Site icon Peter A. Hovis

He photographed 14,000 vulnerable species; plus, the world’s happiest places

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AT THE WORLD’S MERCY
Friday, May 19, 2023
In today’s newsletter, we celebrate the beautiful Indochinese green magpie, go inside the “Ellis Island of the West,” marvel at a dark pigmented leopard … and ask, why are some people reimbursed when their dogs are attacked by wolves?
VIDEO BY JOEL SARTORE, NAT GEO PHOTO ARK
The project began as a way to shed light—and witness—the world’s endangered species.

As of today, Nat Geo’s Photo Ark has grown to display images of 14,000 species, each at the mercy of changing climates, shrinking habitats, and expanding human reach. The latest species, an Indochinese green magpie, is among songbirds struggling to evade widespread poaching, says photographer and Nat Geo Explorer Joel Sartore.

Sartore, working on this project since 2006, hopes to show more than 20,000 species to inspire generations to care. “All we can do is try,” he tells us.

GO DEEPER
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOEL SARTORE, NAT GEO PHOTO ARK
Spreading the word: The U.S. Postal Service is featuring 20 different endangered animals from the Photo Ark to pay tribute to the Endangered Species Act, enacted 50 years ago. At top, the Indonesian green magpie known as Jolie was one of only eight of 93 smuggled Asian songbirds found alive in a suitcase at Los Angeles International Airport. Read more.
STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING
EVERETT COLLECTION HISTORICAL/ALAMY
The ’Ellis Island of the West’ detained hundreds of thousands of Asian immigrants. (Above, Japanese passengers are examined by U.S. officials)
New spinosaur species reveals how these “river monsters” spread around the world
Did early human interbreed with a ‘ghost’ population?
The intrigue behind the Bermuda Triangle
Lyme disease is spreading fast—but a vaccine may be on the way
How women have helped shift the complex history of this isolated village
While Rome was falling, these powers were on the rise
Why is Madagascar’s wildlife so unique? Their ancestors may have rafted over.
Wild meat sustains millions around the world—but can pose grave risks
These are the happiest places in the world
PEAK AURORA
PHOTOGRAPH BY BABAK TAFRESHI, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
Breathtaking: Auroras (pictured above) are gliding through skies where they typically haven’t before, like Arizona and England. The cause? Sunspot activity, which waxes and wanes on an 11-year cycle. We’ve been on an upward trend on northern (and southern) lights since 2019 and can expect peak auroras in 2024 or 2025, Nat Geo reports.
OOOOO, AAAAHH
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
PHOTOGRAPH BY JIM BRANDENBURG, MINDEN PICTURES
Profiting from dying dogs? If your dog is killed or injured by wolves in Wisconsin while hunting, the state will reimburse you for your loss ($2,500 per dog) or for your vet bills (one claim shows more than $10,000). Many hunters, however, are believed to be allowing—or even encouraging—their dogs to fight wolves (one pictured above) to cash in, Nat Geo reports. Where’s the limit? And how far have people gone?
A PRICE ON FIDO?
WHERE IN THE WORLD?
PHOTOGRAPH BY SHAAZ JUNG
The real black panther: A visit to this lush and dense tiger reserve yields more than tiger sightings. Thanks to preservation efforts, big cat populations are abounding—including black panthers (one pictured above), leopards with a mutation that causes dark pigmentation. Look closely and you can see the rosette patterns visible on its fur. Where is it?

A.

Florida
B.
Kenya
C.
India
D.
Wakanda

(Somewhat) related:

The history of the Florida panther, a symbol of reverence and revulsion
WHERE’S THE BLACK PANTHER?

Today’s soundtrack:
Three Little Birds, Bob Marley

Happy Friday! This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. What’s on your travel bucket list? Email

david.beard@natgeo.com to let us know. Thanks for reading!
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