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Ingrid | Wildlife Art & Conservation

@ingridwildlines

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🪼biologist that can't give up art
✨celebrating the wonders of our Planet
🦋lots of animals
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Swinging into September with International Primate Day! 🐒💚
Today is a global celebration of primates and the crucial conservation work underway to safeguard their dwindling numbers.
With at least 500 primate species worldwide, they come in an extraordinary range of shapes and sizes. As humans, we are primates too, making wild primates our closest living relatives!
I’ve illustrated 5 of them to celebrate their incredible diversity and importance to our ecosystems.

Swipe through to discover some fun facts about each species!

Whether you love Great Apes, Gibbons, Monkeys, or Lemurs, today is for you

#WorldPrimateDay #WildlifeArt #SciComm #Primate #InternationalPrimateDay

Every morning, before sunrise, the Agile Gibbon fills the canopy with its song, a powerful, echoing melody that wakes the forest and travels for kilometers through the trees. Monogamous pairs sing complex duets to bond and defend their territory, filling the treetops with their unique voices.

Beyond being incredible vocalists, they are also extraordinary acrobats. Spending almost their entire lives high above the ground, they move fast through the canopy using a specialized movement called brachiation. With arms longer than their legs and partially webbed fingers, they grasp branches effortlessly, swinging hand-over-hand at high speeds and making Tarzan look slow!

Severe habitat loss from deforestation and palm oil plantations is shrinking their home. To make matters worse, their cute, childlike faces make them frequent targets of the illegal pet trade.

#agilegibbon #mammal #wildlifeillustration #wildlifeeducation

Like many of us, my first real "spark" for this species came from the movie Madagascar! King Julien made these unique creatures famous worldwide, but behind their pop-culture fame lies a truly fascinating, and endangered, primate.

Although I illustrated him perched on a tree branch, Ring-tailed lemurs are actually the most terrestrial of all lemurs, spending about a third of their time exploring the ground.

They are also famous for their morning "yoga pose," sunbathing with open arms to warm up after chilly nights! But they are much more than sun-lovers: as the "gardeners o by @ingridwildlines

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a month ago

Long before they were sleeping on our sofas, they were walking alongside us under the stars of the Ice Age. ⭐️🐾

There has been a lot of research into how dogs became our best friends. But one hypothesis is that they domesticated themselves as they were drawn to human campsites by the smell of cooking meat and easy pickings of discarded scraps*.

In this scenario, a mutually beneficial relationship was born: humans got rid of scraps, and wolves found a reliable source of food.

Over generations, natural selection favored individuals with reduced stress-response phenotypes, those boldest, least fearful wolves who weren't scared of humans and got closer to human camps for those tasty scraps.

This paved the way to a partnership with us that changed both of our species forever.

As our co-evolution deepened, so did our neurological connection. The mutual gaze between dogs and humans triggers an interspecies oxytocin feedback loop, the exact same bonding mechanism found between mothers and infants!

*Note: Self-domestication is just one of several hypotheses! Scientists also explore other pathways, such as active human cross-rearing of wolf pups or cooperative hunting partnerships, as the puzzle of canine evolution continues to unfold.

#worlddogday #dog #petportrait #scicomm #kindachic

Humans and dogs share a deep history that goes back tens of thousands of years. Learning about this past helps us understand our own human story and how we grew together.

A better understanding of dogs' origins means moving away from treating them as accessories or toys. They are complex, highly social organisms with specific species-appropriate needs.

Their social structures, neurochemistry, and communication systems were forged in parallel with our own ancestors over tens of thousands of years.

Loving them means respecting and honoring where they came from:
✨ Giving them time to sniff, explore, and just be dogs.
✨ Remembering that a dog is a lifelong commitment, not a decoration or temporary hobby.
✨ Choosing to adopt, or supporting local shelters and rescue organizations who care for those left behind.

Let's spread awareness and respect for ALL creatures

#dogart

The by @ingridwildlines

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2 months ago

Imagine a butterfly facing injury or starvation, and instead of dying, it simply morphs back into a caterpillar.

Well, it’s not a butterfly, but Turritopsis dohrnii can do just that!

While most animals reproduce, age, and die, this tiny jellyfish (its bell is only about 4.5 mm wide) has found a way out of this fate.

Swipe left to know more! 🪼✨

#jellyfish #scicomm #oceanart #marinelife #marinebiology by @ingridwildlines

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2 months ago

"Nants' ingonyama bagithi Baba", the iconic Zulu chant that opens The Lion King, has been embedded in my mind since the very first time I watched the film as a child.🦁

It was partly thanks to that movie that I developed a lifelong fascination with zoology and ethology. While animated movies aren't meant to be scientifically accurate, often anthropomorphizing wildlife, the creative teams behind them spent countless hours studying real animal anatomy and behavior to bring those characters to life.

Later, after watching a National Geographic documentary, I became dead set on becoming a biologist so I could travel to Africa and study lions (and meerkats!). I was fascinated by the social structure of the pride, the incredible strategic teamwork of hunting lionesses, and the clever deceptions mothers use to protect their cubs from sexually selected infanticide.

Life took its own fascinating turns, and I happily ended up becoming a marine scientist instead, discovering a passion for studying marine invertebrates (which are so often underrated!🙄). Yet, I continue to hold a deep respect and appreciation for these majestic land predators.

Lions (Panthera leo) are undoubtedly among the most recognizable species around the globe. Sadly, their wild populations are now hanging by a thread. Over the last century, lions have lost nearly 95% of their former range. Today, with roughly 20,000 individuals left in the wild, they are the second most endangered big cat on Earth, right after tigers.

The main threats they face are habitat loss, lack of prey, poaching, and direct retaliation for livestock losses in shared landscapes.

Swipe left to learn some fascinating facts about them, from their feast-or-famine feeding behavior, to the roles of the core members who truly run the pride!

#worldlionday #wildlifeart #digitalart #wildlifeillustration #scicomm by @ingridwildlines

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2 months ago

On this World Tiger Day we celebrate and reflect on the importance of tigers for all of us. 🐅

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that tigers are magnificent creatures. Who could disagree?

However, they are much more than just a thing of beauty. Tigers are excellent umbrella species: they are solitary and require large home ranges.

Protecting a single wild tiger means safeguarding up to 25,000 acres of connected forest.
When we preserve the wild places where tigers roam, we are shielding thousands of other living organisms that share their home, from birds to reptiles, from bugs to mammals (humans included).

Swipe through to discover why every tiger matters 🐯🧡

#tigerday #wildlifeart #tigerart #worldtigerday by @ingridwildlines

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2 months ago

Happy Mother’s Day! 🧡🦧
Today, I’m shining a spotlight on the remarkable dedication of Orangutan (Pongo sp.) mothers, who invest years in teaching their babies crucial forest survival skills . 🦧

For 8 to 9 year (one of the longest nursing period in the wild!) an orangutan mom is a protector, a teacher, and even a "living bridge," using her own body to help her baby cross dangerous gaps in the canopy.

From teaching how to build a new nest every night to identifying 200+ food sources, she is a living library of forest knowledge. 📚🍃
But this slow pace of life comes with a risk.
Because they invest so much time in each baby (giving birth only every 7-9 years), their populations are highly vulnerable. Habitat loss and poaching don't just take a life; they wipe out a generation of knowledge.

When a mother is killed, the "school of the forest" closes forever. This is why supporting rescue and rehabilitation centers (like @sintangorangutancenter or @bosfoundation and @orangutanoutreach ) is vital, they step in to provide the lessons that only a mother should give.

Understanding the complexity of these bonds transforms how we see the rainforest. By protecting their habitat, we are safeguarding families and ancient knowledge.

Swipe through the carousel to learn more about orangutans mothers!🧡

This Mother’s Day, we honor all mothers and maternal figures, those with us, those we have lost, and the adoptive, foster, and chosen families whose love and guidance shape our worlds. Whether you are celebrating with your mom, missing her, or honoring the chosen family who've supported you, I'm sending love to you all 🥰

#orangutan #mothersday #wildlifeart #conservation #worldorangutanday by @ingridwildlines

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5 months ago

Happy #SharkAwarenessDay 🩵

Every time I hear the media warn us about waters being "infested with sharks," I cringe a little. Let’s pause and change our perspective: an animal can never "infest" its own home. Sharks have shared this planet for over 400 million years, we are just guests in their living room!

To mark this day, I wanted to share my latest illustration of the Zebra Shark (Stegostomus tigrinus).

Did you know that as pups, they have striking black-and-white stripes (hence the name "zebra")? As they mature, these stripes fade into beautiful dark spots on a sandy background, which is why adults are often confused with leopard sharks!

Sadly, due to overfishing and habitat degradation, the zebra shark is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Sharks are not bloodthirsty monsters; they are the "doctors" of the ocean, keeping marine ecosystems balanced and healthy. Saving sharks means saving our blue planet. Let's change the narrative from fear to respect and wonder.🌊🦈

I’d love to know: what’s the first word that comes to your mind when you think of a shark?

Thank you for running shark conservation and shark advocacy projects:
@thesharktrust
@sharkstewards
@sharkeducation
@iucnshark
@sharkallies
@sharkeducationcentre

#SharkArt #WildlifeArt #ZebraShark #OceanArt by @ingridwildlines

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3 months ago

Today is International Day of the Mediterranean Sea! 🌊💙

The Mediterranean is a sea of extraordinary natural beauty, history, and culture that deserves to be protected and enhanced. Despite covering just 0.8% of the world’s ocean surface, it is home to over 7% of all global marine biodiversity. It is a breathtaking hotspot of life, but also one of the most impacted regions on Earth.

To mark this day, I wanted to share my illustration of the Fried Egg Jellyfish, also known as the Mediterranean Jelly (Cotylorhiza tuberculata), and shed some light on these often misunderstood creatures. 🪼

When we think of jellyfish, our first instinct is usually fear. But jellies are an essential link in the marine food web, pulsing with the currents and acting as living indicators of ocean health.

Unfortunately, a sad scene often repeats itself on our beaches: leaving jellyfish to boil under the sun on the rocks. It makes absolutely no sense, yet it remains one of the hardest summer habits to break.

Jellyfish are ancient, extraordinary creatures. Composed almost entirely of water, they have survived the planet's major mass extinctions. And no, they are not "out to get us." They don't seek us out, chase us, or attack us; they simply drift with the ocean currents.

Their summer blooms are driven by massive global issues like climate change, pollution, and the overfishing of their natural predators. If we want to protect our beaches, we should focus on reducing our footprint and demanding cleaner waters, not punishing the wildlife.

Let’s learn to look at them with respect, appreciate them, and protect the inhabitants of our seas. 💙

Have you ever spotted one of these mesmerizing jellies during your summer swims?

#jellyfishart #wildlifeart #oceanart #oceanlife #nature by @ingridwildlines

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3 months ago

Like the salmon swimming upstream, sometimes creating art means choosing to move against the current. 🐟🌊

With the rise of AI, the landscape of creativity is changing faster than ever. This piece isn't about judging new technologies, AI is a powerful tool, and change is a natural part of our world. Instead, it’s an invitation to pause and reflect on how we use it.
Beyond the creative impact, there’s also an environmental one that connects deeply to this illustration.

Every digital action we take, from sending a simple email to scrolling through Instagram, requires data centers that consume energy and water. However, the scale of generative AI models takes this resource consumption to a whole new level. It’s a reminder that our digital choices, just like our physical ones, have a real footprint on our natural resources.

For me, spending hours researching a species, sketching, and playing with colors is a slow, deeply personal process. It’s my way of connecting with the planet. As we step into this new digital era, how can we ensure we use AI mindfully and ethically, without losing the human soul, patience, and heartbeat behind what we create?

Let's protect our waters, both from our physical waste and our digital footprint. 💙

#humanartist #saveourwater #fishart #artivism #humanart by @ingridwildlines

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3 months ago

My entry for #novalikestodraw30k
Huge congratulations to @novalikestodraw for reaching 30k! Your art style is so adorable and cute, and it was such a joy doing this dtiys! I had so much fun drawing these two diving through the kelp forest.

Sea lions play a crucial role as mid-level predators in ocean food webs, making them important indicators of marine health.

Did you know that there are currently 6 species of Sea Lions around the globe? 🌍

Some are doing just fine, but others, like the Australian, New Zealand, and Galapagos sea lions, are endangered and need our help.

Up until recently, there was a seventh: the Japanese sea lion. However, this sea pup species sadly went extinct in the 1950s. It’s too late for them, but not for the ones still alive. Let’s protect what we still have!

Our choices on land directly impact their survival in the deep Blue. We can protect these beautiful creatures by reducing plastic waste, choosing ocean-friendly seafood, and supporting organizations dedicated to marine conservation.

Small changes in our daily lives can make waves for ocean conservation 💙

#wildlifeart #oceanart #oceanlife #sealion by @ingridwildlines

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

What will the Ocean of the Future look like? If we don't cut down on plastic, scenes like this won't just be occasional discoveries...they will become the standard.

Hermit crabs naturally live in abandoned seashells, finding bigger ones as they grow. But with so much trash washing ashore and real shells becoming harder to find, these little creatures are increasingly turning to bottle caps, plastic containers, and broken glass instead. This is already happening on beaches worldwide.

This illustration, which I originally created for the @refuseandreuseorg contest, reminds us that our daily choices have an impact on the behavior and habitats of the creatures we share this planet with.

The future of our ocean depends on the actions we take today. That’s why I want to give a massive shoutout to @cleanmiamibeach! They are on the front lines, organizing community clean-ups, protecting coastlines, and teaching people how to cut off plastic pollution at the source. They are actively changing the future of our ocean.

Together, we can create a #plasticfreeocean. 🌊
By skipping single-use plastics and supporting community-driven initiatives like Clean Miami Beach, we can intercept waste at the source and safeguard marine ecosystems. Organizations that tackle this problem head-on require volunteer support and funding to continue making an impact. 💙

#ForPlanetOcean #ForPlanetOcean2026 #HealthyOcean #FPO26Future

Big thank you to the amazing host team, It has been such an inspiring challenge! 🥰🩵
@forplanetocean @healthyoceancoalition
@anjanamistryillustration @art.by.johannaexcell
@blackscatter @emmalopesart @gabrielalarios1 @heyzoish @karlasandersart
@kelseyceramics @ladislas_c @madisonmuellerart @mariehermanssonillustration @mojoandmuse
@petitplat @roughforradio @yetiglesias @when.pigs.swim by @ingridwildlines

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