Australian photographer among winners in global wildlife book celebrating giraffes

Australian photographer Ivan Glaser, a former winner of the Animals category in Photographer of the Year, is among 20 international winners selected for the forthcoming Remembering Giraffes book, the latest edition in the award-winning Remembering Wildlife fundraising series.

The competition-winning images will feature in the 11th book in the series, which raises funds for conservation projects protecting endangered species. Giraffe populations have declined by around 40 per cent over the past three decades, with some regional populations already lost entirely due to habitat loss, poaching and civil unrest.

The Remembering Wildlife series has already raised more than £1.26 million (approximately $1.64 million USD) since launching in 2016, supporting 82 conservation projects across 35 countries.

Glaser’s winning image was captured in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve and will appear alongside work from leading wildlife photographers around the world, including entries from the UK, USA, India, Germany, Poland, Kenya, Switzerland, South Africa and Australia.

The 20 selected images showcase the four giraffe species and were chosen by a panel including wildlife photographers Wim van den Heever and Daryl Balfour, alongside photographer, publisher and mentor Eddie Ephraums and series founder Margot Raggett MBE.

Raggett said the competition continues to highlight both the beauty and vulnerability of giraffes.

“Giraffes are disappearing because of habitat loss, poaching and civil unrest and, because they are quiet, gentle creatures, their decline has gone largely unnoticed,” she said.

“The good news is that, where giraffes are protected, populations can recover. Remembering Giraffes aims to shine a light on the threats affecting giraffes and help ensure that future generations don’t just remember giraffes but see them standing tall in the wild.”

The book is scheduled for release in October.

The Remembering Wildlife initiative was founded after Raggett witnessed the aftermath of elephant poaching in Kenya. Since then, 10 books have been published, covering species including elephants, rhinos, lions, cheetahs, bears and tigers. A total of 300 wildlife photographers have contributed under the collective banner Wildlife Photographers United.

Famous supporters of the series include Pierce Brosnan, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ricky Gervais and Russell Crowe.

A Kickstarter campaign supporting production of Remembering Giraffes reached its £20,000 target within five minutes of launch and surpassed £107,000 within 48 hours. 

You can find out more here.