Photographer Spends 2 Years Photographing Animals That May Soon Be Extinct, And It Breaks Our Hearts

For most of us, endangered animals are a far-away mystery. British photographer Tim Flach, however, has spent the last two years braving their habitats and documenting the rare animals' fragile existences. The resulting body of work, Endangered, provides us with an intimate and rare view into the beautiful lives of Earth's most threatened species and reminds us of everything we should be afraid to lose.

From species we're all familiar with (polar bear, snow leopard, cheetah) to exotic wild animals we'd only imagine in fantasy films (saiga, Philippine eagle, olm salamander), Flach presents a wide spectrum of biodiversity of endangered species, and sheds light on the unique challenges each animal faces in order to survive. Some have had their numbers cut down by habitat destruction. Others endure more gruesome ordeals, such as hunting, poaching, and being sold into the black market.

Flach has often stated that he aims to reveal in his animal pictures the relationships that connect humans to our wilder counterparts. Staring into the eyes of the animals featured in Endangered, it's heartbreaking to imagine that any one of them would ever be considered less worthy of life than one of us. Scroll down to see the most stunning pictures of animals from the series, and vote for the ones that took your breath away.

More info: Endangered, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

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Saiga

Final score:

388points

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Cilantro The Fox 6 years ago

I feel like it's staring into my soul... in a good way

60points

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Polar Bear

Final score:

344points

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Yvonne Bernal 6 years ago

I want to cry....

50points

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Philippine Eagle

Final score:

335points

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Crazy Dog Lady 6 years ago

Love that he can have different hairstyles for day/night.

65points

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Hyacinth Macaw

Final score:

331points

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Lira Mai 6 years ago

Beautiful.

31points

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African Elephant

Final score:

308points

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-- 6 years ago

dem eyelashes

44points

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Iberian Lynx

Final score:

307points

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Mama Panda 6 years ago

Those eyes.....<3

35points

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Snow Leopard

Final score:

306points

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Tiari 6 years ago

Snow leopards are not longer “endangered“, btw klassisches into “vulnerable“. A heartfelt Thanks to all the conservationists around the world <3

95points

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Cheetah With Cubs

Final score:

270points

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PurpleUnicorn 6 years ago

The first time I saw a cheetah was a female with cubs, surrounded by safari vehicles. The thrill was real but it was kinda sad too

26points

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Ring Tailed Lemur

Final score:

241points

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Brendan Burns 6 years ago

Um the one on the left is a Crowned Sifaka

51points

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#10

White Bellied Pangolin

Final score:

221points

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Cilantro The Fox 6 years ago

Awww I love pangolins :(

31points

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#11

Ploughshare Tortoise

Final score:

219points

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mr toto 6 years ago

are they coming out of the eggs with numbers on their back? :D

34points

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#12

Red Panda

Final score:

207points

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Pastel Ghostie 6 years ago

I WANNA SLAP THAT POPSICLE OF ADORABLENESS OFF THAT ENDANGERED LIST

49points

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#13

Fireflies

Final score:

206points

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Hari Onago 6 years ago

There used to be so many of them when I was a kid. It's been so long since I last saw one :(

74points

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#14

Hippopotamus

Final score:

194points

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Desiré Yen 6 years ago

No way I never knew hippos are becoming extinct 😱 nooooo!

30points

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#15

Giant Panda

Final score:

190points

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Mama Panda 6 years ago

Ok I am going to move to where ever these animals reside and buy a huge piece of land and keep them all safe with me!

48points

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#16

Red Crown Crane

Final score:

189points

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Drew Goodman 6 years ago

So elegant

28points

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#17

Golden Snub Nosed Monkey

Final score:

188points

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Desiree Summer 6 years ago

that hair! so majestic!

25points

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#18

Pied Tamarin

Final score:

186points

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lindsaymad2000 6 years ago

Yoda? Is that you?

94points

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#19

Sea Angels

Final score:

183points

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Trudy Wiege 6 years ago

Beautiful never heard of them

40points

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#20

Shoebill

Final score:

180points

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DancingToMyself 6 years ago

Such an intelligent look. :p

19points

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#21

Northern White Rhinoceros

Final score:

176points

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Sverre Gidske 6 years ago

only one left :(

29points

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#22

Military Macaw

Final score:

156points

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Breanne Chandler 6 years ago

So beautiful

22points

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#23

European Honey Bee

Final score:

156points

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David 6 years ago

Read an article not long ago that showed the numbers on honeybees is actually making a substantial comeback. This is a GOOD thing... No bees, no food.

10points

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#24

Egyptian Vulture

Final score:

155points

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Mama Panda 6 years ago

Me in the morning

43points

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Scimitar Oryx's

Final score:

155points

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PurpleUnicorn 6 years ago

They were extinct in the wild but have been successfully captive bred and reintroduced.

27points

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#26

Western Lowland Gorillas

Final score:

153points

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Marty Sunderland 6 years ago

So majestic, and wise looking.

22points

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#27

Scallope Hammerhead Aggregation

Final score:

153points

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Sergey Soldatenkov 6 years ago

we are the last generation who can see this

30points

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#28

Blue Throated Macaw

Final score:

151points

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Gillian Black 6 years ago

please be kidding me not these too

10points

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#29

Proboscis Monkey

Final score:

145points

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Michael Weinberg 6 years ago

That looks like Trump. Nevermind, that's an insult to this Monkey.

60points

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#30

Kaiser's Newt

Final score:

141points

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Huanimalism 6 years ago

Amazing :) Stay please

14points

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#31

Indian Gharial

Final score:

140points

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-- 6 years ago

named for the k**b on its snout - ghara as in "mud pot"

22points

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#32

Yellow-Eyed Tree Frog

Final score:

136points

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Cilantro The Fox 6 years ago

Don't leave us Kermit!!!!!

25points

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Arabian Oryx

Final score:

136points

POST

PurpleUnicorn 6 years ago

The scimitar-horned oryx. They were extinct in the wild but captive breeding programmes have been successful enough to reintroduce them in selected protected locations.

26points

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#34

Marine Iguana

Final score:

136points

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Desiré Yen 6 years ago

😢

11points

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#35

Beluga Sturgeon

Final score:

129points

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PurpleUnicorn 6 years ago

Due to our appetite for caviar, pregnant females are killed for their eggs - nothing left to grow up

33points

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#36

Lemur Leaf Frog

Final score:

128points

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Joy Gerred 6 years ago

Cool!!

13points

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#37

Yunan Snub Nosed Monkey

Final score:

128points

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Emmy 6 years ago

With the Kylie Jenner lip kit.

58points

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#38

Smooth Fronted Cayman

Final score:

124points

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Desiree Summer 6 years ago

its so cuteeee!

17points

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#39

Yellow Eyed Tree Frog Eggs

Final score:

123points

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Breanne Chandler 6 years ago

What a photo!

27points

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#40

Hooded Vulture

Final score:

118points

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Dianne Wilson 6 years ago

I saw a bird like this one in the NT up near Kakadu

6points

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Olm Salamander

Final score:

111points

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Pastel Ghostie 6 years ago

It's like an Axolotl, but longer.

23points

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#42

Siamese Crocodile

Final score:

99points

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Howard Hendricks Jr 6 years ago

I thought crocodile farms in Thailand had bred plenty of these for repopulating the species.

8points

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#43

Partula Snails

Final score:

95points

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Gayle Bynum Cardosa 6 years ago

such delicate little creatures

12points

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What do you think ?

Zori the degu 6 years ago

Such amazing photos, this is one skilled photographer! And while we are on the subject, consider this carefully: Which is better? Having more money(by not taking care for nature) or having these beautiful creatures roaming in the world in the future? Because, I choose the second option.

24points

Petra Christovová 6 years ago

I think about this often too. We are horribly wasting the planet resources and our whole economy is based on wasting. Today everything is made so that it does not last long so people would buy new things. Economist are constantly babbling about need for infinite growth and production, but no one cares if this is manageable in the long term. Poor countries are devastating themselves for money .. really sad when I think about how our planet is being destroyed by our greed and expansion.

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Jay Jackson 6 years ago

Definitely the 2nd option!!! All of this is humans fault!! ! They deserve to live. If Hans never existed in the first place the world would be so much better.

1point

Hector Ruben 6 years ago

Excellent point!

0points

Nfn Kalyan 6 years ago

the options are between money and wildlife. it starts with agriculture.

LibbyNaylor 6 years ago

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J. A. K. 6 years ago

Amazing, how all these majestic and beautiful species were here long before us and how little time it took us to change the world to it's worse. Funny how we keep asking about our origins, where we come from, and the purpose of our lives, yet everything is right in front of us, but apparently we are blind on this eye and keep starring into the sky with its stars and search for alien life, yet waste everything so beautiful and unique on this planet, really sad!

Analyn Lahr 6 years ago

It's just so sad to think that one day these creatures could just be gone. And it's the fault of humans. Humans cut down forests and kill for sport and profit. We are the cruelest of Earth's species.

7points

Shafiq Wardag 6 years ago

Yes Analyn Lahr, I'm agree with ur point of view, one day evey things would be down, but we should never give pu these creatures of things, hope u don't mind it.

NonaAlliene Burnett 6 years ago

Humans are very far from being Humane! Surely God regrets creating humans more than any other species!

-1point

Georgia Graham 6 years ago

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Photographer Spends 2 Years Photographing Animals That May Soon Be Extinct, And It Breaks Our Hearts

Saiga

Polar Bear

Philippine Eagle

Hyacinth Macaw

African Elephant

Iberian Lynx

Snow Leopard

Cheetah With Cubs

Ring Tailed Lemur

White Bellied Pangolin

Ploughshare Tortoise

Red Panda

Fireflies

Hippopotamus

Giant Panda

Red Crown Crane

Golden Snub Nosed Monkey

Pied Tamarin

Sea Angels

Shoebill

Northern White Rhinoceros

Military Macaw

European Honey Bee

Egyptian Vulture

Scimitar Oryx's

Western Lowland Gorillas

Scallope Hammerhead Aggregation

Blue Throated Macaw

Proboscis Monkey

Kaiser's Newt

Indian Gharial

Yellow-Eyed Tree Frog

Arabian Oryx

Marine Iguana

Beluga Sturgeon

Lemur Leaf Frog

Yunan Snub Nosed Monkey

Smooth Fronted Cayman

Yellow Eyed Tree Frog Eggs

Hooded Vulture

Olm Salamander

Siamese Crocodile

Partula Snails

Games

Iveta

Iveta