Gallery: One Man's Quest to Photograph 12,000 Species Before They Disappear

  • Image may contain Animal Mammal Wolf Wildlife Lion Coyote Canine and Red Wolf
    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    A Mexican gray wolf (*Canis lupus baileyi*) at the Wild Canid Survival and Research Center.
  • Image may contain Animal Wildlife Amphibian Frog Reptile and Lizard
    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    Blue poison dart frogs (Dendrobates azureus) at Reptile Gardens.

    Blue poison dart frogs (*Dendrobates azureus*) at Reptile Gardens.
  • Image may contain Animal Wildlife Rhino and Mammal
    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    An endangered Indian rhinoceros female with calf (*Rhinoceros unicornis*) at the Fort Worth Zoo.
  • Image may contain Animal Wildlife Mammal Cougar Dog Pet and Canine
    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    A Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo.

    A Florida panther (*Puma concolor coryi*) at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo.
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    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    An endangered, booming Attwater's Prairie Chicken (*Tympanuchus cupido attwateri*) at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas.
  • Image may contain Animal Mammal Wildlife Bear and Lesser Panda
    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    Twin three-month-old red pandas (*Ailurus fulgens fulgens*) at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.
  • Image may contain Animal Wildlife Mammal Monkey and Baboon
    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    De Brazza's monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus)at the Omaha Zoo.

    De Brazza's monkey (*Cercopithecus neglectus*) at the Omaha Zoo.
  • Image may contain Animal Bird King Penguin and Penguin
    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    South Georgia king penguins (*Aptenodytes patagonicus*) at the Indianapolis Zoo.
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    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    Royal Antelope (*Neotraus pygmaeus*) at the LA Zoo. This species weighs 9-10 pounds making it the smallest of all antelopes.
  • Image may contain Animal Wildlife Panther Jaguar Mammal and Leopard
    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    Houston Zoo

    Clouded leopard (*Neofelis nebulosa*) at the Houston Zoo.
  • Image may contain Bird Animal Eagle and Bald Eagle
    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    A bald eagle (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) named Bensar at the George M. Sutton Avian Research Center.
  • Image may contain Animal Wildlife Ape Mammal L. C. Ulmer Human and Person
    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    Gladys, a six-week-old western lowland gorilla (*Gorilla gorilla gorilla*) at the Cincinnati Zoo.
  • Image may contain Animal Reptile Lizard Iguana and Green Lizard
    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    A West Usambara two-horned chameleon (*Kinyongia multituberculata*) at the Houston Zoo.
  • Image may contain Animal Mammal Rodent Rat and Mole
    Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark
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    Damaraland mole rats (*Cryptomys damarensis*) at the Houston Zoo. These burrowing rodents from sub-Saharan Africa are one of only two known eusocial mammals.