Conservation
Bandit Biosystems supports the protection and conservation of threatened and endangered species. Our products are named for them, and we use those names to draw attention to the people working to save them.
Continuing the tradition
Bandit Biosystems: serious about human samples, playful about everything else.
As biologists, we believe humanity is better served when ecosystems are maintained and there is diversity of life. Amur, Lioness, Pongo, Glyphis and the rhinoceros behind RhinoSeq™ each point to a species, or a group of species, under pressure from poaching, habitat loss or both.
The rhinoceros is a magnificent animal, but three of the five species, the Javan, Sumatran and black rhinos, are critically endangered. Rhinos are threatened by poaching and habitat loss. The white rhino was nearing extinction and has been brought back from the brink through sustained conservation, and groups such as Sumatran Rhino Rescue are working to save the rarest species.
These frogs are native to the rainforests of Central and South America. Many of the more than 200 species are threatened, and the main threat is the loss of habitat as rainforest is logged and cleared.
The African lion has no natural predators, but loss of living space and conflict with people have sharply reduced its numbers. Lions have disappeared from much of their former range across Africa and are listed as vulnerable to extinction.
The Amur leopard is one of the rarest big cats in the world, with a small wild population in the Russian Far East and northeastern China. It is solitary, nimble-footed and strong. Poaching for its coat and bones, deforestation and fire are its main threats.
Elephants are the largest land mammals, and females and calves live in complex social groups. Some African populations are growing while others continue to fall, driven by poaching for the illegal ivory trade and habitat loss. African forest and savanna elephants are listed as critically endangered and endangered, the Asian elephant is endangered, and the Sumatran elephant is critically endangered.
The Malay word orangutan means “person of the forest.” These great apes are more solitary than other apes and spend most of their time in the trees of their tropical rainforest home, using large leaves as umbrellas in the rain. Because they depend so heavily on trees, deforestation and hunting have put them in danger of extinction.
Glyphis river sharks live in tidal rivers, estuaries and coastal waters of South and Southeast Asia, New Guinea and northern Australia. They are among the least-known sharks in the world. The Ganges shark is listed as Critically Endangered and the speartooth shark as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Their main threats are fishing bycatch and the degradation of the river habitats they depend on.
You can help
If you'd like to help, these organizations work to protect the species above. Links open external sites.
