Man on a Mission:
Building 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.

15,325 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

A northern red fan parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus accipitrinus) at the Houston Zoo.

Photo: Visayan leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis rabori) at the Avilon Zoo.

Photo: A killer whale also called an orca whale, Orcinus orca, named Kayla at SeaWorld in Orlando, FL. Kayla is 27 years old, weighs 5,600 pounds and is 19 feet long.

Picture of a 10-week-old fennec fox kit (Vulpes zerda) at the Saint Louis Zoo.

An endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) at the Omaha Zoo.

Picture of a Texas coral snake (Micrurus tener tener) at the Fort Worth Zoo.

A male, critically endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered Mindoro dwarf buffalo (Bubalus mindorensis) named Kalibasib at Tamaraw Gene Pool Farm on Mindoro Island in the Philippines.

A picture of an endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered pileated gibbon with her eight-month-old infant (Hylobates pileatus) at the Gibbon Conservation Center

A bull elk (Cervus canadensis) at the Oklahoma City Zoo in Oklahoma.

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 picture of an endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) at the Singapore Zoo.

Picture of a Peruvian giant yellow-leg centipede or Amazonian giant centipede (Scolopendra gigantea) at the National Aviary of Colombia.

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

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 critically endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered Northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) named Nabire was one of the last three northern white rhinos left on Earth. She died on Monday, July 27, 2015, just one week after this photo was taken at the Dvur Kralove Zoo. This species is critically endangered, and heading towards extinction.

A critically endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered red wolf (Canis rufus gregoryi) at the Great Plains Zoo.

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

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

A picture of a Eurasian elk (Alces alces alces) at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado.

A picture of an endangered baby white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) clings to her mother's back at a facility in Florida. At just 70 days old, this captive-born baby was a first in captivity! This species, like many other pangolin species, is illegally taken from the wild. Unfortunately, it is falsely believed that the protective keratin scales have curative properties.

Photo: A vulnerable Siamese fighting fish or betta (Betta splendens) in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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

A picture of a federally endangered marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata marmorata) at Zoo Taiping.

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

The talons of a South American great horned owl (Bubo virginianus nacurutu) at Parque Jaime Duque near Bogota, Colombia.

Picture of a Plain pigeon (Patagioenas inornata) at the Parque Zoologico Nacional in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Photo: An Edwards's fig parrot (Psittaculirostris edwardsii) at Loro Parque Fundacion.

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

A critically endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered four-year-old male Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis sumatrensis) named Harapan at White Oak Conservation Center.

A picture of a federally endangered Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) at the Budapest Zoo. This species is listed as vulnerable by IUCN.

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

Two critically endangered Celebes crested macaques (Macaca nigra) at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Nebraska.

Photo: A Equatorial spitting cobra (Naja sumatrana miolepis) at the Avilon Zoo.

Joel Sartore News

Spring Sale 2024

Spring is finally upon us, and that means we’re bound to see some new feathered friends, furry neighbors and gardens abuzz with life. With the arrival of the new season comes a breath of fresh air, and our spring print sale! All traditional prints are 25% off, so be sure to use…

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