NEWLY CREATED ‘TREE OF EXTINCTION’ SHOWS
SPECIES THAT ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME
The Tree of Extinction shows seriously endangered species including the Honey Bee, Indian Elephant and the Great White Shark
The Tree has been created to mark the premiere of Racing Extinction, the gripping new film from Oscar®-winning director Louie Psihoyos (The Cove), which exposes the hidden world of endangered species
The film’s findings suggest man’s impact on the planet is driving the sixth mass extinction
Racing Extinction to air Wednesday 2nd December at 9pm on Discovery UK
Ahead of the release of Oscar®-winning director Louie Psihoyos’ ground breaking film Racing Extinction, premiering on Discovery Channel UK on Wednesday 2nd December, Discovery has recreated Charles Darwin’s ‘Tree of Life’. The newly created ‘Tree of Extinction’ looks at species that have recently become extinct, as well as showcasing species whose numbers are diminishing at rapid rates. These include the Arctic Fox, the Emperor Penguin, the Common Snowdrop, the Honey Bee and the Indian Elephant.
The Tree of Extinction has five branches which span fish, birds, mammals, plants/trees and insects and showcases just a tiny fraction of endangered species in today’s world.
Racing Extinction exposes the hidden world of endangered species black markets and reveals shocking undercover footage of illegal animal trafficking. It speculates that we are approaching the sixth mass extinction. It is accompanied by the #StartWith1Thing campaign – Discovery’s call to action to create a worldwide movement. Discovery will ignite curiosity and global actions that people can take in four areas: fighting wildlife trafficking, reducing carbon emissions through use of green energy/transport, supporting green causes, and eating less meat – all by starting with one thing.
Dr David L. Roberts, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent said: “It is clear we are entering a time of immense environmental upheaval, with the most worrying outcome being extinction. Once a species is extinct that is millions of years of evolution lost, there is no coming back”.
Louie Psihoyos, Director of Racing Extinction stated: “With the help of Discovery I believe we can create a tipping point to create the change we need to preserve a planet that can sustain life for all species. There has never been a more important time in the world than to be alive now — the decisions we make in the next few years will impact the Earth and animal species for millions of years.”
Racing Extinction is on Wednesday 2nd December at 9pm on Discovery Channel UK
#StartWith1Thing
discoveryuk.com