The new Big 5. To shoot. With a camera
THE ORIGINAL ‘BIG 5’ IS AN OLD HUNTING TERM THAT HIGHLIGHTED THE FIVE MOST PRIZED AND DANGEROUS ANIMALS IN AFRICA FOR COLONIAL-ERA HUNTERS TO SHOOT AND KILL: ELEPHANT, RHINO, LEOPARD, CAPE BUFFALO AND LION. A NEW INITIATIVE SET OUT TO CREATE A MODERN ‘BIG 5’ OF WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY, SHOOTING WITH CAMERAS, RATHER THAN GUNS
Launched in April last year, a group of more than 250 international photographers, conservationists and global wildlife charities came together to support the New Big 5 project, with wildlife lovers around the world voting on the New Big 5 website for their five favourite animals to photograph or see in photos. ʻThe aim of the project is to use the New Big 5 idea to get people thinking about wildlife and the threats many animals face,ʼ explains photographer and New Big 5ʼs founder, Graeme Green. ʻThe worldʼs wildlife is in crisis. I wanted to use this project and the website – with all the articles, interviews and podcasts we produced – to raise awareness of issues like habitat loss, the illegal wildlife trade and climate change.ʼ
During the year-long process, the website received more than 50 000 votes. The animals selected by the public for the New Big 5 are: elephants, polar bears, gorillas, tigers and lions.
Despite their popularity, all five species are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. ʻThese five animals are such beautiful and remarkable species, and are wonderful ambassadors for the worldʼs wildlife, from iconic species to little-known frogs, lizards, fish and birds,ʼ says Dr Jane Goodall. ʻSo many animals face threats to their survival from issues such as poaching, habitat loss and climate change. If we work together, we can stop this happening. Change is possible if we each play our part.ʼ
The five animals also offer a new bucket list to travellers, wildlife lovers and photographers to see, encouraging people to visit the countries where the five animals live, to support conservation efforts and to learn about the threats they face.
The New Big 5 programme will continue to produce content on wildlife, photography and conservation. The ultimate message is that all wildlife needs to be protected. ʻThe New Big 5 are the tip of the iceberg,ʼ says Graeme. ʻThey stand for all creatures, so many of which are in danger. From bees to blue whales, all wildlife is essential to the balance of nature, to healthy ecosystems and to the future of our planet.ʼ
OCTOBER 2021 • GETAWAY.CO.ZA
ELEPHANTS
The largest land mammals, elephants are extraordinary creatures. Their trunks are some of the most versatile organs in the natural world, allowing elephants to pick up tiny bits of food from the ground, to reach high into trees, to strip bark or suck up water. A trunk can be used for fighting or to show affection. Itʼs also incredibly sensitive, able to pick up the direction from which a smell is coming.
Elephants are intelligent, emotional animals that live in close-knit groups and are known to mourn their dead. They shape landscapes by pulling down trees and spreading seeds via their massive daily dung deposits.
There are an estimated 447 500 elephants left in the world, including 415 000 African elephants and 30 000 to 35 000 Asian elephants. The
African forest elephant is now listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered and the African savanna elephant as Endangered, following dramatic declines. An estimated 55 African elephants are still being killed by poachers per day – one every 26 minutes. Habitat loss and humanwildlife conflict are also major threats.
Marina Cano (photographer): ʻI love elephants. This beautiful, huge animal can be so tender, so gentle and emotional. From a photographic point of view, theyʼre awesome. I love their faces, their skin, the beauty of their bodies, the young ones playing in water, the adults doing their dust bath. Itʼs terrible the situation theyʼre facing right now with the ivory trade.ʼ
PREVIOUS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Photos by Graeme Green, Graeme Green, Nelis Wolmarans, Shibu Preman, Dave Sandford.
TIGERS
The largest cat species, tigers are listed globally as Endangered, the closest of all the big cats to extinction. In India, where tigers are the national animal, numbers are stable. But tiger populations have been decimated across Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and China. The Malayan (150 to 200 left) and Sumatran (300 to 370 left) sub-species are listed as Critically Endangered.
Tigers are thought to have lived on Earth for two million years. But over the last 150 years, their range has decreased by nearly 95 percent. There are now less than 3 900 tigers in the wild globally, with an estimated 20 000 in captivity, many in Tiger King-style “zoos” and “sanctuaries” in the US, or kept as pets.
The illegal wildlife trade in tiger bones, skins and other products for traditional Chinese “medicine” or ornaments in China, Vietnam and other parts of Asia is driving the rapid decline. Habitat destruction, fragmentation and human-wildlife conflict adds to the crisis.
Tigers are stealthy hunters and can typically travel 10km to 20km during a nightʼs hunting.
Shibu Preman (photographer): ʻGrowing up in India and seeing tigers was a gift. From that time, the love for tigers has been deep in my heart. They have a highly uncertain future. To save them and celebrate them, I nominate the tiger as the captain to lead the New Big 5.ʼ