World Wildlife Day was March 3, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare celebrated the event with its annual International Youth Art Contest. Now, the winning artworks have been selected from a group of 15 semi-finalists. These selections were made from over 3,000 entries submitted from 141 countries and sovereign areas. The theme of this year’s competition was “Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation,” and subjects of the entries featured species that are monitored by tech like camera traps and tracking devices. Check out the impressive 15 finalist entries here.
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An illustration of a den of snakes. These snakes won the “Traditional art medium” category of the competition, as well as the “Best in ages 4-6" category.
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The axolotl is a tissue-regenerating salamander native to the waters of and surrounding Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City. The animals are endangered in their natural habitat, and are in vital need of conservation.
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A couple of forest elephants under a lush green canopy.
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An adult elephant and calf walk alongside a water body in the savanna.
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A fox on a snowy landscape was one of the digital art entries, and a contest semi-finalist.
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A pair of wolves depicted in a snowy, mountainous environment, the starry sky overhead.
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This depiction of a group of pangolins was one of the contest semi-finalists. Pangolins are some of the most illegally trafficked mammals, due to the belief that their scales have medicinal properties.
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Two gorillas in an embrace as another juvenile looks on, in a dense forest environment. Gorillas are yet another species in dire need of protection.
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This head-on view of an elephant showcases the animal’s formidable ears and distinctive trunk.
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A painting of a gorilla, one of the closest living relatives to humans and some of the largest extant apes.
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This illustration depicts four puffins swimming underwater.
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This illustration depicts an emperor penguin chick. Emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest extant penguin species—though obviously, their chicks are a little lighter.
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This vivid illustration of red-crowned cranes won the digital art category. In the foreground, several grands stand in shallow water, while the rest of the flock flies in the star-studded sky.
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An illustration of a jaguar wearing a tracking collar, leaping for a butterfly.
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Source: Gizmodo