Sisyphus and species conservation

A figure from Greek mythology, Sisyphus is often depicted as a man rolling an immense boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down every time he nears the top.

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He's forced to repeat this action for eternity in the Underworld, as punishment. Through the classical influence on contemporary Language and Culture, tasks or projects that are considered laborious or near-futile are now described as Sisyphean. And while Sisyphus can mean utter frustration and futility, there are other interpretations that make Sisyphus heroic, for his dogged determination and his compulsion to push against the rules - to defy the absurdity of the situation he is in.

I was reminded of Sisyphean challenges when I attended Phase 2 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' "Save From Extinction" campaign, at the SM Mall of Asia Atrium the other week. The campaign was first launched in October 2024; and I'm happy to say I was present then, and wrote about this valiant effort to help save six endangered species of Philippine fauna. Specifically, the six are the Philippine eagle and cockatoo, the Philippine pangolin and tamaraw, and the marine turtle (pawikan) and dugong. It may be coincidental, but that's two from the Air, two from the Land, and two Aquatic creatures.