I hate to ruin this post with words, because these photos are so utterly, dramatically beautiful. I specifically chose these photos by Itou Kouichi after a week of eye-crossing image searches in order to remind us all that our world is unique, achingly gorgeous, and fragile. Every animal below is the epitome of what we consider “wild.” They are powerful creatures, that could easily kill a human being. That being said, please take note that every animal below is endangered or vulnerable. That is 4 out of over 40,000 threatened species, 16,000+ of which are endangered. If their existence can be threatened so easily, by a lack of balance, then what does that tell us about our own fragility? What are we doing to our world?

We need to take care of one another.

{p.s.}
* The US has the 2nd highest total of endangered and vulnerable species, only second to Ecuador.
* Special thanks to Itou Kouichi for allowing me to use these beautiful images on {Bits of Beauty}. More eye and soul candy {here}