In late 2017, photographer Matthijs Kuijpers spent two days driving into the mountains in Suriname–armed with guns, because of the presence of illegal gold mining in the area–in search of a small toad covered in fluorescent pink splotches. It took another day of climbing before he reached the area, and another week of exploring. The photo he took captures a species, Atelopus hoogmoedi nassaui, that Kujipers says is so rare and threatened that it may have gone extinct since his expedition.
In a new book called Cold Instinct, currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, Kujipers shares portraits of rare reptiles and amphibians that he has taken over 27 years of work. Many are endangered, or may soon be, as humans drive habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. Hundreds of species of frogs are nearing extinction because of a deadly fungus called chytrid. A recent UN report that says that one million species are at risk of extinction explains that amphibians are particularly threatened; around 40% of all known species, or 3,200 types of amphibians, are now at risk of extinction. Another new study estimates that 1,100 amphibians that aren’t currently on the global endangered species list because of a lack of data probably should be listed.
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
