reportagebygettyimages: ‘I made this image in 2011, just as the rhinoceros horn issue was first comi
reportagebygettyimages: ‘I made this image in 2011, just as the rhinoceros horn issue was first coming to the fore. I had been shooting a lot of corpses and some terrible images of suffering animals who had survived brutal dehorning by poachers and been left to die. This was the first time I saw human compassion demonstrated towards the rhino and it blew me away to see these African men and the relationship they had together. I shot this in Kenya, at a place called Ol Pejeta, where they have three of the last six northern white rhinos in existence. This old boy is the last male of his species. Just imagine that, to be the last of something on this planet… that is truly to know loneliness. We are entering a huge wave of extinction now, magnificent animals like this rhino will go the way of the dodo, all because mankind is too ignorant and too arrogant to understand that all things need to be in balance. There are still great people who dedicate their lives to wildlife and in this image you see what is possible between people and animals when mutual respect is the rule.’ - Brent Stirton, Getty Images Reportage photographerA seasoned photojournalist, Stirton has dedicated his recent work to highlighting issues surrounding endangered animal populations. This image of a white rhino was selected by Getty Images and Canon, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the EOS 5D camera series, as one of 10 iconic images that helped to shape the past decade. Read the stories behind the other images here and enter Canon’s Iconic Images competition for a chance to win a 5D Mark III. -- source link