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

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

Oblong-winged katydids (Amblycorypha oblongifolia) at the Insectarium in New Orleans. These color variants are found in nature, though anything but green is usually eaten by predators immediately. The Insectarium has been a leader in breeding these color variants for display in the zoo community.

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

Little red flying fox (Pteropus scapulatus) from the Australian Bat Clinic and Narrow Leaf Retreat.

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

A pair of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua papua).

An ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) at the Omaha Zoo.

Picture of an endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) at Ocean Park.

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

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

Picture of a four-horned chameleon (Chamaeleo quadricornis quadricornis) at the Saint Louis 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 white-faced saki monkey (Pithecia pithecia) at the Kansas City Zoo.

Desert cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus audubonii) at the Omaha Zoo.

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.

A pair of blue poison dart frogs (Dendrobates azureus) at Reptile Gardens.

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

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

Picture of a Brazilian porcupine (Coendou prehensilis) at the Saint Louis Zoo.

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

A vulnerable black and rufous elephant shrew (Rhynchocyon petersi) named Beast, at the Omaha Zoo.

A male tiger swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus).

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

Picture of Harapan, a four-year-old male Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), at White Oak Conservation Center. Critically endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered

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

Yellow-streaked lory (Chalcopsitta sintillata rubrifrons) at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Picture of a gliding or Spurrell's tree frog (Agalychnis spurrelli) at the Saint Louis Zoo.

James bond the black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) at The Living Desert.

Picture of a flock of scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas.

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

A critically endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered captive Catalina Island fox (Urocyon littoralis catalinae) named Tachi at Quail Valley Fox Clinic on Catalina Island, CA. This animal is the last captive left over from a breeding program designed to save the species that took place from 2001-2004. A hand-raised animal, it is now used for education. Biologists estimate just over 500 of these foxes live on Catalina Island, California. This animal is a subspecies of the Channel Island fox.

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

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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