The Photo Ark: One Man’s Quest to Document the World’s Animals

Featuring two-headed turtles, golden langurs glaring into the camera, and eye-catching grasshoppers, this lively collection of color photos of creatures large and small will enthrall even the most casual viewer. Photos of seemingly unrelated species are frequently juxtaposed: pairing the echidna and the platypus, or the Mexican hairy dwarf porcupine and the zebra, creates a striking effect that also shows the connectivity of nature. The portraits are shot with black-and-white backgrounds so that even images of familiar animals demand attention. Included among the gazelles, panthers, and slugs are descriptions and snapshots of the photographing process. The selection is part of a project led by conservationist and National Geographic photographer Sartore, who has devoted 25 years to capturing the images of every species held in captivity in order to preserve their images and encourage activism. Sartore more than succeeds in his goal to provide people with an opportunity to become aware of these animals, many endangered, before they disappear. Color photos.[em] (Mar.) [/em]

This review has been corrected; an earlier version misspelled the author's name.