The Traditional Big Five is a term that originally referred to Africa's largest and most iconic animals, but it was also used by trophy hunters as a benchmark for hunting skills. Now, British photographer Graeme Green has taken this concept and turned it on its head, creating a "New Big Five" of wildlife photography that highlights the most endangered species in the world.
Green, who is the founder of the New Big Five project, came up with the idea while working as a wildlife photographer in Botswana. He realized that there were many incredible animals in the world that were facing extinction due to human activities such as habitat destruction, poaching, and climate change. Green decided to create a global photography project that would showcase these species and raise awareness about the importance of conservation.
Over 50,000 people from around the world voted for their favorite animal to be part of the New Big Five, and the top five winners were the elephant, polar bear, lion, gorilla, and tiger. The resulting book, "The New Big 5," features stunning photographs of these animals and other endangered species taken by renowned photographers such as Ami Vitale, Steve McCurry, and Paul Nicklen.
Green hopes that the book will inspire people to take action to protect these incredible animals and their habitats. He says that the New Big Five are not just iconic species, but also ambassadors for what is happening in the natural world. By showcasing their beauty and importance, Green hopes to encourage people to get involved in conservation efforts and make a difference.
The book includes essays from famous conservationists such as Jane Goodall and Paula Kahumbu, who emphasize the urgent need for action to protect wildlife and the environment. The New Big Five also highlights the impact of climate change on animals beyond those listed in the "New Big Five," with over 1 million species facing extinction according to the UN.
Overall, "The New Big 5" is a powerful call to action that encourages people to take responsibility for protecting our planet's precious wildlife and natural habitats. With its stunning photographs and compelling message, this book is an essential read for anyone who cares about conservation and the future of our planet.
Green, who is the founder of the New Big Five project, came up with the idea while working as a wildlife photographer in Botswana. He realized that there were many incredible animals in the world that were facing extinction due to human activities such as habitat destruction, poaching, and climate change. Green decided to create a global photography project that would showcase these species and raise awareness about the importance of conservation.
Over 50,000 people from around the world voted for their favorite animal to be part of the New Big Five, and the top five winners were the elephant, polar bear, lion, gorilla, and tiger. The resulting book, "The New Big 5," features stunning photographs of these animals and other endangered species taken by renowned photographers such as Ami Vitale, Steve McCurry, and Paul Nicklen.
Green hopes that the book will inspire people to take action to protect these incredible animals and their habitats. He says that the New Big Five are not just iconic species, but also ambassadors for what is happening in the natural world. By showcasing their beauty and importance, Green hopes to encourage people to get involved in conservation efforts and make a difference.
The book includes essays from famous conservationists such as Jane Goodall and Paula Kahumbu, who emphasize the urgent need for action to protect wildlife and the environment. The New Big Five also highlights the impact of climate change on animals beyond those listed in the "New Big Five," with over 1 million species facing extinction according to the UN.
Overall, "The New Big 5" is a powerful call to action that encourages people to take responsibility for protecting our planet's precious wildlife and natural habitats. With its stunning photographs and compelling message, this book is an essential read for anyone who cares about conservation and the future of our planet.
I'm so down with this new direction on conservation efforts! The traditional Big Five was always about showcasing these iconic African animals, but now we're shifting the focus to the ones that REALLY need our help - like those adorable elephants 
and majestic lions 
. And can you believe over 50k people voted for their fave animal? That's some serious engagement! The fact that a book with stunning pics from renowned photographers is being used as a tool for change is so inspiring 
I'm all about it - let's raise awareness and take action to protect these incredible animals and our planet's precious wildlife! 
graeme green is literally a genius for creating this project, it's so inspiring to see people from all over the world coming together to raise awareness about endangered species 
i mean, ami vitale, steve mccurry, paul nicklen... they're literally the best photographers ever! 
and jane goodall and paula kahumbu's essays in the book are so powerful, it's giving me all the feels 
. let's get involved in conservation efforts and make a difference for our planet's wildlife, we can do this!!! 
. Climate change, habitat destruction, poaching - these are all real issues that affect wildlife and ecosystems all over the world. It's amazing to see famous conservationists like Jane Goodall and Paula Kahumbu adding their voices to this important conversation.
. The book is like, not just a collection of stunning pics, but also a call to action that makes you want to pick up your phone and donate to conservation efforts 
. I'm all about spreading awareness and inspiring change - this project is a huge step in the right direction 
.
. It's amazing that over 50,000 people from all around the world got to vote for their favorite animal to be part of the New Big Five! 
. It's really inspiring to see someone using photography as a way to raise awareness about climate change and extinction 
.
. The fact that 50k people voted for their fave animals and the top 5 are like, literally, the most iconic creatures on the planet 
... it just makes you wanna do something 
! And I love how it's not just about the animals, but also about raising awareness about climate change and its impact on our world 
it's like, we need to be thinking more about conservation and less about trophies and hunting licenses. and this project is just amazing - 50k people voting for their fave animal is insane! 
it's like a call to action, you know? to get involved and make a difference. and jane goodall and paula kahumbu writing essays about conservation is just the icing on the cake 
. we need more people like graeme green who are passionate about this stuff. let's all take responsibility for protecting our planet's wildlife and habitats, it's time to step up! 
.
I love how graeme green turned this whole trophy hunting thing around and used it as a chance to raise awareness about conservation 
we need more people like jane goodall and paula kahumbu advocating for conservation efforts 
. Like, can't we just chill and take care of the planet already? The fact that there are over 1 million species facing extinction is just wild 
. They're iconic for a reason! But we can't forget about the other endangered species out there 
. The New Big Five is just the beginning, right? We need to keep pushing forward and taking action to protect our planet 
. I also don't love how this is being framed as some kind of "call to action" without actually providing concrete solutions or ways for people to get involved in conservation efforts 
. And let's be real, the book's success is going to just fuel more demand for luxury wildlife tourism and exploit vulnerable animals for human entertainment 
. Highlighting endangered species instead of iconic ones? Mind blown 
. It's amazing to see iconic species like elephants and tigers on this list 
. The book is gonna be a total game-changer for conservation efforts, I can feel it 
. This project is the perfect reminder that every single one of us has a role to play in preserving our planet's precious biodiversity 
. It's like, we need to start taking responsibility for our actions because our planet is literally facing extinction 
.