1 year ago
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Wild ground pangolin, endangered, Gorongosa national park, Mozambique
Jen Guyton says: ‘This pangolin was out foraging for termites and I took a series of photos of her. Pangolins are the only mammals that have large scales made of keratin, which are actually just modified hairs. These animals are coveted in Asia for their meat and scales, which are wrongly thought to have medicinal properties. As a result, they are one of the most trafficked animals in the world.’ The New Big 5: A Global Photography Project for Endangered Wildlife, published by Earth Aware Editions, is available from April 4 in the US and UK.
Photograph: Jen Guyton
Gharial, critically endangered, National Chambal sanctuary, India
Dhritiman Mukherjee says: ‘Gharials are generally not aggressive, but during the breeding period males become very territorial. I spent four or five days observing this particular male. I found it was super-protective and aggressive if someone came close. The male always stays close to the babies. Sometimes the babies lie on their father’s back.’
Photograph: Dhritiman Mukherjee
African lions, vulnerable, Mara Naboisho conservancy, Kenya
Graeme Green says: ‘Lions are one of my favourite animals to spend time with. Hearing them roar their territorial warnings across the grasslands of Kenya is unforgettable. With this photo, I wanted to show their gentle, affectionate side and capture the behaviour between these two brothers.’
Photograph: Graeme Green
Green sea turtle, endangered, Ningaloo marine park, Australia
Aimee Jan says: ‘I dived down and found a perfectly framed turtle, which seemed to be having a rest before turning and looking directly at me. I had time to take four photos before I needed to come up for air. I knew it was one of the best moments I had ever captured.’
Photograph: Aimee Jan
Mountain gorilla, endangered, Volcanoes national park, Rwanda
Daryl and Sharna Balfour say: ‘This is legendary silverback mountain gorilla Guhonda, surveying his domain. Rwanda is one of just three countries where mountain gorillas live, with a little over 1,000 remaining in the wild. At 52, Guhonda is the oldest known mountain gorilla in existence.’
Photograph: Daryl and Sharna Balfour
Black rhinoceros, critically endangered, Maasai Mara national reserve, Kenya
David Lloyd says: ‘Karanja is the name of this iconic black rhinoceros who lived out his years in Kenya’s Maasai Mara until his death of natural causes in December 2014. He boasted what some people believe to be the longest horn in Africa, which measured 34 inches. He was the oldest rhino in the reserve, and a rare living link to an era when rhinos were still common.’
Photograph: David Lloyd
Polar bear, vulnerable, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada
Jenny Wong says: ‘We had tracked this bear for several days, and after two weeks it was my last day out on the ice. We watched his brazen personality and curiosity as he wandered close to snowmobiles and camps. I think this image shows that you don’t need to get really close to animals to get an impactful image. We should always be conscious, when out there documenting wildlife, of the impact we have on their wellbeing.’
Photograph: Jenny Wong
Spotted torrent-frog, critically endangered, Santa Bárbara park, Ecuador
Lucas Bustamante says: ‘Among the most beautiful frogs on Earth, these Andean frogs live on very restricted waterfalls around the Andean foothills. They measure around 10cm, and have striking colours and patterns, mainly the tip of their fingers, where each species has its colour of “nail polish”.’
Photograph: Lucas Bustamante
Rüppell’s vulture, critically endangered, Simien Mountains national park, Ethiopia
Marco Gaiotti says: ‘This vulture is pictured in flight in front of the Jinbar waterfall. The current Rüppell’s population of 22,000 is decreasing, mainly due to loss of habitat. Rüppell’s vultures are considered to be the highest-flying bird, with confirmed evidence of a flight at 11,300m (37,000ft) above sea level. Vultures are essential to the health of an ecosystem. As scavengers, they serve a clean-up role. But their numbers have decreased dramatically across Asia and many parts of Africa.’
Photograph: Marco Gaiotti
Chilean devil ray, endangered, Azores, Portugal
Magnus Lundgren says: ‘A large group of Chilean devil rays, all with a wingspan up to four metres, socialise at Princess Alice seamount in the late summer. They are among the deepest divers in the ocean, reaching at least 1,800 metres (6,000ft). All mobula rays are under serious threat and, as if climate change and the fishing industry were not enough, the mobula’s gill rakers are sold and marketed for false “healing” reasons, putting them at an even greater danger of disappearing.’
Photograph: Magnus Lundgren
African elephant, endangered, Lower Zambezi national park, Zambia
Marsel van Oosten says: ‘I spotted this beautiful constellation of tree trunks and immediately saw the potential for a great animalscape. Eventually an elephant walked into my frame, and I couldn’t have been happier. The elephants in this area have relatively small tusks, and many have no tusks at all. This is “reverse evolution” – the survival of the weakest. Poachers are always targeting the biggest bulls with the largest tusks, so their genes are eliminated from the gene pool.’
Photograph: Marsel van Oosten
Cheetah, vulnerable, Maasai Mara national reserve, Kenya
Nili Gudhka says: ‘We came across a cheetah mother with two tiny cubs. They were just waking up from a good night’s sleep. As the sun came up, the cubs became very playful. One decided to climb on to a dead tree. The survival rate of cubs is just 5%. Sadly, just two days later, one of these cubs was killed by hyenas in the night, and a few weeks after, the second cub was killed by a male lion.’
Photograph: Nili Mahendra Gudhka
Golden snub-nosed monkey, endangered. Foping nature reserve, China
Qiang Zhang says: ‘It was the coldest day in January when we found a golden monkey family. This monkey is taking her baby to walk and jump on the tree. There’s no need to worry about the baby falling – his arms and legs tightly embrace his mother. I saw this and quickly recorded this wonderful moment.’
Photograph: Qiang Zhang
Atlantic goliath grouper, vulnerable, Palm Beach, Florida
Tom Shlesinger says: ‘I got lucky on one dive – vast schools of bigeye scads had surrounded the groupers, which ignored the silvery school in favour of larger prey. I observed, captivated, as the groupers swam calmly through the swirling school, and immediately knew this was the perfect moment to capture a unique perspective.’
Photograph: Tom Shlesinger
Bengal tiger, endangered, Ranthambore national park, India
Thomas Vijayan says: ‘The tiger is one of my favourite animals to photograph. I travel all the way from Canada to Indian forests to capture their majestic beauty. This was taken on a rainy day. In Indian forests, it’s very difficult to get a proper picture of a running tiger, as they are all thick forests.’
Photograph: Thomas Vijayan
Ricord’s rock iguana, endangered, Enriquillo Lake national park, Dominican Republic
Tamara Blazquez Haik says: ‘This species is endemic to the island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and is sadly endangered due to poaching, habitat loss and predation by invasive species. However, brave conservationists, rangers and scientists are fighting to protect their habitats from being destroyed, and are standing against poachers. This iguana was searching for food when it came close to me. I took this shot as it stood there basking in the sun.’
Photograph: Tamara Blazquez Haik
Iberian lynx, endangered, Ciudad Real, Spain
Antonio Liebana says: ‘I captured this image while leading a conservation project based around photography in Peñalajo, Castilla La Mancha, Spain. I knew a family of lynx used this waterhole to drink, so I rigged up a hide close by. Focusing on this cub, I was lucky enough to capture the moment it lifted its head from the water, licked its lips and gazed straight into the camera.’
Photograph: Antonio Liebana
English (US)