Man on a Mission:
Building the Photo Ark

Book Joel To Speak Explore the Photo Ark

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.

14,764 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
300 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: Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta syrichta) at Avilon Zoo. This animal has the second largest eyes in the world compared to brain size.

Photo: A female giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, AK.

D.J. is an 11-month-old Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) and Dirgahayu “Ayu” is an 11-month-old Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus). Unfortunately, both species are critically endangered, in large part due to the palm oil crisis. Both of these juvenile primates are cared for by the Taman Safari in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia.

A picture of a red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus lineatus) at the Sutton Avian Research Center.

Photo: An endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) named Jengo at the Singapore Zoo in Singapore.

A male common genet (Genetta genetta), named Little Guy at the Conservators center.

A picture of an endangered juvenile and mother white bellied tree pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) at the Pangolin Conservation in St. Augustine, FL. This juvenile is only 70 days old. She is the first of her species to be bred in captivity. Frustratingly, traditional Chinese medicine falsely believes the unique protective keratin scales (the same material as your fingernails) have curative properties. This has resulted in massive illegal taking of pangolins from the wild. With the four species of Asian pangolins becoming endangered, smugglers are now turning their attention to the four found in Africa, including this species.

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

Picture of an endangered six-month-old western red panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) named Cinnamon at the Virginia 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

An ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

Photo: Mindanao squirrel (Sundasciurus mindanensis) at the Avilon Zoo.

Picture of an endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus fasciatus) at Healesville Sanctuary.

Picture of a common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) at Gulf Specimen Marine Lab and Aquarium.

Picture of an Arctic fox, Vulpes lagopus, at the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo in Great Bend, Kansas.

Picture of a federally endangered, female Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) at the Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden in Ahmedabad, India.

A portrait of a marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata marmorata).

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

Photo: A proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) at the Singapore Zoo.

Photo: Eastern grass owl (Tyto longimembris amauronota) at Avilon Zoo.

Photo: A male Lesser Egyptian jerboa (Jaculus jaculus) named Osiris at the Philadelphia Zoo.

A yellow-streaked lory (Chalcopsitta scintillata rubrifrons) at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Cacatua leadbeateri) also known as Leadbeater's cockatoo or pink cockatoo, at Parrots in Paradise, a bird attraction in Glass House Mountains, Queensland.

Photo: Balabac (Philippine) mousedeer (Tragulus nigricans) at the Avilon Zoo. This species is endangered on the IUCN Red List.

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

Photo: Negros scops owl (Otus nigrorum) at Negros Forest Park in Bacolod City, Negros Island, the Philippines.

A captive, five-month-old mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. IUCN: Vulnerable

Like all gibbons, the gray gibbon has unusually long arms which are used to move through trees and to forage. This endangered species is being 'phased out' at zoos because there are too few in captivity to keep bloodlines vital and the species isn't showy.

A critically endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) at the Miller Park Zoo.

A giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) at Zoo Atlanta. This endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered species is native to China.

Photo: A grizzled tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus inustus) at a private collection in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) at the Miller Park Zoo.

Joel Sartore News

Photo Ark’s 17th Anniversary

It’s our anniversary! We’ve come a long way since starting the Photo Ark in 2006 at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. This past year, we welcomed our 14,000th species, an Indochinese green magpie named Jolie, who was photographed at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. She was brought to the zoo after…

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