But as poachers decimated elephant populations in recent decades, Samburu herders realized their cattle were also suffering. Her decade-long project documenting the bonds between Samburu people and wildlife in northern Kenya reverses this oversight, telling the story of how Samburu people became advocates for wild animals and their habitat.įor as long as Samburu people have grazed livestock, their livelihood has been seemingly at odds with the elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and other large mammals with whom they share their homeland. Too often, says Ami Vitale, nature photography excludes the humans whose lives are intertwined with the natural world. Ami Vitale Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, Kenya Photo Story Winner: the Samburu giraffe guardian. Then, as the female releases thousands of eggs in pearly, gelatinous strands, the male coats them with sperm. Males temporarily develop glands on their toes, known as nuptial pads, to help them grip the swollen abdomens of the females. Known as amplexus-Latin for “embrace”-this mating behavior is common among amphibians and other animals whose eggs must be fertilized externally. Not his own life, though-the male is helping to ensure his species’ survival by fertilizing his female companion’s eggs as she lays them. Mathieu Foulquié Lez River, Franceīeneath the turbulence of a small waterfall in France’s Lez River, a male common toad holds on for dear life. Aquatic Life Finalist: common toads in a nuptial embrace. To close the gap, this cheetah tripped its quarry as it attempted to escape, proving that sometimes, strategy is just as important as speed. But the feline predators still have to account for the speed of their prey-in this case an impala, which can zigzag at upwards of 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour. When they get within 60 meters (200 feet) of their target, cheetahs accelerate at a blistering pace, reaching 95 kilometers (60 miles) per hour in a matter of seconds. To avoid alerting their prey, cheetahs start out hunting low to the ground, where their spotted coat helps them blend into the terrain. The mostly treeless terrain of the African savanna gives antelopes, impalas, and other ungulates ample time to spot approaching predators, and even a slight head start can be the difference between life and death. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya (above)Īlthough they’re the fastest land animals in the world, catching prey is no easy feat for a cheetah. From the Scottish Highlands to Africa’s Great Rift Valley, the images show a patchwork of cultures and habitats, proving that there really is no separating human life from wildlife in our world. This year’s awardees, judged by renowned nature photographers Suzi Eszterhas, Tony Wu, and Sophie Stafford, include stories of adaptation, predation, human sentinels, and as always, climate change. The gallery of winners might cover close encounters with megafauna, glimpses of life hidden under water, dirt, and ice, and windows into ecological relationships that surpass our imaginations. Take the California Academy of Science’s BigPicture competition, for instance: It puts stunning, biologically insightful images out in the public eye each spring. Wildlife photography, however, helps increase our exposure to the unknown. But the vast majority of us only experience a speck of it. With seven continents, eleven biomes, and upwards of a trillion species, this planet has a lot to offer in terms of diversity. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.
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