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

Photo: A male painted bunting (Passerina cris) captured at the Brown Ranch, Texas.

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

Picture of a great blue turaco (Corythaeola cristata) at the Houston Zoo.

Eastern yellow-billed hornbill (Tockus flavirostris flavirostris) at the Indianapolis Zoo.

A federally endangered Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) at the Wild Canid Survival and Research Center.

Photo: An endangered mint morph of the terrible poison dart frog (Phyllobates terriblis) from a private collection.

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

Warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) at the Columbus Zoo.

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

A portrait of a federally endangered peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus).

Picture of critically endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered Edward's pheasants at the Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, KS.

A red fan parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus accipitrinus) at the Houston Zoo.

A sunbittern (Eurypyga helias ) at the Cincinnati Zoo.

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 kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) named Frankie at The Living Desert.

A pair of red-backed bearded sakis (Chiropotes chiropotes) at the Omaha Zoo.

An endangered female crowned lemur (Eulemur coronatus) at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Two vulnerable (IUCN) and federally endangered white-naped cranes (Antigone vipio) at the Columbus Zoo, Columbus, Ohio.

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

A vulnerable (IUCN) and federally endangered, nine-week-old clouded leopard cub (Neofelis nebulosa) at the Columbus Zoo.

With one of the world's largest migratory routes, the red knot (Calidris canutus rufa) finds itself especially susceptible to any disruption in its feeding areas along the way. Overfishing of horseshoe crabs along the eastern coast of the US has taken away a much-needed source of energy for the species. (US: Candidate for listing)

Photo: Hibernating Arctic ground squirrels (Spermopilus parryii) at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.

A Calabar python (Calabaria reinhardtii) at the Columbus Zoo.

Damaraland mole rats (Fukomys damarensis) at the Houston Zoo. These burrowing rodents from sub-Saharan Africa are one of only two known eusocial mammals.

A vulnerable male African lion (Panthera leo krugeri) named Mr. Big at the Omaha Zoo.

Picture of a vulnerable (IUCN) and federally endangered, booming Attwater's Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas.

Picture of a vulnerable giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) named Ellie Mae with her pup, Zander, at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas. Zander was born in January, 2013.

Picture of red-sided eclectus parrots or New Guinea eclectus (Eclectus roratus polychloros) at Parrots in Paradise, a bird attraction in Glass House Mountains, Queensland.

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

An endangered Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii) at the Omaha Zoo.

Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.

Picture of endangered red ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra) at the Miller Park Zoo.

Picture of a vulnerable (IUCN) and federally endangered cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) at the Columbus Zoo.

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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