiders have been seen in India’s wilderness since 1899 but are readily available on the international pet market。 They are critically endangered。The Titicaca Water Frog resembles “an aquatic shar-pei。”The thrusting rear end when endangered of the orange dusted black Ecuadorian Pilalo Tree Frog。Some Humphead Wrasse fish “will change gender throughout their lives， spending their youth as females and their late adulthood as males。”Red foxes and domestic cats feasted on the Numbats in Australia reducing their numbers to less than a 1000 in the wild。 It is believed that over a million Pangolins were removed from the jungle to sell their powdered pangolin scales in China and Vietnam under the false belief it will “help with rheumatism， skin disorders， and even cancer。” Unfortunately folk remedies with unproven medical benefits have also gravely imperiled the Eastern Black Rhinoceros， Egyptian Vulture， Proboscis Monkey， Lined Seahorse， Axolotl， and the Chinese Alligator。While more than 2，000 Tasmanian Devils are killed annually by vehicles， an incurable facial tumor cancer is a bigger threat that is easily transmittable between the species。Changes in their forest habitat have endangered the Madagascar Dwarf Chameleon， which is the size of a fingernail。I love my cup of coffee， but the deforestation of coffee-growing lands in Latin America has threatened the Geoffroy’s Spider monkey， Golden-Cheeked Warbler， Margay， Oncilla， Blue-Billed Curassow， Golden-Capped Parakeet， and Yucatán Black Howler Monkey。 The Golden Poison Frog “is the most poisonous animal on Earth。 A single individual has enough poison in its body to kill 10 adult men。 Males carry larvae from the forest floor to water， where they mature。”Flat-Headed Cats that swim under water with webbed paws， strong jaws， and close-set eyes capture fish in the marshes of Sumatra， Borneo， and the Malayan Peninsula。 Deforestation is endangering the green， orange， and black poisonous Madagascar Painted Frogs that live in 9，434 square kilometers on a thin strip of Madagascar。 The rare and odd-looking Chinese Blind Cave Fish that was first scientifically described at the end of the last century reside in cave waters in southern China。Palm Oil Production in southeast Asia has threatened 200 species， including the Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo， Helmeted Hornbill， Bornean Gibbon， Wrinkled Hornbill， Bornean Crested Fireback， and Bornean Bearded Pig。 Certain companies are now only purchasing palm oil that was cultivated without deforestation。The Pinyon Jay in the western U。S。 “can expand their esophagus to swallow up to 50 [pine tree] seeds at one and store them in caches across their range。”The tusks of the Sulawesi Babirusa or Pig Deer pierce through the top of their snout and toward their forehead as they never stop growing。Believed to be extinct for 2，000 years， the Mallorcan or Majorcan Midwife Toad was discovered living in 1979 in Majorca。 The males carry “eggs wrapped in strands around their ankles。”The neon green of Buckley’s Giant Glass Frog found in Colombia， Peru， and Ecuador is listed as vulnerable by IUCN。Disease and drought have endangered the Koalas in Australia， where recently over two decades， their population declined by approximately 28%。tGlobal warming and the shrinking ice mass have threatened many Arctic creatures such as the Spectacled Eider， Pacific Walrus， Orca， Caribou， and Arctic Fox。The Philippine Sailfin Lizard or water lizard not only swim but can “sprint across the surface of water 。。。 to escape from predators。”Ivory and meat poachers and loss of habitat have imperiled the Hippopotamus。The large fins of Leatherbacks only propel forward， not backward。 Thus， they cannot be cared for in captivity as they keep smashing into walls。While I was fortunate to travel the world as a child， we still visited many zoos。 Why are zoos important？ Kathy Russell， General Curator， Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo said， “Most people will never get an opportunity to go to Africa to see things， to go to Australia。 So by showing them this， we’re giving them an opportunity to appreciate it and then go home and do something about it。 If people don’t see it， smell it， watch it move， be up close to it， they’re not going to take ownership of that。”If you are interested in further researching the species， I suggest the International Union for Conservation of Nature at iucn。org or National Museum of Natural History’s Encyclopedia of Life at eol。org。Dr。 Cheng Wen-Haur states， “The saving of species， in the end， is about saving ourselves。” We need to protect our world and all of its inhabitants。 These animals are in crisis and we need to care。 I highly recommend that you read this fascinating book。 Unplanned， both my parents and I recently gave this book simultaneously to my uncle and his wife。 They now each have their own copy。 I hope they and you enjoy the book as much as I did。 。。。more
Brenda Kahn
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I found this while reading shelves in my library and took it home over the break。 It was probably not the best idea as this was the first holiday spent without my husband， as he died in August。 The photographs were so beautiful and haunting and so， so sad。
John Wood
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This book is a collection of pictures created by photographer Joel Sartore in a quest to document every species in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries throughout the World to inform about the plight of the earth's animals and encourage efforts to save them。 Each spectacular color picture is taken against a black or white background， accompanied by a short description of each animal's current ecological classification。 He has already developed over 10。000 out of an estimated 12，000 photos。 This project This book is a collection of pictures created by photographer Joel Sartore in a quest to document every species in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries throughout the World to inform about the plight of the earth's animals and encourage efforts to save them。 Each spectacular color picture is taken against a black or white background， accompanied by a short description of each animal's current ecological classification。 He has already developed over 10。000 out of an estimated 12，000 photos。 This project is known as the "Photo Ark" and was created by National Geographic。 This collection is an awe-inspiring treasure。 。。。more
Abby Turner
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Beautiful
Arnis
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https://poseidons99。wordpress。com/202。。。 https://poseidons99。wordpress。com/202。。。 。。。more
Lori
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Astonishing haunting and beautiful！ This is a collection of intimate portraits of many of the earth's species struggling to hold on to existence。 What marvels are placed here with people。 It fills me with compassion for the animal kingdom Astonishing haunting and beautiful！ This is a collection of intimate portraits of many of the earth's species struggling to hold on to existence。 What marvels are placed here with people。 It fills me with compassion for the animal kingdom 。。。more
Sassy Katt
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Beautiful photos！ There were some animals I had never seen before。 To think that one day these animals may not be around just breaks my heart。
Anna
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As usual， really affecting photos。
Sarah
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Beautiful photos。 Sad data。 ❤️
Zeke R
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very saad
Christine D
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heartbreakingly beautiful。 I saw the sixty minutes piece on this photographer's dedication to the project he calls "the photo ark" and his work is admirable。 heartbreakingly beautiful。 I saw the sixty minutes piece on this photographer's dedication to the project he calls "the photo ark" and his work is admirable。 。。。more
Luana
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This was an utterly gorgeous， heart moving and inflaming book。 And while at times I wished for more text， I can't mark it as any less than 5 stars for the impact it had and the importance it carries。It is a beautiful and sobering portrait series of the history and current progression towards extinction of so many species and a call to stem these tides that we have helped create:"。。。[Humans are the]。。。first species in the history of life to become a geophysical force。" E。O。Wilson （Naturalist）With This was an utterly gorgeous， heart moving and inflaming book。 And while at times I wished for more text， I can't mark it as any less than 5 stars for the impact it had and the importance it carries。It is a beautiful and sobering portrait series of the history and current progression towards extinction of so many species and a call to stem these tides that we have helped create:"。。。[Humans are the]。。。first species in the history of life to become a geophysical force。" E。O。Wilson （Naturalist）Within this book， pages of species lost and near lost （some brightened with stories of hope and rebounding success） stare forth。 Some look off page and some seem to look directly through the camera at you （the mink and Iberian lynx were both super effective at this）。 And each is accompanied by their own mini write up， in addition to the larger general introductions at the beginning of the book and for each section。 It was also in the introductory part of the book that I learnt about the IUCN and the IUCN red list - a global inventory of the world's species that keeps track of those at risk and their environment profiles。 It is an ever evolving project and one of the aspects that extends this beyond a coffee table book。 https://www。iucn。org/Having said that， of all the animals， the orangutan who leaned in for her photo shoot， the snowy owl with attitude and pretty much all of the feline contingent （they were the biggest posers）， these certainly did their best to make it the best coffee table book。Some of the photos from the book and stories behind the work can be found here on the author's website https://www。joelsartore。com/photo-ark/ 。。。more
Andrew
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OH MY HEART！ Beautiful photos， cool facts about some animals I'd never seen but hope to someday see at zoos or nature sanctuaries， and inspiration to any artist， photography， zoologist or environmental activist， Awesome read for middle grade through adult。 This is one of those rare coffee table books that everyone should own。 OH MY HEART！ Beautiful photos， cool facts about some animals I'd never seen but hope to someday see at zoos or nature sanctuaries， and inspiration to any artist， photography， zoologist or environmental activist， Awesome read for middle grade through adult。 This is one of those rare coffee table books that everyone should own。 。。。more
Jason
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A collection of beautiful photography of some of the world's most endangered species。 The photography is incredible and the descriptions and writing is very poignant。 I wish Sartore had stated what countries or continent each species was located on， or even a range map， but these things can be figured out online。 A good book to have on a coffee table or other area where people will pick it up and learn about how fragile our ecology really is。 A collection of beautiful photography of some of the world's most endangered species。 The photography is incredible and the descriptions and writing is very poignant。 I wish Sartore had stated what countries or continent each species was located on， or even a range map， but these things can be figured out online。 A good book to have on a coffee table or other area where people will pick it up and learn about how fragile our ecology really is。 。。。more
Nadina
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I love how the photos， with their plain and empty backgrounds make every animal look beautiful。 Even the "spooky"/"creepy" animals look beautiful with the lack of anything distracting in the background。 The black or white backgrounds really help you focus on the beauty of each of the animals as well。 The whole book is magnificent and I love the text that accompanies the chapters and also most of the pictures， simply small details about the animal。 Though I am curious how the status of the Austra I love how the photos， with their plain and empty backgrounds make every animal look beautiful。 Even the "spooky"/"creepy" animals look beautiful with the lack of anything distracting in the background。 The black or white backgrounds really help you focus on the beauty of each of the animals as well。 The whole book is magnificent and I love the text that accompanies the chapters and also most of the pictures， simply small details about the animal。 Though I am curious how the status of the Australian animals pictured in the book has changed since the printing/publication of the book to now （a few month later） considering the recent wildfires。 Honestly， I borrowed this from the library but it is a book I am seriously considering purchasing。 。。。more
Yosef Shapiro
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A collection of pictures of endangered species。
Bill
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Many readers will be familiar with the Photo Ark project which is trying to capture every living creature in photographs which has been in progress for over 25 years。 It is getting close to completion。 This book presents photographs of nearly 300 creatures that are the most threatened with extinction due to the usual and obvious causes: climate change， invasive species， habitat destruction， all of which pretty much originate with us， humans。 This book then becomes a plea for action as the idea o Many readers will be familiar with the Photo Ark project which is trying to capture every living creature in photographs which has been in progress for over 25 years。 It is getting close to completion。 This book presents photographs of nearly 300 creatures that are the most threatened with extinction due to the usual and obvious causes: climate change， invasive species， habitat destruction， all of which pretty much originate with us， humans。 This book then becomes a plea for action as the idea of extinction， the total and complete end of a species， has a sad and horrifying finality。 With all that said though， it is the photographs that are stunning and amazing as they capture these animals in intimate and closeup detail。 As Joel Sartore， the photographer/author of this book and the man responsible for the entire Photo Ark project， writes at the end: “All animals， regardless of size or shape， are glorious。 Each is a living work of art。” Another contributor in the Foreword adds: “Sartore treats all creatures-great and small， handsome and homely- with reverence。 His photos capture what’s singular and， I’d also like to say， soulful about every living thing。” I agree！ 。。。more
Pat
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The photographs are remarkable。 You can read in the back where each picture was taken。 They're from all over the world。 The photographs are remarkable。 You can read in the back where each picture was taken。 They're from all over the world。 。。。more
Jo
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I do not have enough words to convey how beautiful and sad this book is。Filled with wonderful pictures of our most vulnerable， endangered and， unfortunately， extinct animals with a small explanation of the animal， detailing it's habitat and the risks it faces。Exquisite enough to be a coffee table book， but you won't be able to stop lookong at it。Strongly recommend。 I do not have enough words to convey how beautiful and sad this book is。Filled with wonderful pictures of our most vulnerable， endangered and， unfortunately， extinct animals with a small explanation of the animal， detailing it's habitat and the risks it faces。Exquisite enough to be a coffee table book， but you won't be able to stop lookong at it。Strongly recommend。 。。。more
Katra
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Stunningly beautiful photographs loaded with personality and pathos。
Kathleen Messmer
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This book brings to light how endangered not just the animals are， but how endangered the planet and humanity is。 Get involved。 With enough effort， together we can bring it all back from the brink。
Amanda Carr
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Beautiful photographs paired with fascinating information！ This book is a necessary look at what climate change is doing to animals all over the world; we’re reminded that the loss of animals affects our local ecosystems and environments， and will have an eventual global impact！Book was informative without being inaccessible for the layperson。
Brittany
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Beautiful photos for a very important cause。 Only criticism I have is I would have loved a bit more information on each species depicted。
Jenni
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Beautiful pictures。 The animals share such engaging expressions。
Daniel
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Gorgeous， informative， and ultimately tragic， this is another fantastic collection from National Geographic。 The photos are of amazing quality， with each animal coming to life right there on the page。 There is also a wealth of information about both the featured animals， and the effects of human 'development' on their ecologies。 Probably the best coffee-table-style book of the year。 Gorgeous， informative， and ultimately tragic， this is another fantastic collection from National Geographic。 The photos are of amazing quality， with each animal coming to life right there on the page。 There is also a wealth of information about both the featured animals， and the effects of human 'development' on their ecologies。 Probably the best coffee-table-style book of the year。 。。。more
Lisa
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Such a compelling and interesting book。 I didn’t know that some of my favorite animals were in danger。 And some I had never heard of。 Wow！
Beverly
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The pictures are great and this is an interesting book although quite sad that some animals are extinct or close to extinction。
Becky H。
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