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.

7,885 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

Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, TX. Listed as critically endangered and federally endangered.

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.

An ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California.

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

Red-fronted macaw (Ara rubrogenys) at the Miller Park Zoo. This species of macaw is highly endangered with an estimated 150 birds left in the wild.

A western harris' hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus superior) named Hudson at The Living Desert.

Picture of a vulnerable (IUCN) and federally threatened loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) at the Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia, South Carolina.

Portrait of an eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) at the San Francisco State University.

A federally threatened Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas.

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

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

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

Photo: Hours-old least tern (Sterna antillarum) chicks sleep as they're photographed near North Bend, Nebraska.

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) from Sierra Chincua, Mexico.

Malaysian horned leaf frog (Megophrys nasuta) from a private collection.

Pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) at the Great Plains Zoo.

A two-headed yellow-belied slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) at Riverbanks Zoo.

Photo: A musk ox (Obvibos moschatus) at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, AK.

Photo: A red celestial eye, a fancy breed of goldfish at Ocean Park in Hong Kong.

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

A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) named Bensar at the George M. Sutton Avian Research Center.

Picture of an endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered, male Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) at the Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden in Ahmedabad, India.

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

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

A Malayan great argus (Argusianus argus argus) at the Houston Zoo.

Endangered Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.

Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) from the Toiyabe subpopulation near Austin, NV. (Candidate for listing under the US Endangered Species Act.)

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

A Linne's two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus).

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

Vulnerable (IUCN) and federally endangered mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, TX.

The critically-endangered orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) at the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary. This is one of the rarest birds in the world with fewer than 50 left in the wild.

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