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Leopard Tree Photography, Maitland (2026)

Sharing the stories of animals, landscapes, and fragile ecosystems to inspire conservation and connection with the wild.

08/08/2026

GREATER ONE-HORNED RHINO

Rhinoceros unicornis

Also known as the Indian rhinoceros, the greater one-horned rhino is the largest of the Asian rhino species.

Once widespread across the northern Indian subcontinent, their numbers fell dramatically due to hunting, habitat loss, and persecution. By the beginning of the 20th century, only around 200 individuals remained in the wild.

Through strict protection and conservation efforts in India and Nepal, the species has made an incredible recovery. Today, there are around 4,000 greater one-horned rhinos living in the wild.

IDENTIFICATION

Recognised by its single black horn, usually around 20–60 cm long, and its thick grey-brown skin folds that give it an armour-plated appearance.

They are generally solitary animals and are primarily grazers, feeding mostly on grasses, along with leaves, branches, fruit, and aquatic plants.

THREATS

Despite their recovery, greater one-horned rhinos still face serious threats.

Habitat loss: The destruction of natural grasslands and increasing human populations are reducing available habitat and increasing human-rhino conflict.

Poaching: Rhino horn remains highly sought after in the illegal wildlife trade, despite there being no scientific evidence that it has medicinal value.

Population & genetic diversity: Some protected areas are reaching their capacity, while isolated populations can face reduced genetic diversity and long-term breeding concerns.

The greater one-horned rhino is one of Asia’s great conservation success stories but its future still depends on continued protection.

02/08/2026

The Goodfellow’s Tree-Kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi) is one of the world’s most unique marsupials. Found exclusively in Papua New Guinea’s montane rainforests, it’s adapted to a life spent almost entirely in the trees. Its strong limbs, broad feet and long tail enable it to climb and leap effortlessly through the forest canopy. Its diet mainly consists of leaves fruits flowers and bark.

Unfortunately the species is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The biggest threats are habitat loss due to logging agricultural expansion and human development which continue to fragment the rainforests it relies on. Hunting for bushmeat and traditional uses also puts pressure on wild populations while climate change adds further uncertainty to its future habitat.

We can help ensure this remarkable species thrives for future generations by protecting rainforest habitat supporting conservation organisations and accredited breeding programmes and choosing sustainably sourced forest products.

13/06/2026

☀️ Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus) ☀️

The Sun Bear is the smallest bear species in the world, yet it plays a vital role in maintaining healthy rainforest ecosystems across Southeast Asia.

Known for having the longest tongue of any bear, reaching up to 25 cm (10 inches), Sun Bears use their powerful claws and incredible sense of smell to locate insects, honey, and fruit hidden throughout the forest. They are excellent climbers and often build nests high in the canopy where they rest among the trees. Their distinctive chest markings are unique to each individual, making every Sun Bear truly one of a kind.

Despite their importance to rainforest health through seed dispersal and insect control, Sun Bears face increasing pressures from habitat loss, deforestation, illegal poaching, and the exotic pet trade. As forests are cleared and fragmented, these shy bears are finding it harder to survive in the wild.

While they may be the world’s smallest bear, their role in the rainforest is anything but small. Every image shared, every conversation started, and every conservation effort made helps bring attention to one of the most overlooked bears on our planet.

15/05/2026

The Last Runners of the Rainforest

Native to the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, and parts of Honduras, this prehistoric-looking reptile spends most of its life near rivers and streams deep in the jungle.

Known as the “Jesus Christ Lizard,” the Plumed Basilisk can run across water using its powerful back legs and specially adapted feet, reaching speeds fast enough to stay above the surface for short distances.

For thousands of years, they’ve survived tropical storms, predators, floods, and the harsh conditions of the rainforest . but they can’t outrun deforestation.

As forests are cleared and waterways disappear, the basilisk loses the dense jungle it relies on for shelter, hunting, and survival. Every fallen tree and damaged riverbank pushes these ancient reptiles further from the wild places they’ve inhabited for centuries.

07/05/2026

From a young age, one voice was always in the background of my life growing up… and still is today. A voice filled with wonder, calmness, wisdom, and knowledge.
Sir David Attenborough.
Today he turns 100 years old.
I was born in 2000, meaning there were already decades of stories, discoveries, documentaries, and books waiting for me to experience. But that was only the beginning.
Growing up, I would sit for hours watching Animal Planet and Nat Geo Wild, and I owe a lot of that to my grandmother. She gave me the freedom to explore the natural world through a television screen, guided by David Attenborough’s voice.
No words can truly express what that man has done for this planet and for generations of people. He didn’t just show us animals… he taught us to respect them. To understand them. To care.
From the unforgettable moment he sat peacefully among mountain gorillas in Rwanda, gaining the trust of one of the most powerful and intelligent creatures on Earth,to standing beside the largest animal to have ever lived the blue whale ,reminding us how vast and extraordinary our world truly is.
He showed us birds dancing in jungles, deep-sea creatures glowing in darkness, deserts full of hidden life, and forests breathing with sounds most people will never hear in person.
He has witnessed the planet change across an entire century and used his voice not for fame, but to protect what cannot speak for itself.
For many people, he was a narrator. For others, a teacher. For some, the reason they pursued conservation, photography, biology, filmmaking, or exploration.
For me, he became part of the soundtrack of curiosity.
Happy 100th Birthday, Sir David Attenborough. Thank you for showing generations of people that this world is worth protecting, exploring, and falling in love with.

26/04/2026

Deep in West Africa’s forests, something rare is quietly fading away.

pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis)

Fewer than 2,500 remain in the wild, silent, solitary, and slipping closer to extinction every year.
Unlike their larger cousins, pygmy hippos don’t dominate rivers; they move like ghosts through dense rainforest, walking hidden paths along streams under the cover of night.
But their world is disappearing.
Deforestation, logging, mining, and agriculture are tearing apart the forests they depend on, fragmenting their habitat and pushing them closer to humans, where poaching becomes unavoidable.

Most live in Liberia, with smaller populations in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire.

They are one of Africa’s most elusive mammals, rarely seen, barely studied, and easily forgotten. Their survival depends on dense, undisturbed forest, the exact environment disappearing fastest.

With slow reproduction and isolated populations, every loss hits harder. There’s no quick recovery for a species already on the edge.

Conservation efforts are fighting back:
• Protecting key habitats like Sapo National Park
• Anti-poaching laws and forest protection
• Scientific monitoring and camera-trap research
• Captive breeding programs to preserve the species

This is a species that survives by staying unseen, but that invisibility may be its greatest threat.
If we don’t protect what’s hidden,
we risk losing it forever.

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