Did you know that the world has lost more than half of its biodiversity in the last 40 years? Or that over 100,000 African elephants were killed in the last three years for their ivory tusks? Today, March 3, is World Wildlife Day, an opportunity to celebrate the world’s wild fauna and flora and the benefits of a biodiverse world.

This day reminds us of our individual responsibility to protect the ecosystems from destruction for natural resources, and of the need to fight against wildlife crime, over-exploitation, habitat loss, illegal trade, and all threats that affect animal and plant species around the world.

Flickr is home to tens of thousands of wildlife photographers, men and women who dedicate their efforts to capture and share the beauty of our planet and to teach the public about the value of our wildlife. In their honor, and in honor of all the exceptional people who dedicate their time to stop animal crime, we’ve put together a gallery featuring some of the world’s most endangered and vulnerable species to champion their survival and to understand their importance.

To discover new details about World Wildlife Day and learn what you can do to preserve our planet, please visit the Wildlife Day website. And be sure to browse through their Flickr page to find all the entries for their 2017 ‘Through Young Eyes’ photo contest!