An 8 ½-week-old, royal white phase Bengal tiger, Panthera tigris, at Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, 2014. (Photo: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark)
For nearly 20 years, Joel Sartore has been on a mission to photograph every animal species living in a zoo, aquarium, or wildlife sanctuary. It's all part of Photo Ark, which has a mission to bring attention to at-risk species. In a new book, Sartore focuses his attention on the many baby animals he's photographed along the way.
Photo Ark Babies, published by National Geographic Press, showcases over 150 youngsters from across the animal kingdom. From an 8-week-old white Bengal tiger to 100-day-old panda cubs, Sartore's portraits offer a beautiful glimpse into future generations carrying on species at risk.
Each portrait is accompanied by some brief text explaining something about the baby animal, whether it be special markings they outgrow or how they keep themselves safe while waiting for their mom to return with food. It's these facts and behaviors that fascinate Sartore, as they show the early survival instincts that keep these animals safe.
At the same time, Sartore is acutely aware of the power these baby animals possess thanks to their adorable faces. And he hopes that this can be used to encourage the public to think more about the animals that we need to save to make our world a better place.
“I wonder what the future holds for the babies in this book,” he writes. “Will they tug at enough heartstrings to inspire us to improve the planet at long last? Will we humans realize what a gift this all is and start saving the wild places that elephants (along with every other creature) need to thrive and raise their young? I sure hope so. After all, when we save other species, we’re actually saving ourselves.
A new book by Joel Sartore focuses on portraits of adorable baby animals.
Twin giant panda cubs, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, at Zoo Atlanta, Georgia, 2013. (Photo: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark)
A juvenile red flanked duiker, Cephalophus rufilatus, at the Los Angeles Zoo, 2016. (Photo: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark)
A Japanese macaque or snow monkey, Macaca fuscata, at the Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines, Iowa, 2017. (Photo: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark)
Photo Ark Babies features over 150 youngsters from across the animal kingdom.
