RARE: Creatures of the Photo Ark

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I’m Joel Sartore.

Ever wonder about those wildlife photographers who risk life and limb to get the perfect shot? That’s me. I’ve spent 25 years with National Geographic—and I’ve got the stories and scars to prove it. These days my focus is on the Photo Ark, the world’s largest collection of animal studio portraits. My goal is simple: to get the public to care and save species from extinction.

8000 species photographed for the Photo Ark
A modern-day Noah

—NBC Nightly News
1 porcupine named Piper on the cover of
National Geographic
4 times chased by grizzlies
250 talks given worldwide
2 spitting cobras found in camera gear

Speaking Engagements

“Joel never fails to dazzle.”
Known for his sense of humor and incredible stories from the field, Joel is a popular speaker with conservation, corporate, and civic groups.

Hire him to entertain and inspire your audience.

Book Joel to Speak

Recent Talks

Picture of a western leopard gecko or Iranian fat-tailed gecko (Eublepharis angramainyu) at the Saint Louis Zoo.

A critically endangered harlequin frog (Atelopes varius) at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo. This species, from Panama, is now thought to be extinct in the wild. With only 300 or so in captivity, it is thought to be one of the rarest amphibians in the world.

An endangered Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) at the Houston Zoo.

A pair of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua papua).

Photo: A kaiser spotted newt (Neurergus kaiseri) from Conservation Fisheries.

Picture of a four-horned chameleon (Chamaeleo quadricornis quadricornis) at the Saint Louis Zoo.

Picture of a federally threatened, Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) named Yukon at Point Defiance Zoo.

A sunbittern (Eurypyga helias ) at the Cincinnati Zoo.

A critically endangered male Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) at Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure near Salina, KS.

Endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque). There are only 10 in captivity world wide and are being phased out of zoos.

Picture of bats, songbirds and a hawk killed by a single wind turbine in a year.

Joel is the founder of the Photo Ark, a 25-year effort to photograph every species in human care around the globe.

Explore the Photo Ark

A vulnerable (IUCN) and federally-endangered clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) at the Houston Zoo. The population trend of the clouded leopard is decreasing with less than 10,000 in the wild.

Picture of an endangered fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) at the Point Defiance Zoo.

Picture of an endangered Matschie's tree-kangaroo with her joey (Dendrolagus matschiei) at Zoo Miami.

A young female snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus).

A vulnerable (IUCN) and federally endangered young, female Diana monkey (Cercopithecus diana) at the Omaha Zoo.

Picture of Week old western snowy plover chicks (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Royal Antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus). This species weighs 9-10 pounds making it the smallest of all antelopes.

Photo: An American crocodile (Crocodilus acutus) at the Omaha Zoo.

A three-month-old baby chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) named Ruben at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo. Listed as endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered

Picture of twin three month old endangered red pandas (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.

An ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) at the Omaha Zoo.

Photo: A naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.

Raggiana Bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea raggiana) at the Cincinnati Zoo.

An Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) at the Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure. (IUCN: endangered)

Vulnerable (IUCN) and federally endangered Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) named 'Usi' from the Omaha Zoo.

Picture of a white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) named Gonzo at The Living Desert.

A male tiger swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus).

Picture of an endangered red panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.

A male eastern bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci) at the Great Plains Zoo.

An endangered San Lucas marsupial frog (Gastrotheca pseustes) tadpole collected near Pilalo, Ecuador.

Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri) also known as Leadbeater's cockatoo or pink cockatoo, at Parrots in Paradise, a bird attraction in Glass House Mountains, Queensland.

Joel Sartore News

USA Today Publishes Story About 12 Days of Photo Ark

On December 12th, 2017, USA Today published a story documenting the Photo Ark’s 12 Days of Christmas social media campaign. The Photo Ark project, which aims to document every species living in the world’s zoos and other protected areas before they’re extinct, is releasing one photo a day for 12 days on social media. From koalas to…

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