To me, Nature is God. Without it, we simply would not exist. Conserving the world’s natural spaces and the creatures that live there is paramount to the survival of humans as a species, and I have therefore dedicated my life to studying environmentalism in order to help people co-exist more successfully and sustainably with the natural world.
All natural materials I use in my creations are either sourced from roadkill, Fish and Game, secondhand sources such as fellow artists and estate sales, or are antique. In this way, I'm ensuring that no animals were needlessly killed for the sake of the artwork I produce. I fully believe that no part of any creature should go to waste if a purpose can be found for it, but I do NOT support trophy hunters or overseas fur farms by buying 'byproducts' like bones, skulls, or claws directly from them. The only exception I make for this rule is for parts from animals legally culled for population control programs approved by Fish and Wildlife.
As a photographer and wildlife enthusiast, I've been involved with many fantastic organizations such as Images4Life and Wild Tiger, as well as the Sierra Club and many smaller, local groups.
I've been published, interviewed, and even featured on Rainn Wilson (Dwight from “The Office”)'s personal networking website, SoulPancake.com.
I’ve also been blessed with the opportunity to visit many of the world’s most amazing wild places, like Komodo Island, Bali, Lombok, Malaysia, and the Cayman Islands, and have even documented entirely new species previously unknown to science.
Other interests include: Wilderness survival, primitive skills, backpacking, fishing, kayaking, boffing, airsoft, snowboarding, meandering around town, and caving.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
The liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion (Panthera leo) and a tigress (Panthera tigris). Thus, it has parents with the same genus but of different species. It is distinct from the similar hybrid tiglon. It is the largest of all modern felines.
Ligers enjoy swimming, which is a characteristic of tigers, and are very sociable like lions. Ligers exist only in captivity because the habitats of the parental species do not overlap in the wild.
Unfortunately, Ligers in captivity suffer from all manner of ailments throughout their lives, even before birth. Many grow so large inside the mother that she will require a dangerous C-section in order to get them out alive. Thereafter, as a result of their genetics, ligers grow to monstrous sizes at an alarming rate - much faster than is normal. This causes deformities in their internal organs which leaves many with permanent health problems for the duration of their lives.
As they become older, they continue to grow larger. This is because the growth inhibitor which exists naturally in the genetic code of both tigers and lions is non-existent in ligers, and the beasts can reach weights of over 950 pounds - much larger than any other existing cat in the history of earth (yes, even saber-tooth cats were smaller than this! The only exception would be the extinct North American cave lion, weighing in at an estimated 990 pounds).
Unfortunately for ligers, who lack the same stocky build and thicker bones of their prehistoric predecessors, this enormous size does no favors for them, and in fact, may lead to further health problems as their own internal organs crush one-another, leading to slow and painful deaths. Other issues faced by these hybrids include neurological disorders that lead to head shakes and the mental retardation.
As if this alone were not reason enough to stop breeding ligers and similar hybrids, it’s also a well-established fact that these cats serve no conservation-related value, and exist solely for the purpose of human entertainment. The American Association of Zoos and Aquariums has deemed the practice of breeding hybrids such as this as “inhumane” and “irresponsible” while efforts and resources could instead be focused on breeding critically endangered species.
Thankfully, no accredited zoos in the USA breed these cats today, leaving the practice instead to roadside menageries, private backyard breeders, carnivals, and circuses.
PLEASE - DO NOT support places which breed hybrids!
(Source: earth-song)
Award-winning taxidermy bobcat mount by Doyle Wildlife Taxidermy.
(Source: doylewildlifetaxidermy.com)
FOSSA!
(Source: anti-krist)
For many of Earth’s creatures, time is running out. Half of the world’s plant and animal species will soon be threatened with extinction. The goal of the Biodiversity Project is simple: to show what’s at stake, and to get people to care, while there’s still time to save them. More than 1,800 species have been photographed to date, with more to come.
Click here to view more amazing images from this project, photographed by National Geographic’s Joel Sartore: http://www.joelsartore.com/galleries/the-biodiversity-project/
No wait, you’ve still got some deer fur between your teeth.
I’ll never forget the day that I saw my first whale off the Oregon Coast. Nor will I forget the day that I heard humpbacks singing off the shores of Hawaii. There is something almost godly about these massive animals; I cannot explain it.
(Source: juleahkaliski)
Female jaguar in the rain. Photography by NaturePunk.
Stunning.
(Source: meowingtontcat)
For this awesome dude right here:
http://jayhawkeye.tumblr.com/
Photography by NaturePunk.
Like magic.
(Source: icollectanimals)
Caddis fly larvae are known to incorporate bits of whatever they can find into their cocoons, be it fish bone or bits of leaves. Hubert Duprat gave them gold, turquoise, gems and pearls.
Nature. Fuck yeah.
(Source: krgkrg)
Lol. Fox, why are you in a tree? Foxes don’t belong in trees.
Tanned hide of an elephant being prepped for taxidermy.
(Source: roadkill-gallery)
