POPSCI.COM / WINTER 2020 95Dozens of tall
MOUNTAIN TOPPERS coni fer species line the peaks of Taiwan. This famous trio of T. cryptomerioides in the northeastern part of the country reaches roughly 229 feet. But the best part about capturing the “Three Sisters” may have been the local fauna, says Pearce. A fluffy red panda regularly visited over the three weeks he camped out at the famed cluster. These endangered animals eat and nest among the leaves, but loss of habitat to logging has caused populations to drop by up to 40 percent in three generations.