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.

8485 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

A vulnerable sarus crane (Grus antigone) at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, CO.

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

Picture of a six-day-old Malayan tapir, Tapirus indicus, at the Minnesota Zoo. Endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered

A vulnerable African elephant (Loxodonta africana) at the Indianapolis Zoo.

Critically endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) at the St. Louis Zoo's Monsanto Insectarium.

Red-necked wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.

Vulnerable (IUCN) and federally threatened Chiricahua leopard frogs (Lithobates chiricahuensis) at the Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, Arizona.

Warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) at the Columbus Zoo.

Albino eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) at the Columbus Zoo

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

A white-faced saki monkey (Pithecia pithecia) at the Kansas City Zoo.

Photo: Slender-tailed meerkat (Suricata suricatta) at the Miller Park Zoo. A typical meerkat clan can have anywhere from 20-50 members.

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

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

Purple-banded sunbird (Nectarinia bifasciata) at Chitengo Camp, in Gorongosa National Park.

Picture of a platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) at the Healesville Sanctuary in Healesville, Victoria, Australia.

Budgett's frog (Lepidobatrachus laevis) at the Baltimore Aquarium.

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

Pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea) at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.

Picture of an endangered Matschie's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) at the Lincoln Children's Zoo

Gladys, a six-week-old western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at the Cincinnati Zoo. Listed as critically endangered and federally endangered.

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

Nicobar pigeon, Caloenas nicobarica, at the Omaha Zoo.

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

A male okapi (Okapia johnstoni) at White Oak Conservation Center.

Picture of a serval (Leptailurus serval) named 'Kenya' at the Fort Worth Zoo.

Picture of a flock of American flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) feeding.

An Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) at the Omaha Zoo.

South Georgia king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus patagonicus) at the Indianapolis Zoo.

Gordon's purple mossy frogs (Theloderma gordoni) play dead at Reptile Gardens.

An endangered (IUCN) and federally threatened Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi) at the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari near Ashland, Nebraska.

Picture of a Haitian ground boa (Epicrates fordii) from a private collection in the Dominican Republic.

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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