The Photo Ark is aNational Geographic project, led by photographerJoel Sartore, with the goal of photographing all species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries around the globe in order to inspire action to save wildlife.
The project has been documented in a series of books and in a three-part documentary first shown onPBS and then released tohome video. A selection of photographs from the project has been exhibited in various museums, zoos, and exhibition halls around the world. The documentary,RARE: Creatures of The Photo Ark, was awarded the Best Conservation Film award in 2018.The Photo Ark was featured on American television program60 Minutes, with the episode first airing on October 14, 2018.[1]
It is a multiyear effort which originally intended to document 12,000 species[5] living in zoos andwildlife sanctuaries. In November 2021, the 12,000th species was photographed by Sartore who was 59 at the time, and the new goal was announced as being 15,000 species, which Sartore anticipated would take him another 10 to 15 years.[6]
According to a February 2017 press release byNational Geographic, one-half of Earth's animal species could go extinct by 2100.[7] Since starting the project, Sartore says several species he photographed are now extinct.[8]
Sartore gained a love of nature while growing up in Nebraska. He was amazed by the idea of species going extinct, and thought that he would never see such occur in his lifetime. However, now he believes that in the 11 years he has worked on the Photo Ark project, he has seen 10 go extinct.[9] In a March 2018 interview, Sartore said that he went to theOmaha zoo regularly as a child, getting to know the various animals. He says that his parents "made sure he was out in nature and appreciated it", which he says made all the difference.[10]
In a February 2018 interview, Sartore said that he began the Ark project about 12 years ago when he was caring for his three young children while his wife was being treated for cancer, leading Sartore to consider his own future. "That's how the Ark got started, and I've been going at it ever since."[11]
In an April 2018 interview, Sartore said he had been aNational Geographic photographer for over 27 years, and although he worked for 15 years doing various conservation stories, the impact was not enough to "stop the extinction crisis". So he realized that maybe "very simple portraits lit exquisitely so you can see the beauty and the color, looking animals directly in the eye with no distractions, would be the way to do it."[8]
In May 2018, the 8,000th animal was announced: the semiaquaticPyrenean desman.[13]
In December 2018, the 9,000th animal was announced: theBandula barb, a colorful but critically endangered fish found in one stream in Sri Lanka.[14]
In May 2020 the 10,000th animal was announced: thegüiña, which is the smallest wildcat in the Americas.National Geographic reported that "This pivotal milestone means that Sartore is about two-thirds of the way toward completing the National Geographic Photo Ark."[15]
In February 2021, the 11,000th animal was announced: thelong-toothed dart moth (Dichagyris longidens), saying the photo may be the first one to capture a living representative of the species.[16]
In November 2021, the 12,000th animal was announced: theArabian cobra, which until 2009 was classified as a subspecies of the Egyptian cobra.[6]
In May 2023, the 14,000th animal was announced: theIndochinese green magpie (Cissa hypoleuca), this individual in particular was named Jolie and rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.[18]
In November 2023, the 15,000 animal was announced: theMiami tiger beetle (Cicindelidia floridana[19]), which was thought to be extinct until rediscovered in 2007.[20]
Beginning in July 2017,PBS broadcast a three-part film,Rare: Creatures of The Photo Ark, which documented highlights of the project.[21][22]Rare was later released for purchase in both Blu-ray and DVD format, and was also made available onAmazon Prime.[11] As of February 2018, a second season was being discussed withNational Geographic.[11]
In a February 2018 interview,Rare director Chun-Wei Yi said that he met Sartore at National Geographic Television & Film, in 2006 or 2007, soon after he started the Photo Ark. In the course of making the series, Sartore photographed his 5,000th species.[11]
Sartore travels toMadagascar to photograph a creature found nowhere else: the rareDecken’s sifaka. Sartore also travels to theFlorida Keys to photograph the Lower Keysmarsh rabbit, listed as endangered due to rising sea water levels.[23]
Sartore photographs insects which look to be fromscience fiction. Then in the Czech Republic, he photographs one of the last fivenorthern white rhinos left on the Earth. In New Zealand, Sartore joins aRowi kiwi egg rescue, documenting the effort to prevent the species' extinction.[25]
In February 2019, it was announced thatNational Geographic andWGBH-Boston had joined forces to produce a "two-hour event special" aboutThe Photo Ark, which would air on October 17, 2020.[26][27][28][needs update]
The Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art exhibitingThe Photo ArkThe Photo Ark on exhibit in Pennsylvania
To spread awareness of this project, a selection of photographs fromThe Photo Ark has been exhibited in various museums, zoos, and exhibition halls around the world,[29] including the following locations:
In February 2018,RARE: Creatures of The Photo Ark was awarded Best Conservation Film at the New York WILDFilm Festival, held atThe Explorers Club in Manhattan.[11]
Mike Norton, executive vice president of Norton Outdoor Advertising wrote in Billboard Insider that "In this era of division and hyper-partisanship, Photo Ark is a uniting cause. Photo Ark has earned support and respect across the political spectrum, from Harrison Ford to hunters."[36]
In March 2017,Publishers Weekly reviewedThe Photo Ark, commenting that the photos use black-and-white backgrounds to highlight the animals, and snapshots of the photographing process are included as well. The article says that "Sartore more than succeeds in his goal to provide people with an opportunity to become aware of these animals, many endangered, before they disappear."[37]
In July 2017, TheNational Press Photographers Association reported that Sartore's goal is to photograph animals before they go extinct, but surmises that he may run out of time for many species. "It has taken 10 years so far to photograph about 6,500 of the estimated 12,000 species he wants to record. Sartore estimates it will take him 15 more years to finish... The first batch appears inThe Photo Ark, and its assortment of creatures is fascinating... [The book] will change the way you think of turning a field or forest into the next mall or housing development."[38] The 12,000th species was added to the Ark in November 2021, and a new goal of photographing 15,000 species was set.[6]
^Taylor, Alan (March 17, 2016)."Building a Photo Ark".Theatlantic.com. The Atlantic.Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. RetrievedJune 16, 2018.
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