Joel Sartore Joel Sartore

National Geographic Photographer and Speaker

Tilcayo:
Bolivian Cat Discovered

Tilcayo's StoryBook Joel To Speak

I’m Joel Sartore.

Ever wonder about those wildlife photographers who risk life and limb to get the perfect shot? That’s me. I’ve spent 25 years with National Geographic—and I’ve got the stories and scars to prove it. These days my focus is on the Photo Ark, the world’s largest collection of animal studio portraits. My goal is simple: to get the public to care and save species from extinction.

  • 18,000 species photographed for the Photo Ark

  • A modern-day Noah

    —NBC Nightly News

  • 1 porcupine named Piper on the cover of

    National Geographic
  • 4 times chased by grizzlies
    Picture of a grizzly bear, Ursus arctos horribilis, at Sedgewick County Zoo.
  • 300 talks given worldwide
  • 2 spitting cobras found in camera gear
    Picture of a red spitting cobra (Naja pallida) at the St. Louis Zoo.

Speaking Engagements

“Joel never fails to dazzle.”
Known for his sense of humor and incredible stories from the field, Joel is a popular speaker with conservation, corporate, and civic groups.

Hire him to entertain and inspire your audience.

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Recent Talks

  • Picture of a Barbary lion (Panthera leo leo) at the Plzen Zoo in the Czech Republic.
  • A small Indian civet (Viverricula indica baptistae) at the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden in Assam, India.
  • A picture of a critically endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered baby Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) named Aurora, with her adoptive mother, Cheyenne, a Bornean/Sumatran cross (Pongo pygmaeus x abelii) at the Houston Zoo.
  • A kaiser spotted newt (Neurergus kaiseri) from a private collection in Tennessee. This species is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.
  • A vulnerable Colombian night monkey (Aotus griseimembra) named “Cheeky” at the Houston Zoo.
  • A picture of a critically endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered Northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) named Nabire was one of the last three northern white rhinos left on Earth. She died on Monday, July 27, 2015, just one week after this photo was taken at the Dvur Kralove Zoo. This species is critically endangered, and heading towards extinction.
  • A picture of a spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis chinensis) at the Plzen Zoo in the Czech Republic.
  • Picture of an Andean goose, Chloephaga melanoptera, at Sylvan Heights Bird Park.
  • A picture of a red turban snail (Pomaulax gibberosus) at the Indianapolis Zoo in Indianapolis, Indiana.
  • A blessed dart frog (Ranitomeya benedicta), Pampa Hermosa, Satipo, Peru locality at the LA Zoo.
  • A picture of a group of Cape vultures (Gyps coprotheres) named Kruger, Motswari and Timbavati at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This species is listed as vulnerable by IUCN.

    • Joel is the founder of the Photo Ark, a 25-year effort to photograph every species in human care around the globe.

    Explore the Photo Ark

  • Picture of an endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered Gee's golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) at the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden.
  • A black-throated magpie-jay (Calocitta colliei) from the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas.
  • An endangered female white-bellied tree pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) and her juvenile at Pangolin Conservation in St. Augustine, Florida. This juvenile is only 70 days old and is the first of her species to be bred in captivity. Traditional Chinese medicine falsely believes the unique protective keratin scales have curative properties. This has resulted in massive illegal taking of pangolins from the wild. With the four species of Asian pangolins becoming endangered, smugglers are now turning their attention to the four found in Africa, including this species.
  • A picture of a male Southern African lion (Panthera leo melanochaita) named Mr. Big at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. This species is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.
  • An ashy gecko (Sphaerodactylus elegans) from a private collection.
  • Picture of a antennata lionfish (Pterois antennata) at the Dallas Children's Aquarium.
  • A picture of federally endangered cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) at the Denver Zoo in Denver, Colorado. This species is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.
  • A picture of a group of federally endangered Palos Verdes blue butterflies (Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis) at the McGuire Center, Gainesville, Florida.
  • A picture of a Mexican jumping viper (Metlapilcoatlus mexicanus) at the Houston Zoo in Houston, Texas.
  • A picture of a Visayan leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis rabori) at the Avilon Zoo in Manila, Philippines.
  • A picture of an eastern long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bartoni) named J.R. at the Taronga Zoo Sydney in Australia. This species is listed as vulnerable by IUCN. This is one of only two in captivity, and he's 48 years old.

Joel Sartore News

Newly Described Cat Species Boards the Photo Ark

This new-to-science Tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo) was photographed at Senda Verde Animal Refuge in Coroico, Bolivia. In the wild, this tiny cat lives in the Yungas forests of Bolivia, a unique habitat increasingly threatened by mining and deforestation. Smaller than a domestic cat, the Tilcayo was one of the many secrets waiting to be discovered in…

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