We’re all aware of the climate’s change effects, we’re all witnesses to the wildlife mass extinction and we do nothing. 

Luckily enough, there is still hope, because there are still some people out there who love wild animals so much, they would do anything to protect them. 

And this young man is the perfect example of what true awareness and involvement means. Dean Schneider is a 26-year-old animal lover from Zurich, Switzerland. Since he was very young, Dean learned to love and respect the wildlife. 

And two years ago, for the seek of his passion and nature, the young man made the biggest decision of his life. 

He decided to give up his prestigious job, he sold everything and moved to South Africa, to save wild animals. Here, Dean started the project he dreamed about – Hakuna Mipaka. A place where rescued wild animals are being cared of. 

A heaven on Earth for lions, zebras, hyenas and even baboons who were forced to live in miserable conditions. The name of the place means ‘no limits’ in Swahili dialect and so are Dean’s plans: limitless!

 

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“My mission is to reach as many people as possible and educate them about the wildlife and the beauty of the animal kingdom. 

I believe in the power of knowledge, passion and visual stories in order to change peoples’ perceptions and save the wildlife by spreading messages about respect and love for animals as well as about their essential value for our planet,” Dean explains his organization’s mission.

 

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This kind-hearted man spent his entire life so far protecting wildlife, because, as he said: “we only protect what we love!” Source

However, this one is particular is definitely shaking the world of birds with its breathtaking beauty. The mandarin duck – also known as the most adorable bird in the world. A tiny, yet extremely agile bird, the mandarin duck is always a dazzling presence thanks to its spectacular multi-colored features and its one-of-a-kind shape. 

Native to East Asia, the exotic birds can be found from large lakes to tiny ponds. They are also present (in small communities) in the UK and Germany, and some have been spotted even in the USA. While the females have a more common duller grey features, the males plumage is a vibrant mix of colors. 

Their tiny orange face is covered by a brown neck. The chest is purple with pale bronze on the side, while their backs have two orange ‘sails.’ Surprisingly, at some point the west europeans feared the lakes not to get over populated by these absolutely adorable birds. 

Their arrival in Europe goes back a few centuries, when the Mandarins brought some from China, but many of them got away and created their own colonies. 

And since they didn’t have any natural predators, their population started to grow rampantly. As about their diet, mandarin ducks usually feed themselves with water plants and seed, but they also enjoy small fishes or snails. Scroll down to see more of these unique birds! Source

However, most of us are used to seeing them surrounded by snow on the frozen waters of the Arctic. This is exactly why we were surprised to find out that Russian photographer Dmitry Kokh has managed to photograph these large animals at an abandoned weather station on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea. 

The station was built in 1934 and closed in 1992. It is quite unusual to see polar bears walking around in what feels like a post-apocalyptic human land. 

But nature always sends you something when you least expect it—when we passed by Kolyuchin Island near the Northern coast of Chukotka, we saw some movement in the abandoned windows there. And when we got close—those were bears! Never before were they seen in those buildings, so that was once-in-a-lifetime situation,” the photographer told Bored Panda. 

 More info: Instagram | dmitrykokh.com | youtube.com 

Wildlife photographer Dmitry Kokh took mesmerizing and unusual photos of polar bears at an abandoned weather station

This photo with a polar bear in the window titled “Summer Season” became the best representation of wildlife in a man-made environment in a competition held by a magazine called “Russia’s Wildlife”.

The photographer had to travel to the farthest and most eastern part of the Russian Arctic to take these shots Abandoned weather station on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea “Finally getting back from a long-awaited trip to Chukotka and Wrangel Island. Being the farthest and most eastern part of the Russian Arctic, this place is very hard to get to but also difficult to forget. 

We traveled by sailing yacht along the coast and covered more than 1200 miles of untouched landscapes, villages lost in time, diverse fauna, and seas full of life,” Dmitry wrote on his Instagram. If someone asked how we imagine the end of the world looking, this image comes pretty close “I always wanted to get some nice shots of polar bears, and that was the main target of our expedition,” said the photographer Just your regular largest land carnivores, chilling Here are the amazing bears in action:

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Ever since, the spend their time together and their inspiring and unique bond shows the world that love is the language we all speak, humans and animals alike! Recently, the conservationist Valentin Gruener, shared a video to show everyone his lioness friend’s reaction when she sees him in the morning. 

The heartwarming footage went viral online, and it’s easy to see why!

@sirgathelioness Sirga doesn‘t understand the concept of social distancing. Luckily, she doesn‘t have to. #tiktokwildlifeday ♬ Oh No I Hope I Don't Fall... - IndieHay

“Sirga thinks of me as a best friend. She loves to give me a big hug,” Gruener said. 

“She does rub her head on mine a lot, just like a domestic cat. Sirga has never been aggressive towards me but I have a huge respect for what she is. I am sure she is aware that I am very different.” Gruener and Sirga have initially met in 2012, and there were not the best circumstances. The now so strong lioness, was only a few days old when Gruener found her. 

Born in a rehabilitation center, her mom rejected her shortly after birth, and she was the only one to survive from the litter. Gruener brought her at the Modisa Wildlife Project – a wildlife conservation center he co-founded in Botswana. 

It was there where their great friendship started. “Sirga is amazingly gentle for a very large cat. When I go to see her, she always hugs me like in that video,” Gruener said. 

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