Fragmentation
The Iberian Lynx is a highly vulnerable animal, affected by many odds. Fragmented populations in southern Spain and Portugal prevent a diversity in the genetics of the species. Its main prey, the rabbit, was hunted by humans as well as being affected by myxomatosis, leaving few left for the Lynx. The environmental change in its home, where scrub is being altered to plantations and roads built through its territories leads to further indirect and direct deaths. There’s some hope though, as new conservation methods have increased the numbers of the species and increasingly widen its range. It’s not gone until it’s gone.
Prints on request.
Peril
Songbirds like this Black-winged Myna are illegally traded every day in markets in South-East Asia. Some species of birds are particularly good singers that can make thousands, tens of thousands of dollars for their owners in some cases if they win singing competitions. Often, the birds are caught in nets and glue traps and ultimately, their removal from their wild habitats is disrupting the ecosystems and leaving forests silent. Recent studies and communication have started to generate real attention to this situation with groups like the Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group established by IUCN taking strides to protect the birds.