#live specimen

[endlingmusings]

The only Schomburgk’s deer to have ever been photographed alive was a stag kept at the Berlin Zoo. Currently, only 6 photos are known to exist, including the above which shows the animal in 1904. [ x ]

[sharrchews]

being a subject that only cooperates on sedatives. overall you’re a handful that offers more casualties than results, but you become so willing under the right dose that the doctors almost completely forget why they were upset with you in the first place.

[endlingmusings]

[ Sourced from x ]

[endlingmusings]

"In Louisiana there is very frequently found a wholly black wolf, pupped in a litter with ordinary gray brothers and sisters, which prove this phase to be merely a color variation and does not make the animal a separate species. In the Audubon Park Zoo, New Orleans, a male black wolf with a gray bitch from the same litter taken in Evangeline parish, and kept in captivity for a number of years, bred three times, and in each litter there were black pups as well as gray."

[ A melanistic red wolf. Photo and accompanying description sourced from "The Fur Animals of Louisiana" by Stanley Clisby Arthur, published in 1931. ]

[endlingmusings]

''3 individuals (2 males & 1 female) seen sometime in April, 1987. My mother and father were living in Monteverde in the spring of 1987, staying with the Gavin family. I have been digitizing their old slides, and thought these ones were significant, so I uploaded them. The date and location are approximate, based on their best recollection.''

[ Photos uploaded by iNaturalist user zacpeterson showing a trio of golden toads. The last confirmed sighting of this species would take place just two years later in 1989, though the exact reason for their decline and subsequent extinction is still debated. ]

[endlingmusings]

A trio of Asiatic cheetahs photographed in 1885. The photo was originally published in Charles E. Clay’s 1901 article “The Hunting Leopard of India”, in which he describes the cheetah and their use as coursing animals by locals. [ x ]

[endlingmusings]

A pair of Rabbs' fringe-limbed treefrogs, photographed by iNaturalist user ramon_d in July, 2005. While still considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN, this species hasn't been observed in the wild since 2007. [ x ]

[endlingmusings]

"The Asiatic cheetah is on the brink of extinction due to worsening conditions. Unfortunately, wildlife conservation in Iran is not a top priority for the government, which is under intense pressure from sanctions. These sanctions not only affect the government but also the livelihoods and employment conditions of the people across the country. Companies and factories are going bankrupt, and their workforce is being downsized. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep experts at non-governmental and non-profit organizations that are dedicated to preserving wildlife. Individuals are forced to migrate from hope to despair to sustain their paths of career growth and prosperity for themselves and their families. The Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), which used to have over 50 members, now manages all conservation, educational, and advocacy activities with only six individuals. Among them, we manage to pay a modest salary to only one person and struggle intensely with a shortage of manpower and budget. In the past year alone, three key members decided to migrate. If we are to dedicate more time and resources to the conservation of the Asiatic cheetah, there is no solution other than preserving the few remaining workforce. It is important to note that extinction won’t wait for political issues to be solved. The current supporters of the ICS have somewhat assisted in keeping ongoing conservation activities in the field, despite sanctions and economic hardships. However, the lack of sufficient manpower for field deployment renders project budgets futile, no matter how much they increase. Therefore, this year, we intend to request assistance for covering the salaries of our conservationists and aim to secure project costs from larger institutions throughout the year since they are generally uninterested in covering human resource expenses. According to our estimates, by Giving Tuesday next year, each full-time expert will incur at least 4100 euros in expenses. This amount covers only the salary and does not include insurance and other expenses, which we hope to obtain from other sources. With every 4,100 euros, we will be able to contract a full-time force for one year. We hope to raise a minimum of 8,200 euros from Giving Tuesday to International Cheetah Day this year. You can also contribute by securely donating money through PayPal at HelpCheetah.com or by sharing this message with others, helping us remain hopeful for preserving the Asiatic Cheetah."

- The words of Iranian Cheetah Society CEO Morteza Pourmirzai.

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