10 captivating images from National Geographic’s Photo Ark

A picture is said to be worth a thousand words, but some photographs are worth 17,000. Well, 17,000 species, that is. For National Geographic’s Photo Ark project, photographer Joel Sartore is documenting all species living in the world’s zoos, aquariums, and wildlife sanctuaries. Since 2006, the project’s goal has been using these photographs to inspire action through education and help protect wildlife.

“So far, we’ve traveled to 60+ countries to document more than 17,000 species, showcased in about 60,000 individual portraits over the last nearly 20 years that we’ve been at this,” Sartore, a National Geographic Explorer, photographer, and founder of the project, tells Popular Science. “We’re out the door before the sun rises and return home from photoshoots long after the sun sets. It’s not as glamorous of a job as one might think, but it’s certainly rewarding. With every photoshoot and animal encounter, I’m reminded why the Photo Ark exists: to tell their stories earnestly and honestly, and to try to make the world a better place.”

An IUCN critically endangered Ka’apori capuchin (Cebus kaapori) at Zoo São Paulo in São Paulo, Brazil. “For those of you who haven’t spent a lot of time with monkeys, know that they are nimble and fast and strong and smart, and this Ka’apori capuchin was a remarkable force of nature that I had the privilege of photographing in Brazil,” Sapore says. “The country is home to some of the rarest primates of Earth, who play an outsized role in regulating their habitats. This Ka’apori capuchin, for example, disperses the seeds he eats, which regenerates forests and impacts plant life. Without them, an entire ecosystem would be at risk. When we save one species, we save countless others, and in a very real sense we’re helping save ourselves too. There’s no denying how connected we all are.”
Credit: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.

To commemorate 20 years of the project, the exhibition Photo Ark: Animals of Earth will be the first exhibit to open at the National Geographic Museum of Exploration (MOE) in Washington D.C. in summer 2026. Take a look at some of the images below. (Click to expand images to full screen.)

An IUCN extinct-in-the-wild Spix’s macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) at the Sao Paulo Zoo in Brazil. 
“During our three-week trip in Brazil last summer, we photographed about 250 species in all, from mammals and reptiles, to fish and insects,” says Sartore We had documented some of the rarest birds on the planet, like this Spix’s macaw, a strikingly beautiful parrot that’s extinct in the wild. It’s the only parrot species that’s entirely blue from head to tail, like a living sapphire. We know many of the species we documented in Brazil may not make it in the long run, a stark rallying cry that we can save species while there’s still time, if we all work together.”
Credit: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.

Horsfield’s tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus borneanus) photographed at the Taman Safari in Bogor, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Credit: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.

A male Guianan-cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola rupicola) at the Dallas World Aquarium in Texas.
Credit: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.

A black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) at the Toronto Zoo in Ontario, Canada. 
Credit: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.

A captive juvenile mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
Credit: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.

An endangered Fiji banded iguana (Brachylophus bulabula) at the San Diego Zoo in California.
Credit: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.

A pinned specimen of the California monarch (Danaus plexippus plexippus) at the Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek, California. This migratory subspecies is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
Credit: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.

A veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) at Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure confronts a camera lens in Salina, Kansas. “The safety and well-being of animals are our top priority, so we always shoot as fast as possible (just a few minutes) to reduce stress on the animals during Photo Ark photoshoots,” Sartore says.
Credit: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.

An Indochinese green magpie (Cissa hypoleuca) at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Los Angeles, California.
Credit: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.

“The Photo Ark is meant to give each species their time in the spotlight, because at the very least, no species should go extinct before we have the opportunity to document them,” Sartore concludes.

“The richness of biodiversity on Earth is immense. Every species plays an essential role and is worthy of saving. We often don’t encounter most of these species, so these portraits are the first step in acknowledging their value and need for protection. But the Photo Ark isn’t really about loss. It’s about hope, and compassion, and coming together for a cause greater than your own. If these images move just one person to action, then I would say that photo is a job well done. Photographs help tell a story, and these stories will always be worth telling.”

The post 10 captivating images from National Geographic’s Photo Ark appeared first on Popular Science.

from Popular Science https://ift.tt/eyY32iU