Barry Turner Photography- Animals Page

ANIMALS

I intended originally to document the plight of the major species which are, for many reasons, declining and in danger of becoming extinct.

A simple example of how this situation has drastically changed is the Amur Leopard. A beautiful big cat, unique, irreplaceable.

In 2008 when this web site was first posted it was believed that there were only 80 of these cats left in the wild.

Such is their decline that the numbers have now fallen to an esitmated 30 animals. This is, possibly, just a viable breeding population.

Another species of big cat, the Indian Tiger, has declined so fast in the last ten years that there are probably more animals kept in zoos now

than remain in the wild.

A friend who regularly visits India to photograph tigers in their wild environment has decided not to go again.

The areas he has visited have been so heavily poached that he feels the Indian Tiger will no longer exist in the wild in a few years time.

These are major species, loved by everyone, viewed every day in wilidlife parks and zoos and admired for their natural beauty.

Asiatic Lions, China Tigers, Sumatran Tigers and even now African Lions are all endangered too.

If you consider the many less well known species that are in grave danger of vanishing from out planet,

critically endangered species number in their thousands.

This is happening in a world where the wealthy can still pay to shoot a wild lion for a trophy.

WHO IS TO BLAME AND WHAT CAN BE DONE?

There is a very simple answer to the first question we are - the Human Race.

Habitat encroachment, industry, greed, lack of understanding, complacency and complete disregard for the creatures that share our world.

We are responsible for polluting our oceans and huge areas of land.

We have been the direct cause of many extinctions and we have depleted our oceans of so many fish that they are now struggling to breed.

I personally feel that many more extinctions will happen and in the next ten years we will lose many species in the wild altogether.

We may still be able to see some of these creatures in wildlife parks and animal collections but not in the wild where they should be.

The valuable work of Zoos and Animal Parks in protecting the survival of endangered species is all we have left.

Can we stop the extinctions?

We may, if the critical nature of the situation is given the publicity and action it warrants.

As individuals we can only try to be more vocal and try to show the world what a valuable and irreplaceable part

of our existence these creatures and every other creature living on this planet are.

In recording and displaying images of just a few of these animals from both the wild and captive environments,

I may be able, in a very small way, to promote support for their plight.

Please enjoy the galleries.

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