species extinction
They populate every zoo and many picture books – and may soon be gone forever. A wake-up call in pictures
Never before in the history of the earth have so many animal species died in such a short time. With impressive animal portraits, the French photographer Alain Ernault shows what the sixth great extinction in the history of the earth really means.
Koala bear; Population: 300,000; status: vulnerable; Koalas aren’t bears, they’re marsupials. They were once widespread across Australia. The number of individuals has been falling dramatically for years. The reason for this is the loss of their habitat, eucalyptus forests, through deforestation and cattle breeding. Many Kolas also died from forest fires, which are becoming more numerous as a result of global warming