Steve Winter & Sharon Guynup Wild things

For 35 yrs, the American duo - one a wildlife photographer, the other a conservation journalist - have travelled the world telling stories of hope, sharing lessons from among those doing it right, and helping shape laws to prevent further harm. They have now won the Sanctuary Lifetime Service Award. It can take very little to make a difference, they say

- Arshia

The rise of social media has affected the world's endangered species, say American photographer Steve Winter and journalist Sharon Guynup.

"The shortened attention spans have really affected the way people consume news and information," Guynup adds. This has shrunk the space for the kind of in-depth, investigative work they do.

And this worries them, because they have seen, over 35 years, how vital such storytelling can be, in driving change, altering public policy and shifting mindsets.

Winter, 63, an independent photographer, has worked with National Geographic for over two decades. He has been named BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year, BBC Wildlife Photojournalist of the Year, and has won multiple World Press Photo awards.

Guynup, 66, an independent journalist, has won awards for her coverage of conservation science, wildlife crime, and climate change. She was also named a 2023 Changemaker by New York University.

Their investigation into the US captive-tiger tourism industry (more on this in a bit) revealed abuse and wildlife trafficking. Their 30-page National Geographic feature on it was shared with members of the US Congress by the National Geographic Society, and led to the passing of a new law, the Big Cat Public Safety Act, in 2022.

Winter's iconic photograph from 2013, of a cougar named P-22 walking in the city park that houses the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, became a symbol of urban wildlife resilience, and galvanised public support for an expensive wildlife bridge that is still being built, and is expected to be the world's largest when it is done.