ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What happens when powerful photography and investigative journalism inspire real conservation action?
In this episode of Wildlife Wire, Mark Surls and Samantha Miller sit down with award-winning National Geographic photographer Steve Winter and environmental journalist and National Geographic Explorer Sharon Guynup to discuss their new book, Big Cats. Featuring 170 photographs and stories spanning decades of work across four continents, the book explores the lives of the world's great cats, the threats they face, and the people working to protect them.
Steve and Sharon share how their work has helped change public attitudes, expose wildlife trafficking, and influence conservation policy. From the jaguars of Brazil's Pantanal to the mountain lions of Los Angeles, they demonstrate how compelling storytelling can lead to meaningful change.
The conversation explores the remarkable story behind Steve's iconic photograph of P-22 beneath the Hollywood sign and how one mountain lion helped inspire a major wildlife crossing over California's 101 Freeway. Sharon also takes us behind the scenes of her investigations into Thailand's notorious Tiger Temple and the captive tiger industry in the United States, including the reporting that helped build momentum for the Big Cat Public Safety Act.
They also discuss practical approaches to coexistence, including predator-proof livestock enclosures, ecotourism, and efforts to help communities benefit from protecting large carnivores rather than killing them.
Throughout the conversation, Steve and Sharon offer a hopeful message: conservation challenges are complex, but solutions exist, and everyone has a role to play.
In this episode:
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How photography and journalism can drive conservation policy
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The story behind P-22's famous Hollywood sign photograph
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How jaguar ecotourism transformed attitudes toward predators in Brazil
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Investigating tiger trafficking and the exploitation of captive big cats
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The Big Cat Public Safety Act and the connection between animal welfare and public safety
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Practical coexistence strategies for ranchers and communities
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How cultural attitudes influence our willingness to live alongside predators
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Why wildlife connectivity and habitat protection are critical to the future of big cats
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Finding hope and taking meaningful action for wildlife
About our guests
Steve Winter is an award-winning National Geographic wildlife photographer whose work has taken him around the world documenting big cats, their habitats, and the challenges they face. His photographs have helped raise awareness of wildlife conservation issues and inspired action to protect threatened species.
Sharon Guynup is an environmental journalist and National Geographic Explorer whose investigative reporting focuses on wildlife trafficking, conservation, and the relationship between people and wildlife. Her work has exposed illegal wildlife trade networks and helped bring international attention to the exploitation of captive big cats.
Together, they are the authors of Big Cats, a National Geographic book that combines extraordinary wildlife photography with stories of conservation challenges, solutions, and hope.
Explore Big Cats and learn more:
Photo credit: Steve Winter
