Photographer and National Geographic Explorer Joel Sartore has spent the past 20 years photographing animals around the world, but his goal goes beyond creating beautiful wildlife portraits. In 2006, he started the National Geographic Photo Ark, a project dedicated to documenting species living in zoos, aquariums, and wildlife sanctuaries and using photography to encourage people to care about and protect them.
Since then, Sartore has photographed various species across more than 60 countries, getting up close with animals of all shapes and sizes. His portraits give each species the same attention, whether it’s a tiny frog, a colorful bird, or one of the world’s most vulnerable animals.
The project recently marked two major milestones – its 20th anniversary and 18,000th species – with Sartore continuing his mission to document the incredible variety of life on our planet.
Below, we’ve gathered some of the photographer’s best shots, featuring animals that are fascinating, unusual, and sometimes almost impossible to believe are real. Scroll down to take a closer look at the species he has captured through the Photo Ark.
Joel Sartore and frill necked lizard
