I can’t stand by as wild animals disappear.

Like many of us at Defenders, I’ve devoted my whole life to protecting and conserving all manner of life on Earth. It breaks my heart to see species after species driven to the brink of extinction.

Next week we observe World Wildlife Day, a global celebration of life on Earth. And this year, I believe we are approaching our last, best chance to reverse the pattern of extinctions that threaten to overwhelm our world.

Change the future for wild animals in danger: Make your gift in honor of World Wildlife Day and help us power all-out efforts to save wildlife!

The painful truth is that up to a million species of plants and animals could go extinct in the coming decades. Around the globe, too many species could disappear in our lifetimes:

Northern white rhinos: These majestic creatures have been hunted to the brink for their horns by poachers looking to make a profit from the illegal wildlife trade. Only two members of the northern subspecies are left on Earth, protected by armed guards 24 hours a day.

And right here at home, Defenders is fighting to protect critically imperiled wildlife like:

Red wolves: These beautiful predators once roamed across much of the Eastern US, but extermination campaigns and habitat loss nearly wiped these wolves out forever. Only a handful of wild red wolves remain, struggling for survival in a small region of Eastern North Carolina. Without intervention, their future is grim.

North Atlantic right whales: These whales have never fully recovered from being hunted nearly to extinction by the commercial whaling industry. The race is on to save this species from disappearing altogether due to threats like ship strikes and entanglements in fishing gear.

Defender, it’s not too late to change the future for these animals – but we’re running out of time to make a difference.