CNN's New Big 5 initiative calls on photographers and conservationists to highlight endangered species, with a new photography book showcasing iconic animals under threat.
Graeme Green, a British photographer, rebranded the term "Big Five" – originally used by trophy hunters in Africa – as a global call to action for wildlife protection. The project gathered 50,000 votes from people worldwide to determine five animals they'd most like to photograph or see photographed in their natural habitat.
Elephant, polar bear, lion, gorilla, and tiger emerged as the New Big Five winners, along with other endangered species captured by renowned photographers such as Ami Vitale, Steve McCurry, and Paul Nicklen. Essays from conservationists Jane Goodall and Paula Kahumbu emphasize rewilding's importance in saving wildlife and indigenous communities' role in preserving ecosystems.
The book also features an alarming chapter on the impact of climate change on animal populations outside the New Big Five list. Graeme Green admits that thousands of images could have been included, highlighting the severity of the situation.
"The New Big 5: A Global Photography Project For Endangered Wildlife" is now available for purchase.
Graeme Green, a British photographer, rebranded the term "Big Five" – originally used by trophy hunters in Africa – as a global call to action for wildlife protection. The project gathered 50,000 votes from people worldwide to determine five animals they'd most like to photograph or see photographed in their natural habitat.
Elephant, polar bear, lion, gorilla, and tiger emerged as the New Big Five winners, along with other endangered species captured by renowned photographers such as Ami Vitale, Steve McCurry, and Paul Nicklen. Essays from conservationists Jane Goodall and Paula Kahumbu emphasize rewilding's importance in saving wildlife and indigenous communities' role in preserving ecosystems.
The book also features an alarming chapter on the impact of climate change on animal populations outside the New Big Five list. Graeme Green admits that thousands of images could have been included, highlighting the severity of the situation.
"The New Big 5: A Global Photography Project For Endangered Wildlife" is now available for purchase.
The idea of a global call to action for wildlife protection is so important, especially with climate change taking its toll on animals worldwide. It's crazy that thousands of images could have been included in the book - it just goes to show how dire the situation is. 
. I mean, I love a good sneaker as much as the next person, but have you seen those pictures of elephants and polar bears? It's heartbreaking 
. And what's with this rebranding thing Graeme Green did? I guess it's cool that people are talking about wildlife protection now 
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i think its cool that Graeme Green rebranded the term "Big Five" to highlight the importance of wildlife protection, but i also feel like hes leaving out some other amazing animals 
, like pandas or okapis? idk maybe ill just have to go on a photography adventure myself to help raise awareness 
I'm so down with this initiative! But honestly, 50k votes is a pretty small sample size, you know? Like, I think Graeme Green should've gone bigger on that. Thousands of images could have been included, and now they're stuck in an album 
... what about showcasing the struggles of wildlife conservationists like Jane Goodall?! Her story's so inspiring! 
Climate change is real and we need to act now!
. The whole 'Big Five' thing was originally super problematic, but Graeme Green rebranded it to be more positive and focused on conservation. It's awesome that the public got to vote and chose their own top 5 animals – it shows people care about these creatures 
. The chapter on climate change is super concerning though... 
we need to do more to protect these animals and their habitats 
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. It's time we all take action to protect these incredible creatures 
it's about time we give a voice to those incredible creatures that are fighting for survival. I mean, have you seen some of the pics from Ami Vitale and Steve McCurry? Mind-blowing! But what really got me is the section on climate change - it's heartbreaking to see how our actions as humans are affecting these amazing animals. We need more people like Graeme Green, who's passionate about using his platform for good. And I love that they're highlighting indigenous communities' role in preserving ecosystems, we should be supporting them even more! The book looks incredible too, can't wait to get my hands on it and learn more about these amazing animals 
The thing is, though, it's not just about the animals, we gotta think about the bigger picture. Climate change and rewilding are super important topics, and I love that Jane Goodall and Paula Kahumbu are speaking up about them. This book is like a big ol' wake-up call for all of us to get involved in saving our planet's wildlife! 
I mean, 50,000 people voting for their favorite animals to be photographed is awesome, but Graeme Green said he could've included thousands more images... that's just devastating. It's not just about the animals, either - indigenous communities are the ones who often know most about the ecosystems we're trying to save. We need to listen to them and work together to protect our planet 
. It really puts into perspective how much we need to act now to protect them.
. I think it's great that Graeme Green rebranded "Big Five" as a global conservation effort, but we need to address the broader issue of biodiversity loss 
. But we need more action and awareness on this scale – every individual has a role to play in reducing our carbon footprint and supporting conservation efforts 
. The new Big Five initiative sounds like a great way to raise awareness about endangered species, but I'm not sure it's the most effective way to make people care. Like, who needs a book with 50,000+ photos when you can just have everyone go on Instagram and hashtag #SaveThePlanet? 
. We've seen so many campaigns like this before, and they always seem to fade away after a few weeks of buzz. Still, I suppose it's better than nothing, right? And hey, at least the book will be a cool coffee table addition 
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. I mean, we're talkin' extinction here, not just some hypothetical threats. And what's with the "New Big Five" thing? It's like we've already got one version of this, you know? Trophy hunters in Africa, always been a problem. Now we're just rebrandin' it and callin' it good 
i mean what's gonna happen to these animals we're just reading about? it feels like their stories are being told but what about the people affected by climate change and habitat loss? we need more than just photos to solve this problem, we need real action 
We need more people getting involved in this project, not just with photography but also with rewilding efforts and indigenous community support 
. Still, the pics are mind-blowing and I love that 50k people got to vote on which animals to feature 
. Not to say I don't love Ami Vitale and Steve McCurry's work, but it feels like this whole project is just scratching the surface of the issue 
. And Steve McCurry's work is iconic too... I mean, who can forget that famous Kalimantan child from 1994?