The Influence And Role Of Photography In Wildlife Conservation

Insight provided by Canon Ambassadors, TV presenters and award-winning wildlife photographers Jonathan and Angela Scott

Based in Kenya, Jonathan and Angela Scott use their passion and talent for photography to aid wildlife conservation and raise awareness of animals facing extinction. From encouraging discussion to highlighting habitat loss, climate crisis, and human population growth, they firmly believe photography plays an essential role in creating change and driving awareness. They are the only couple to have won the Overall Award in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition as individuals

Human Poaching Threatens the Existence of Iconic Wild Animals

Over the years, we have photographed most species of wild animals listed in the ICUN’s Red Data Book of Endangered Species such as Rhinos, Elephants, Giraffes, Mountain Gorillas, Cheetahs, Leopards, and Lions. The Red List is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. It uses a set of criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies.

Humanity is quite literally sweeping the last wild places and their inhabitants of the planet. The long-term survival of polar bears, tigers, gorillas, and elephants’ is threatened due to loss of habitat, the bushmeat trade, human/wildlife conflict, and the illegal horn and bone trade.

In particular, Africa’s elephant population has dramatically declined from 1.2 million in the 1970s to around 400,000 today. If we can preserve habitat, the living space required by wild animals to thrive, then all the species that live there have a chance of surviving. Without a home, there is no hope.

There is a need for photographs that speak to people on the wonder and beauty of the natural world – such as Angie’s serene image of a family of elephants drinking, which won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in 2002.

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