Michael Marshall
Roger Hooper’s exhibition in support of the conservation organisation WWF, Life in the Wild, features photographs of some of the world’s most stunning creatures. Read on for New Scientist‘s pick of the show.
Cheetah
Status: vulnerable
The Earth’s fastest land animal has disappeared from much of its former range. In Africa, cheetahs remain widespread but thinly scattered, but they have they have vanished entirely from many countries in Asia.
The species is particularly tricky to protect because it is divided into at least five subspecies, each of which needs to be preserved. They are also difficult to breed in captivity.
This cheetah was photographed in the Masai Mara reserve in Kenya.
Brahminy kite
Status: least concern
These birds of prey are common in India, south-east Asia and Australia. This one was spotted in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka.
The brahminy kite population seems to be in decline, but so far is not thought to be in serious danger.
Leopard
Status: near threatened
The smallest of the four big cats, the leopard has seen its habitat shrink dramatically.
Its distinctive camouflage may have evolved to camouflage it in sun-dappled forests.
This fight was caught on camera in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka.
Lion
Status: vulnerable
The lion population has fallen 30 per cent over the past two decades, largely because people kill them to protect themselves or their livestock.
The victim of this hungry lioness’s attention is a common wildebeest in the Masai Mara in Kenya.
Great egret
Status: least concern
Great egrets are extremely widespread and populous, living throughout North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.
This one was seen in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka.
They often feed in shallow water, spearing fish and other small animals with their beaks.
