“I’m dazzled by just about every living being on this earth, all of whom are so worthy of our protection and consideration. When I photograph species typically classified as wildlife, they’re animals who have been rescued and now live out their lives protected in large sanctuary spaces. If they’re among the lucky few, they’ll return to the wild when those spaces are protected.

One of the charismatic species who really tug at my heart are Asiatic black bears, also known as Moon bears. While their gallbladder bile has been used in traditional medicines for centuries, that’s changing. Bear bile farms are slowly being closed or deemed illegal with the help of thousands of campaigners, and the bears are being retired to sanctuaries (like this one pictured, below).

Bears are adorable, curious, resourceful, and bumbling. Have you ever seen one stand tall on her hind legs? Their skeletal structure is remarkably similar to ours.

They are incredibly resilient and forgiving, given what we’ve put them through. These days, it seems that wild animals are fighting their bravest stand against the most dangerous animal of all. My wish is that we animals change our destructive ways, and come around to appreciating and protecting all the inhabitants of this precious earth.”

joannemcarthur.com
weanimalsmedia.org
www.instagram.com/joannemcarthurphotography

My Big 5

Asiatic black bear
Raccoon
Red Fox
Flying Fox
Chimpanzee