conservation
“The least I can do is speak out for those
who cannot speak for themselves.”
Jane Goodall
Beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary, Iceland
Beluga whales Little Grey and Little White wait in their onshore care pool to be relocated to their new natural habitat. Both whales come from an aquarium in Shanghai and have made a journey of almost 6000 miles. The Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary is located in the Vestmannaeyjar islands in Iceland. It is the first sanctuary of its kind
Poster advertising an aquarium
Unfortunately, they still exist: aquariums with whales and dolphins, like here in Kaliningrad, Russia. Over 3,000 whales and dolphins are kept in aquariums worldwide to perform in shows.
Black "red fox" (Vulpes vulpes), San Juan Island, USA
Slow down!
Black "red fox" (Vulpes vulpes), San Juan Island, USA
Every year in Germany alone, 200,000 to 250,000 game accidents occur with cloven-hoofed animals, i.e. roe deer, wild boar, fallow deer and red deer. According to estimates by the German Hunting Association, the number of accidents involving other animals such as foxes, badgers and hares is about four times as high.
Fog Crow (Corvus corone) in front of a cogeneration plant, Tegel Lake in Berlin
David against Goliath - a classic situation in nature conservation
A nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is setting up a nest box, Tegeler Forst, Berlin
Biodiversity is important to us all. And everyone can contribute a small part to it. For example, by hanging up nesting boxes.
Gravestone of the last male Northern White Rhino at the rhino cemetary, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya
Sudan was the last male northern white rhino. In the hope of still saving the species, sperm was taken from him. So a part of him is still alive – frozen in the Avantea Laboratory in Italy. The sperm of three other northern white rhinos is also stored here.
Some treats for the last Northern White Rhinos (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya
The Northern White Rhino is on the verge of extinction. There are only two living animals left - two females. They live closely guarded in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya. The international BioRescue consortium is trying to make the impossible possible with frozen sperm, advanced assisted reproductive technologies, and stem cell-associated techniques.
Young Rothschild Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi), Giraffe Centre Nairobi.
The Rothschild Giraffe is one of the most endangered giraffe subspecies, mainly due to habitat loss. The Giraffe Centre Nairobi is raising public awereness about this endangered species and is well known for successful conservation breeding and environmental education.
Giraffe Centre, Nairobi
At the Giraffe Center on the edge of Nairobi, you quickly make new friends. One or the other might even get a kiss from Daisy IV, Betty or one of the other ten giraffes that grow up here or are kept for the breeding of the endangered Rothschild giraffes. Here you get to know our largest land animals and learn more about their endangerment.
Rescued Chimp (Pan troglodytes) in the Sanctuary in Ol Pejeta, Kenya
The Sanctuary provides a lifelong refuge to orphaned and abused chimpanzees. Many had been confiscated from cramped and unnatural living conditions. At Sweetwaters they get a chance to start a new life.
Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Ol Pejeta, Kenya
Chimps are not native to Kenya. But when a rescue centre in Burundi closed due to the civil war in 1993 the Sweetwater Chimpanzee Sanctuary was opened.
Abandoned glassworks Haidemühl in South Brandenburg, Germany
The Haidemühl glassworks was built in 1835. In GDR times, this factory was considered one of the most modern plants in the GDR. Around 1280 people had their jobs here, and around 345,000 bottles are said to have rolled off the production line every day. After the reunification of Germany, the Treuhand took over the factory and sold it to an investor from the West. However, nothing more was invested here. On the contrary, the machines were sold, and shortly afterward, in 1992, production was stopped. Contaminated sites and waste remained on site.
Rotting bags of potassium carbonate, glassworks Haidemühl.
Under the leaking roof of the hall, countless bags of potassium carbonate from Taiwan and South Korea have been piling up for over 30 years(!). Potassium carbonate is used as a flux in glass production. Each container holds 1,000 kilograms. Many have burst open over time and the powder is spread across the floor of the hall. Potassium carbonate can be corrosive in contact with the skin. Safety data sheets warn of severe skin, eye, and respiratory irritation in humans. The same probably applies to animals that get too close.
Waste containers in the abandoned glassworks Haidemühl
Just behind the open entrance gate to the Haidemühl glassworks site, ten hot-dip galvanized steel containers are lined up. Some of them are open. No one wants to touch them to close them. They are full to the brim with black goo.
Oil canister from historical times - still there, glassworks Haidemühl
Some containers are held on the surface by a thick black crust. Plastic bottles and aluminum canisters. There is a small yellow leaf from a birch tree on one of the canisters. Next to it are some birch seeds stuck in the black slime.