Relocating To Prevent Extinction | The Animal Kingdom’s Crisis

 

Photographer Erik Hijweege  is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay.  From the project ‘New Habitat’.  To see Erik’s body of work, click on any image.

 

 

 

 

 

New Habitat

Relocating endangered species to safer grounds

Across the globe, more and more species are in peril. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, over 26,000 species are facing extinction. The ice-covered waters, savannahs and rainforests that they have called home for generations are steadily swallowed by human-dominated areas.

But throughout evolution, nature has shown its resilience. How will biodiversity respond to the extreme circumstances it is facing in the Anthropocene?

In an ultimate quest to secure their survival, can these animals relocate to safer grounds? Will these species defy evolution’s centuries-spanning pace and quickly adapt to new habitats? Can the African Elephant settle in the Dolomites, will the Polar Bear survive in Switzerland?

Drawing a peculiar parallel with the human refugee crisis of our time, photographer Erik Hijweege alerts us to an ever-looming and rapidly manifesting crisis in the animal kingdom, while also paying his respect to nature’s resilience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All images & text © Erik Hijweege

 

 

See also:

Sublime Nature

By Erik Hijweege