Every year on the third Friday in May, thousands of people around the world participate in Endangered Species Day by celebrating, learning about, and taking action to protect threatened and endangered species. This includes wildlife refuges, zoos, aquariums, gardens, schools, libraries — and Exact Editions want to play our part too.

To mark the day, we are showcasing four articles from the digital magazine archives of our publishing partners that tackle the important subjects of endangered species, extinction, poaching and changing climates.

New Internationalist (April 2010) p26 — “The fall of King Tuna”

“Tuna are often touted as the world’s favourite fish, used in everything from cat food to high-class sashimi. The demand is endless but the supply is clearly finite […] In the last 50 years, 90 per cent of big predatory fish like tuna have vanished — wiped out in one generation.”

Back in 2010, the fate of the Atlantic bluefin tuna hung in the balance; New Internationalist reported on the state of the oceans through the eyes of one of its most highly valued species.

Read the full article in the April 2010 issue.

BBC Wildlife Magazine (November 2016) p28 — ‘Snow Patrol’

“As global climate change alters the weather conditions in these high-altitude locations, the plant and animal life of the mountains is forced to change in response.”

Not only do snow leopards live in some of the highest mountain ranges in the world, they are also one of the most endangered predators. During the filming of Planet Earth back in 2006, it was incredibly difficult for the filmmakers to capture the cat on film. But once they did, they also managed to contribute to humanity’s understanding of the ecology and behaviour of the leopards – which might give them a chance to survive and thrive as the climate crisis advances.

 Read the full article in the November 2016 issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine.

New African (December 1998) p8 — ‘Catching The Ivory Poachers’

“Eager buyers for endangered species of birds, snakes, plants, as well as valuable ivory and rhino horn are found in nearly every corner of the world. Little wonder as the annual value of wildlife crime now exceeds $8 billion.”

Back in 1998, New African reported on the inner workings of South Africa’s Endangered Species Protection Unit (ESPU) who were tasked with cracking down on the crime syndicates that are targeting the country’s wildlife. 

Read the full article in the December 1998 issue.

Geographical (February 2014) p34 — ‘Defenders of the Forest’

“Local people have expressed dismay at the fact that conservation groups have done little to defend them from the dam, and that FFI has started to remove their sacred crocodiles without their consent.”

Cambodia’s remote Cardamom forests offer a last refuge to numerous endangered species, but back in 2014, they were under threat from land clearances and a proposed dam. In 2014, Geographical reported on how efforts to save the forest have lead to an unusual alliance between the country’s student movement, the Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Communities and a group of Buddhist monks.

Read the full article in the February 2014 issue. 

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Access to the digital magazine issues included in this post will be active until the 15th July 2021.

Fully-searchable digital subscriptions to New Internationalist, BBC Wildlife Magazine, New African & Geographical are all available in the Exact Editions individual and institutional shops.