'Remembering Wildlife' before it goes extinct

British wildlife photographer Margot Raggett says she created the book Remembering Elephants after she heard David Attenborough say, "The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?" Her effort was to provoke this question in others and to give the proceeds from its sale to conservation organizations. In a sense, the book went viral and generated a following, prompting Raggett to continue the book series and her nonprofit, Remembering Wildlife.

"Sometimes people get upset with me and say 'They're still around,' but I want people to stop and think," Raggett says.

In this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, she discusses her journey into photography, the intention behind memorializing still-living species, and details of her 11th book, Remembering Giraffes, which will be published Oct. 12. Raggett has gathered work from some of the world's most renowned wildlife photographers. To date, Remembering Wildlife has raised more than $1.6 million for 85 conservation organizations in 35 countries.

Raggett remarks on why she chose to go with giraffes for this volume, explaining how the gentle nature of these giants and their relative calm compared with apex predators are often overlooked or taken for granted, even as their numbers have declined by 30-40% since the 1980s.

"Like everything in conservation, the story is not even. So there are some areas where giraffes are doing well, and there are others where they're down to, you know, hundreds. And I just felt they deserved a story to be told. They are silent, and they deserve a voice like all of the other species we've covered," she says.

You can preorder or purchase a copy of Remembering Giraffes here.

Disclosure: Margot Raggett is a grassroots supporter of the Mongabay Newscast. Mongabay maintains full editorial independence from its financial supporters, who have no role in determining our coverage or editorial decisions.

Please take a minute to let us know what you think of our podcast here.

Mike DiGirolamo is the host & producer for the Mongabay Newscast based in Sydney. Find him on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

Cover image: As the sun sinks behind the Nguruman escarpment in the west, a solitary Masai Giraffe lingers on at a waterhole after drinking, in the late afternoon heat, as a flock of Wattled Starlings take off. Mt Shompole is in the background and the clouds are slowly building up. It's the end of the dry season and the rains are not too far away. Photo by Federico Veronesi. Courtesy of Remembering Wildlife.

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Time codes

(00:00) What if we only remember elephants in picture books?

(07:10) A cancer diagnosis, and finishing the book

(14:17) Momentum for the mammals

(18:47) Why giraffes?

(26:58) Finding the right images

(32:05) The giraffe in the red sneakers

(38:10) Most surprising things a wildlife photographer sees