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A few days from now, the world will observe Endangered Species Day on May 22. That's the date set aside by the Endangered Species Coalition, a group dedicated to protecting creatures and their habitats that are in danger of vanishing. What better way to commemorate this occasion than to feature the photographs from Joel Sartore's Rare series.

Joel Sartore is probably more better for his wildlife photography images which can be found in many National Geographic publications. In his 20 year experience in the field, he has learned to safely get up close and personal with these wild animals. This is reflected in the intimate portraits you see here.

All of these photographs come from Mr. Sartore's photo project entitled Rare, which seeks to give a voice to many creatures that might otherwise disappear from this Earth without most people knowing about them.

Some of the subjects such as the Choctawhatchee Beach Mouse in the first image make for a cute picture and make it easier to advocate for greater awareness of their plight (this particular species of mice is now threatened even more because of the recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico).

Many of the other subjects such as the Gray Wolf and the California Condor above aren't as cute or cuddly and are often portrayed in negative stereotypes. This is unfortunate as all these animals have a role to play in their respective ecosystems. Although not endangered, the Gray Wolf is often used as an indicator species which helps scientists track changes in a certain eco-regions.

The California Condor clean up carrion left in the wild. Unfortunately for these magnificent birds, they are critically endangered, with only 384 known condors living in the wild and in captivity.

The diversity of animals in this series just goes to show you that it doesn't matter whether they are carnivore or herbivore, predator or prey; all animals are just as susceptible to possible extinction.

Causes for their endangered status often include loss of habitat or food source and climate change, but most often than not, direct human intervention can aggravate the situation. Urban development and even hunting have led to the vanishing of many species.

The Rare project first began with a few images featured in National Geographic's January 2009 issue. Positive feedback meant that Mr. Sartore could continue documenting a small portion of the more than 1,200 plants and animals on the endangered list.

There is nothing particularly remarkable about these photographs; almost all of the subjects are positioned against an all black or white background with sufficient lighting. Yet the fact that Mr. Sartore took it upon himself to photograph these creatures, from the largest grizzly bears to the smallest beetles allows viewers an extended glimpse into a world that would otherwise be unseen.

The genius of this series is the Mr. Sartore chose the simplest backgrounds and exposures to give viewers an objective view of these subjects, hopefully allowing them to make an emotional connection with these rare animals.

For some poor creatures, these portrait sessions are the last opportunity to be seen by the public. This Columba Basin Pygmy Rabbit, said to be the smallest rabbit species in the world, died a few months after the photo session, with the other of her species passing away soon after. The image above might be the last formal photograph of this species, which is now among the first to be extinct in the 21st century.

One other depressingly morbid picture below shows the last of the Dusky Seaside Sparrow birds encapsulated in a vial of alcohol since its death in 1987.

Hopefully, these images will bring greater awareness for all of these endangered creatures and help them avoid the fate of those that have already gone ahead.

You can find more of these endangered species on Joel Sartore's website. You will find photographs from his Rare series, as well as from his other projects on animal and wildlife photography.  Most of the pictures in this post were taken from the Treehugger and Neatorama websites. You can purchase the book from Amazon.com: National Geographic Rare: Portraits of America's Endangered Species along with Mr. Sartore's other photography works: Photographing Your Family, Nebraska and At Close Range With National Geographic.