Lots of people do various different things in order to raise awareness of, and build funds for, endangered species. One unusual thing that I stumbled across recently is this guy who is creating gorgeous paper animals representing some endangered animals. They are really quite beautiful, I think. Take a look and see if you agree. Which ones do you like the best?

Giant Panda

And to cap off this series is a papercut of a Giant Panda. It was still listed as an endangered species when I started this project last December 2016. In 2017 Giant panda is no longer endangered. There’s still hope for humanity after all 🙂 You can purchase the artwork at https://www.aoklife.com/auctions/109/Patrick-Cabral/Panda or follow the link on my profile. I’m donating 50% to @wwfphilippines Find out more about WWF’s initiative on Giant Panda at https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/giant-panda Follow @Aoklife to find out how you can help Charitable Institutions raise funds.

A post shared by Patrick Cabral (@darkgravity) on Apr 10, 2017 at 6:35pm PDT

Dhole

Did you know that the Dholes are famous for their communication skills? They produce a variety of sounds like growls, whistles, screams and clucks to communicate each other. In 2014, the Indian government sanctioned its first dhole conservation breeding centre at the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) in Visakhapatnam. The dhole has been protected in Russia since 1974, though it is vulnerable to poison left out for wolves. In China, the animal is listed as a category II protected species under the Chinese wildlife protection act of 1988. In Cambodia, the dhole is protected from all hunting, while conservation laws in Vietnam limit extraction and utilization. In 2016, the Korean company Sooam Biotech was reported to be attempting to clone the dhole using dogs as surrogate mothers to help conserve the species. You can purchase the artwork at https://www.aoklife.com/auctions/77/Patrick-Cabral/Dhole Or follow the link on my profile. I’m donating 50% to @wwfphilippines Follow @Aoklife to find out how you can help Charitable Institutions raise funds. Let me know what other endangered animals you want to see on paper cut on the comments.

A post shared by Patrick Cabral (@darkgravity) on Apr 7, 2017 at 6:08am PDT

Pangolin (Scaly Anteater)

What’s scaly from tip to tail and can curl into a ball? Pangolins! These solitary, primarily nocturnal animals, are easily recognized by their full armor of scales. A startled pangolin will cover its head with its front legs, exposing its scales to any potential predator. If touched or grabbed it will roll up completely into a ball, while the sharp scales on the tail can be used to lash out. Also called scaly anteaters because of their preferred diet, pangolins are increasingly victims of illegal wildlife crime—mainly in Asia and in growing amounts in Africa—for their meat and scales. Eight species of pangolins are found on two continents. They range from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered. Four species live in Africa: Black-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla), White-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis), Giant Ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) and Temminck's Ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii). The four species found in Asia: Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis), Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) and the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla). All eight pangolin species are protected under national and international laws, and two are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. You can purchase the artwork at https://www.aoklife.com/auctions/64/Patrick-Cabral/Pangolin or follow the link on my profile. I’m donating 50% to @wwfphilippines Find out more about WWF’s initiative on Pangolin at https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/pangolin Follow @Aoklife to find out how you can help Charitable Institutions raise funds. Let me know what other endangered animals you want to see on paper cut on the comments.

A post shared by Patrick Cabral (@darkgravity) on Apr 5, 2017 at 6:07pm PDT

Tiger

Do you want to see these papercuts in great detail? Head on to http://behance.net/darkgravity or follow the link on my profile.

A post shared by Patrick Cabral (@darkgravity) on May 10, 2017 at 6:59am PDT

Snow Leopard

Did you know that the Snow Leopard has no relation with the leopard? – it is closer to a Cheetah The snow leopard’s powerful build allows it to scale great steep slopes with ease. Its hind legs give the snow leopard the ability to leap six times the length of its body. A long tail provides balance and agility and also wraps around the resting snow leopard as protection from the cold. For millennia, this magnificent cat was the king of the mountains. The mountains were rich with their prey such as blue sheep, Argali wild sheep, ibex, marmots, pikas and hares. Snow leopards are found in 12 countries—including China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, and Mongolia—but their population is dropping. Climate change poses perhaps the greatest long-term threat to snow leopards. Impacts from climate change could result in a loss of up to 30 percent of the snow leopard habitat in the Himalayas alone. You can purchase the artwork at https://www.aoklife.com/auctions/40/Patrick-Cabral/Snow-Leopard or follow the link on my profile. I’m donating 50% to @wwfphilippines Find out more about WWF’s initiative on Rhinos at https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/snow-leopard Follow @Aoklife to find out how you can help Charitable Institutions raise funds. Let me know what other endangered animals you want to see on paper cut on the comments.

A post shared by Patrick Cabral (@darkgravity) on Mar 31, 2017 at 7:24am PDT

I was impressed not only with the intricacy of the designs, but also the details of the particular species that have been incorporated into these designs. For instance, look at the tiger and the snow leopard above – although these are both in the cat family, the artist has managed to capture these different features really well.

I think the bottom line is simply this – whatever the cause you believe in (raising awareness for endangered species, educating people regarding skin conditions such as hypertrophic scars or keloids, or spreading the word about the effects of ozone depletion on the environment), figure out an unusual way to achieve your goal, using your unique set of talents.