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Meet some of the rare and endangered animals found in our field project sites around our beautiful planet. The presence of threatened species in our project sites is good news and a reminder of the importance of our conservation work and its success as they are no longer hunted and their habitats are protected.
In our vast rainforest conservation site in Congo, we often observe the endangered African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus). African grey parrot is highly social species. We encounter then flying through the sky in noisy flocks and roosting in big groups amid the treetops each evening.
This month, we observed critically endangered forest elephants foraging in the deep rainforest of Congo. Forest elephants declined by 64 percent from 2002 to 2011 as poaching worsened in Central and West Africa. ESI sets aside land for wildlife—including corridors that connect those protected lands. Still up to 70 percent of elephants' range is on unprotected land, so much more need to be protected with full involvement and support of local communities.
Our team observed the endangered African and Asian pangolins (Smutsia gigantea and Manis culionensis) in search of ants and termites in early mornings during wildlife surveys and patrols. Pangolins are now the world’s most illegally traded wild mammal – more than one million poached over the past decade (more than rhinos, elephants, and tigers combined). ESI work to protect and restore pangolin populations is crucial.
The dark-sided chorus frog (Microhyla heymonsi) also known the Taiwan rice frog, is a species of narrow-mouthed frog found in northeastern India, southern China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia south to the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra as well as the Great Nicobar Island. Its presence in our field sites is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.
The largest fish in the world is the graceful, harmless, and endangered whale shark (Rhincodon typus). ESI encounters them during their migration every spring to the continental shelf of the central west coast of Australia. Though they reach the size of a school bus, whale sharks eat tiny plankton and fish egg.
We find often the endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) in our marine conservation sites. We observe the green sea turtle feeding on seagrass during daytime. ESI protects all sea turtle species including their feeding grounds and nesting beaches. Further, we collect plastics along costal areas in southeast Asia to reduce the risk of marine artificial debris ingested by sea turtles. Like most sea turtles, green turtles are migratory and use a wide range of broadly separated localities and habitats during their lifetime. Green turtles feed primarily on algae and/or seagrass.
In the Philippines, we protect a rare scroll coral (Turbinaria sp.) in our marine coral reef conservation site. The scroll coral lives in shallow water within heathy coral reef ecosystem. The Turbinaria species take on various characteristic shapes, depending on the depth at which they are found. ESI protects and restore coral reefs, seagrasses, and mangroves in the Coral Triangle (Southeast Asia).
We observe often several species of anemonefish or clownfish at our marine project sites. Anemonefish are omnivorous and can feed on undigested food from their host anemones, and the fecal matter from the anemonefish provides nutrients to the sea anemone. It is found in the Coral Triangle region of the tropical Indo-Pacific, spending nearly its entire life protected within anemones on coral reefs. Climate change and increasing ocean acidity, both resulting from carbon dioxide pollution, threaten the clownfish’s anemone and coral reef habitat.
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Our planet now faces a global extinction crisis never witnessed by humankind. Take action to help us fight it and protect wilderness where it is urgently needed. Your continued support is vital to protect imperiled wildlife and wild places. A monthly donation can achieve amazing protection for animals and nature. Our critical work could not occur without your generous donations. Donate monthly now!
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