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

A pair of Vulturine guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum) at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.

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

Northern White-faced Owls (Ptilopsis leucotis) at the Cincinnati Zoo.

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

Sara, the endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered whooping crane (Grus americana), at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species. This is an educational bird.

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.

Southern corroboree frogs (Pseudophryne corroboree) a critically endangered species at the Healesville Sanctuary in Healesville, Victoria, Australia.

Warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) at the Columbus Zoo.

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

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

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 green tree python (Morelia viridis) at the Riverside Zoo.

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

Picture of a federally endangered jaguar (Panthera onca) at the Omaha Zoo.

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

A critically endangered sumatran orangutan, Pongo abelii, at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, TX.

Picture of American flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.

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

An ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) at the Omaha Zoo.

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

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

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

A pair of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua papua).

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

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

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

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

An African wild cat (Felis silvestris lybica) at Omaha Zoo's Wildlife Safari Park.

A Choctawhatchee beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus allophrys) a federally-endangered rodent.

Kindu, a Schmidt's red-tailed guenon (Cercopithecus ascanius schmidti). Kindu was hand raised at the Houston Zoo. During bottle feedings, Kindu was given a surrogate stuffed animal that he still loves.

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

A male tiger swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus).

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

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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