‘Big Cats’ highlights the remarkable power of photojournalism
Jeff Sikich, the biologist for the National Park Service in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, thought that Steve Winter “was crazy” for wanting to capture a photograph of a mountain lion in front of the Hollywood sign. “He looked at me like I was crazy because he said, ‘There are no mountain lions in Griffith Park.’ […]
In Griffith Park, Los Angeles, biologist Jeff Sikich once dismissed Steve Winter's ambition to photograph a mountain lion in front of the iconic Hollywood sign. Winter, however, persisted and after a year of effort, he achieved his goal. The resulting image featured the famous mountain lion, named P-22 by scientists, traversing a hill at night with the Hollywood sign bathed in light.
This captivating photograph catalyzed a conservation movement in Los Angeles and eventually led to the funding for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over U.S. Route 101, which will be the world's largest wildlife crossing when it opens on December 2nd. Winter and Mongabay contributing editor Sharon Guynup will discuss this story, along with the other nine featured in her and Winter's forthcoming book of powerful photojournalism, Big Cats, on the Mongabay Newscast.
Each of the selected stories in this book was chosen for the conservation impact they generated. Guynup emphasizes that "storytelling and photography can change the world," and encourages everyone to contribute their unique skills to make a difference.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
