Freedom for all
Everyone deserves freedom. Nowadays we humans take freedom for granted, but what about animals? It breaks my heart when I see captive animals. Especially animals that are abused to entertain us human’s amusement. There are so many sad stories in the world. What happened? When did we humans get so foolish? I can’t stop wonder, have we always so been so cruel throughout time towards animals, or is this something that has happened in recent century?
Orangutan photographed in the rainforest of Borneo 2012
I am driven by empathy and consider myself as a conservation photographer. All my life I’ve been drawn to nature and what it can offer. Seeing, experiencing nature and wildlife as it should be, is truly a unique experience. There are so few untouched places left in the world that we all should do what we can to maintain these places and the animals that live in them.
Lion photographed in Kenya 2018
So, what can we do? Here are a few examples what you can do.
Be an ethical tourist and never take your picture with a captive animal
Do not keep a wild animal as pet unless you have a written permit from the government
Recycle and buy sustainable products
Do not buy plastic products
Educate friends and family
Donate and support wildlife organizations
Research before buying stuff. Ask these questions before making a purchase:
What is this product made of?
Where did this product come from?
Does the country I’m visiting allow the sale and export of this product?
Do I need permits or other documents from this country or the United
Is it allowed to bring this item home?
According to the latest report from WWF
“IN LESS THAN 50 YEARS, WE'VE SEEN AN OVERALL DECLINE OF 60% IN POPULATION SIZES OF VERTEBRATE SPECIES.”
One of my absolute favorite animals, African elephant photographed in Tanzania 2013
As of 2018 there are about 400 000 wild elephants left in Africa. https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/winter-2018/articles/the-status-of-african-elephants
For more information, see
