Appolinaire Ndohoudou was from Chad. During their civil war, most of his family and friends were killed. With little possessions, he escaped to Cameroon. He wanted to ease the suffering of other living beings. To help other displaced creatures find peace.
Pikin is a 6-year old lowland gorilla whose mother, family and friends were also killed, by poachers. For bushmeat. It was what was in store as well for Pikin until she and other gorillas were rescued by Ape Action Africa, an organization dedicated to the conservation of endangered gorillas and chimpanzees, where Appolinaire works as a rescuer and rearer.
After their parents are slaughtered for meat, baby apes and chimps are then sold as pets or end up dying in the wild.
Pikin was being transferred to a new sanctuary in Cameroon in the lap of Appolinaire when the mild sedatives wore off. As she woke up, she recognized her rescuer, one of the men who freed her from the poachers. They looked at each other. Appolinaire smiled at her and talked gently and quietly to her. Pikin put both both arms around him, the man who will be her caretaker, and relaxed for the hour long trip. It is here that the photograph was taken.
It was taken by Canadian photographer Jo-Anne McArthur.
Says Jo-Anne, “I regularly document the cruelties animals endure at our hands, but sometimes I bear witness to stories of rescue, hope and redemption.
Such is the case with the story of Pikin and Appolinaire, a beautiful moment between friends.
I'm so thankful that this image resonated with people and I hope it might inspire us all to care a little bit more about animals. No act of compassion towards them is ever too small.”
The Natural History Museum chose 24 pictures out of 50,000 entries submitted to their annual competition and then had the public vote for the coveted title of ‘ Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award.’
The director of the Natural History Museum, Sir Michael Dixon, said this in a press release...
“Like our blue whale Hope has become, Jo-Anne’s inspirational image is a symbol of humanity’s power to protect the world's most vulnerable species and shape a more sustainable future for life on our planet. Photographs like Jo-Anne's are a reminder that we can make a difference, and we all have a part to play in addressing our impact on the natural world.”
Jo-Anne’s amazing work spans 25 years and 55 countries.
Says Jo-Anne, “An unfortunate side effect of these rescues is that the babies must be reared by humans, meaning they become habituated and cannot be reintroduced into the wild.”
The photos of the 24 finalists can be seen, with the stories that made them possible, at www.theguardian.com/…
As amazing as they all are, this photograph was the overwhelming winner.
According to the NHM….it wasn’t even close.