Due to predicted severe weather this weekend, some areas of site will be closed for animal and visitor safety.

Close alert

Please note the Estuary Tower lift is currently out of order, we apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Close alert

Slimbridge teams up with National Geographic Society Photo Ark

Slimbridge are excited to be involved in the National Geographic Society photographer, Joel Sartore’s Photo Ark project – ‘Saving Species One Photo at a Time’.

Slimbridge are excited to be involved in the National Geographic Society photographer, Joel Sartore’s Photo Ark project – ‘Saving Species One Photo at a Time’.

Photo Ark uses the power of photography to inspire people to help save species at risk before it’s too late. Founder and photographer Joel Sartore has taken portraits of 13,000 species — and counting — in his quest to document our world’s astonishing diversity. He is over half way to his goal of documenting all of the approximately 20,000 species including birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates living in the world’s zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.

Richardson’s cackling canada_credit Joel Sartore.jpg

Richardson's cackling Canada

Photographer Joel Sartore visited Slimbridge back in February 2020 to photograph various animals from Slimbridge’s collection and we’re excited to now be able to share some of these stunning photographs. Joel photographed dozens of species at Slimbridge including Hawaiian ducks, Anatolian spotted newts and Greenland white fronted geese.

Joel Sartore returned to Slimbridge in June 2022 to photograph the Critically Endangered spoon-billed sandpiper, which joined National Geographic Photo Ark as 13,000th species.

Example photo from shoot 16-06-22.jpg

Spoon-billed sandpiper

The Photo Ark has helped raise money to save species from extinction and in the bigger picture it raises public awareness to the extinction crisis.

From projections on buildings including St. Peter’s Basilica and the Empire State Building, to publications in the National Geographic Magazine. The Photo Ark images get people to care about some of the least known animals on the planet, while there’s still time to save them.

We hope that Joel’s photographs of our endangered animals help people understand the importance of wetlands and the wildlife that relies on them.

Yuruani glass frog_credit Joel Sartore.jpg

Glass frog

Read more on the Photo Ark


  • Share this article