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World Bee Day is celebrated on May 20.
 
Bees, for most of us, are synonymous with honey bees — the buzzy little insects that live in hives ruled by a queen, make honey and pollinate crops.
Honey bees do pollinate over 1/3 of all the food crops.
 
But did you know that of the more than 21,000 known species of bees, only 8 species (and 43 subspecies) are honey bees?
 
The majority are native wild bees, the unsung buzz-pollinating heroes, that face a greater risk of going extinct due to excessive use of insecticides, habitat loss, and climate change.
 
In the painting I’ve shown two wild bees, the Blue-banded bee from southern India and the metallic green Sweat bee, found commonly in all continents except Antartica.
 Both the species have seen a drop in their populations, but are not endangered. Yet.

Unfortunately, all bees are not protected equally.
 
Honey bees have powerful agricultural organizations and beekeeping communities protecting them but wild bees, such as the solitary species and bumble bees have no such guardians. Yet they, too, pollinate up to 80% of flowering plants and nearly 35% of global food crops.

And they’re vanishing faster. Unnoticed.
 
But it's not too late to help.💚

What we can do: Plant native and seasonal flowering plants, reduce or avoid pesticides, leave a small patch of wilderness in the garden, and place  a shallow dish of water with pebbles (so the bees don't drown) 
 
Let’s let them bee.  

Chilean Woodstar Hummingbird (2.5g) is Critically Endangered with only ~300 individuals remaining in total. It is endemic to Chile.

This tiny pollinator is vital to the Atacama Desert ecosystem but it's population is decreasing because of habitat loss, pesticide use and rising temperatures due to climate change.

A tiny bird so close to extinction deserves more attention and all possible help.
Share the story. Save the species.💚

The Chilean Woodstar weighs as much as a paper clip, is as big as a car key and it is a vital pollinator.

At 2.5 gm and 7 cm, it is about the size of a large moth, sounds like a bee, and it famously performed elaborate courtship dances in flocks of hundreds around every flowering tree — but that was until the 1980s.

Until its population plummeted and it landed on the IUCN’s red list.

Species: Chilean Woodstar Hummingbird

Population: 300 individuals in total (2025) — no captive breeding program.

IUCN status: Critically Endangered.

Population Trend: Decreasing.

Range: Endemic to far northern Chile.

Habitat: Thickets and gardens along desert river valleys of Atacama.

Threats:
Habitat destruction by the burning of vegetation and agricultural expansion with use of pesticides are the main causes.
Climate change is causing temperatures to rise, killing flowering plants that are the nectar source. There is also competition from invasive species

The tiny hummingbird pollinates and keeps the flora and fauna alive in one of the harshest environments on earth — the Atacama Desert.

It is one of the few active pollinators in the desert valley ecosystem. Extinction of this keystone species will affect all other insects, reptiles, and birds that depend on the flowers and plants for survival. The ecosystem that survived millennia could collapse in decades.

Conservation efforts are ongoing, but a bird so close to extinction needs more help. Other than the Chilean government, local organizations, International Hummingbird Society, and American Bird Conservancy, very few groups are involved.

That is why awareness matters.

Even if we can’t always donate, we can still contribute by keeping the conversation on conservation alive – from wherever we are.

In reality, invisible species don’t get funded. Every conversation keeps the bird in the funding pipeline.

Let’s not let the Chilean Woodstar hummingbird fade away in silence.

Share the story. Save the species.

Today, May 3, is celebrated as International Leopard Day, a moment to bring the master of stealth, the spotted leopard (Panthera pardus) into the spotlight.
Because the sleek hunter is in a spot.

The stealthy, speedy, solitary, and strong predator is classified Vulnerable, yet some of the subspecies are Critically Endangered in the wild (in W. Africa, the Middle-East, and Russia).

Amur leopard(CR): 120-130

Arabian leopard(CR): fewer than 200

Javan leopard(CR): fewer than 250

Indochinese leopard(CR): 970-2500

The silent are often overlooked in the animal kingdom. Their existence is taken for granted until we realize, almost always too late, that they no longer exist.

Unlike other big cats, the spotted leopards are adaptable. They live in about 70 countries across the world. There are 8-9 recognized subspecies and they all look different based on their habitats.

What is the leopard’s ecological role?
As apex predators, leopards play a vital role in ecosystems. They keep prey populations in check and maintain balance. Losing them can transform entire ecosystems.

What are the biggest threats they face?
Illegal wildlife trade: Leopards are ruthlessly hunted for their skin and bones (traditional Chinese medicine).

Habitat loss: Leopards are losing their hunting grounds to agriculture, industrial growth, and human settlements.

Human-wildlife conflict: Overhunting of their natural prey (deer, sheep) by humans forces leopards to attack livestock, leading to killings by farmers and villagers.

Conservation efforts include habitat protection, scientific monitoring of leopards with GPS, and building predator-proof enclosures for cattle.

Government agencies, NGOs, and local communities are fighting illegal wildlife trade. We can help by supporting these programs and raising awareness.

Awareness can inspire action.

Share the story. Save the species.

Don't Dodo it.💚

One of Hawaiʻi’s most important forest birds is losing its last safe ground.

IUCN Status: Endangered

Population: 9,300 (2026)declining rapidly

The Hawaii Creeper plays a vital ecological role — it is the forest’s only pest controller. Bark-gleaning is its niche. It goes creeping along trunks, branches and bark to extract insects and spiders no other native bird can reach.

The ʻAlawī is one of 50 honeycreepers that evolved from a single Rosefinch ancestor blown to Hawaiʻi eons ago. Alawi survived hyperactive volcanoes, catastrophic hurricanes, and fierce competition for millions of years, but the bird faces endangerment in the wild because of mosquitoes and climate change.

Alawī depend on cold mountain air for survival. The birds live only above 1,500 m where avian malaria-carrying Culex mosquitoes cannot survive.

As climate change is warming those elevations, the mosquitoes are climbing higher, encroaching on the Alawi’s safe space. Their last refuge is shrinking.

But there is hope.

Ongoing conservation efforts include mosquito suppression and predator control programs, habitat protection, and long-term population monitoring.

We can help by supporting the programs, demanding serious climate action, and raising awareness.

Awareness can inspire action.

Share the story.
Save the species.
Don’t Dodo It. 💚