Amidst continuing reports of species loss, both high-profile exotic beasts and domestic it’s easy to forget that, all creatures great and small are threatened by our heedless exploitation of nature, not only the charismatic mammals. One of the most famous examples is the humble snail darter (right).

Consequently, the US Senate recently declared that Friday, May 21 Endangered Species Day. Celebrate by visiting the zoo or aquarium, and perhaps savoring a (farmed) buffalo burger… an animal we pushed to near extinction but with careful stewardship have brought back from the brink.