Many of our designs are inspired by animals you may never see in the wild. Not because they live somewhere remote, but because there are so few of them left. Here are the stories behind some of the rarest animals on our tees, and why they matter.
Red wolf
Once found across the southeastern United States, the red wolf (Canis rufus) is one of the most endangered canids in the world. It was declared extinct in the wild in 1980, and every red wolf alive today descends from a small group bred in captivity. Reintroduced wolves now survive only in a small area of eastern North Carolina, where conservation teams keep working to rebuild the population.
Our tribute: the Red Wolf Illustration Tee.
California condor
With wings nearly three metres across, the California condor is the largest land bird in North America. By 1987 only 27 were left, and every one was taken into captivity to save the species. Thanks to decades of careful breeding and release, condors are flying again over California, Arizona, Utah and Baja California. It's one of conservation's great comeback stories, though lead poisoning is still a major threat.
Our tribute: the California Condor Tee.
North Atlantic right whale
The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is one of the most endangered large whales on Earth. Only about 380 are left, with around 70 breeding females. Each year they travel along the Atlantic coast between feeding grounds off New England and Canada and the warm waters off Georgia and Florida, where their calves are born. Getting tangled in fishing gear and being hit by ships are the biggest threats, and slower boat speeds and safer ropes are helping.
Our tribute: the North Atlantic Right Whale Tee.
Laysan duck
The Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis) is one of the rarest ducks in the world and lives only on a few remote islands in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. In 1912, after introduced rabbits stripped Laysan Island bare, just seven adults and five young were left. Careful protection and moving birds to new islands brought this little brown duck back from the brink.
Our tribute: the Laysan Duck Vintage Illustration Tee.
Vancouver Island marmot
This chocolate-brown marmot lives only in the high mountain meadows of Vancouver Island, Canada. In the early 2000s it was one of the rarest mammals on Earth, with fewer than 30 left in the wild. A captive breeding and release programme has brought it back from the brink, but it still depends on ongoing conservation.
Our tribute: the Marmot Watercolor Tee.
Ivory-billed woodpecker
Nicknamed the "Lord God Bird" for the reaction it drew from people who saw it, the ivory-billed woodpecker once lived in old-growth swamp forests across the American Southeast. Logging destroyed most of its habitat, and there hasn't been a widely accepted sighting in decades. Scientists still debate whether it survives, which makes it one of the most searched-for birds in the world.
Our tribute: the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Tee.
Bolson tortoise
The Bolson tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus) is the largest land reptile in North America. It lives in a small desert region of northern Mexico, and it's critically endangered because of habitat loss and collection. Efforts to breed and reintroduce it, including in its historic range in the US Southwest, aim to give this ancient species a future.
Our tribute: the Vintage Tortoise Tee.
Why we draw them
A t-shirt won't save a species, but stories spread when people wear them. Every time someone asks "what animal is that?", it's a chance to share how close we came to losing it, and how much care it takes to bring a species back. If one of these stories moves you, consider supporting a local wildlife or habitat conservation group.
See every species in The Endangered Series, or browse all our wildlife and nature designs.