Page 39 - BBC Wildlife - August 2017 UK

WILDLIFE ART

HIPPOPOTAMUS
Hippopotamus amphibius
Ralph’s hippo is not actually belching, as
that wide yawn is in fact a coded threat.“The
pachyderm is showing off its teeth, which
can bite a crocodile in half,” says Ceri.“So
steer clear if you see one of these heading
your way and you think it looks sleepy.”The
Vulnerable species is hunted for its meat and
ivory and is also threatened by habitat loss,
which is accelerating as water is diverted for
farming and wetland areas are developed.
GIANT PANDA
Ailuropoda melanoleuca
“Hold on just one bamboo-pickin’ minute!”
exclaims Ceri. In September 2016, the
IUCN had announced that the giant panda
had moved one step away from the abyss
of extinction and had been downgraded
to Vulnerable. “With a lot of care, help and
attention, animals can come back from the
edge. Remember 4 September 2016. This is
positive and we must harness that positivity
and renew our fight against everything that
threatens our wildlife. It can be done.”

MONARCH BUTTERFLY
Danaus plexippus
“Butterflies look so gentle and delicate,”
says Ceri. “I watch them and wonder how
they get through the day without damage.
But they are actually much hardier than you
think. The monarch migrates from Canada
to Mexico every year; a distance that can
reach 4,500km.” Yet the iconic species is
threatened by illegal logging and extreme
weather, which have felled many trees in
the butterfly’s winter home in the
montane forests of central Mexico.

RALPH STEADMAN is a
cartoonist and print-maker.This
is his third book with Ceri Levy.
CERI LEVY is a writer and film-maker who co-
created the Ghosts of Gone Birds art exhibition.

O CRITICAL CRITTERS is out
in July (Bloomsbury, £35). BBC
Wildlife readers can get a 25%
discount: visit www.bloomsbury.
com/uk and quote CRITTERS25 at the
check-out. Offer valid until 31 October 2017.
August 2017 BBC Wildlife 39