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The article discusses the lengths that wildlife photographers will go to capture images of some of the world's rarest animals. Topics include a brief profile of U.S. wildlife photographer Kevin Schafer, including Schafer's motivation for working under inhospitable conditions to photograph rare animals, the number of species estimated to be endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and several photographs of rare mammals, including the critically endangered black rhinoceros, taken by Mitsuaki Iwago, the critically endangered Celebes crested macaque, taken by Theo Allofs, and the endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, taken by Xi Zhinong.

The researchers - from the Xerces Society of Invertebrate Conservation, the ABQ BioPark and the IUCN Firefly Specialist Group - concluded in results released last spring that 11 percent of all assessed species are threatened with extinction and that insufficient data exist to evaluate the status of more than 50 percent. Investigating the status of some of this continent's most-beloved insects, experts recently completed a landmark assessment of 128 of the 167 known species of firefly (right) native to the United States and Canada. [Extracted from the article]

In the United Kingdom alone, the report notes, more than 2,300 species of birds, mosses, fungi, insects, lichens and mammals use native oaks for food and shelter. "We finally have a complete picture of the state of the world's oaks", says Murphy Westwood, director of Morton Arboretum's Global Tree Conservation Program. A new landmark report paints a dire picture for many of the planet's 430 oak species. [Extracted from the article]

Vital oaks at risk of extinction A new landmark report paints a dire picture for many of the planet's 430 oak species. A native of desert regions in the U.S. Southwest, the appropriately named diabolical ironclad beetle (right) has unusually strong body armor that resists compression and powerful blows. "The way it's built, the exoskeleton would be really hard to crack", Kisailus says. [Extracted from the article]

Focuses on how endangered peregrine falcons are adapting to city life all around the United States. Gradual comeback that the species is making from near extinction in many wilderness areas of North America; Physical characteristics of the falcon; Susceptibility of the peregrine falcon to pesticides; Perils that peregrine falcons face in the urban environment.

Focuses on the efforts of Puerto Rican scientists to protect the parrot, one of the world's rarest birds. Profile on Jim Wiley, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientists stationed at the Caribbean National Forest to protect the offspring of parrots from rats; Breeding program for the endangered species; Reasons cited for the decline of the species.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the "National Wildlife" photograph contest, conservation efforts to save endangered Hawaiian monk seals, and the effect of mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants on wildlife.

The article presents an editorial on efforts being made to preserve the wood stork in the U.S. The author discusses how the bird was declared an endangered species in 1984 and afforded protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The wood stork population is recovering successfully. The author discusses other species that have not received the same amount of funding as the wood stork.

The article presents information on various papers published in the February 1, 2006 issue of the journal "National Wildlife." It informs that the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is all set to provide financial aid to restore reduced populations of ducks and some of the other wild animals. One of the papers throws light on the function of the 70 anniversary of the NWF. The occasion highlighted the achievements of the organization. Another paper focused on the benefits of buying organic cotton products. The article states that today, the NWF and Florida affiliate continue to work to protect the endangered deer. The organization also won a lawsuit regarding amendments for failing to safeguard key deer and other endangered species during the implementation of a flood insurance program in the United States.