Remembering Wildlife ~ Margot Raggett
Margot Raggett left a corporate career in PR in London in 2010, in order to concentrate on her love of wildlife photography. She was a regular 'Photographer in Residence' at Entim Camp in the Maasai Mara for a number of years and was also leading photographic safaris, before everything changed again for her when she saw a poached elephant in late 2014. Here, Margot shares an insight into her journey to create the beautiful series of photographic books, Remembering Wildlife, showcasing endangered species across Africa, which sold over 32,000 copies and resulted in the raise of beyond £950,000 / USD $1.2m for conservation projects in Africa and Asia.
On Friday, 3rd March we have invited Margot to host a talk in the Tithe Barn to share her experience, her interaction with these incredible species and the pursuit of her mission to protect them. Buy tickets for this talk here.
What sparked your passion in wildlife photography?
My passion for watching wildlife and African safaris came first. I booked a quick stay at a lodge in South Africa at the end of a holiday there back in 2004, never expecting it to influence the course of my life so much. But on my very first drive, I saw a newborn giraffe and a leopard with cubs. I was totally hooked on watching the story of these lives play out in front of me and realised how I was able to totally switch off from day to day life while I was absorbed in the wildlife. Lots of safaris followed but it was a photographic one that I accidentally booked (not realising the emphasis on photography when I paid the deposit) to the Maasai Mara that changed everything again. It was led by photographic couple Jonathan & Angela Scott who have since become great mentors to me, and they inspired me to pick up a camera and try and share the world through my eyes.
What is your most memorable interaction with wildlife?
I once saw a pair of male lions fighting and it was the most incredible moment of my life. Initially we were watching a male with a female but suddenly another male burst from the bushes and launched into a ferocious attack - clearly he felt his female had been stolen away from him. The fight took about 60 seconds and I think I held my breath the whole time, I will never forget the noise, the power, the sheer adrenaline! Fortunately I managed to remember to keep photographing too and captured both the fight and the bloody nose of the victor after. All the lions were fine as the males were pretty well matched, but it could so easily have ended in tragedy. It reminded me how raw and powerful nature really is, it isn’t all pretty portraits.
But it was seeing an elephant which had been poached which was probably the encounter which moved me the deepest. It was that which inspired me to start the Remembering Wildlife series (and ask fellow wildlife photographers to join me) because I was so very outraged at the cruelty and injustice of that death at the hands of man.
Where is the wildest place you’ve ever visited?
Probably the most remote is the Skeleton Coast in Namibia. We went by road rather than flew but calling it that is a stretch - we had to be in vehicles which traverse sand dunes rather than roads and it took many hours in intense heat to get there. You feel like you have reached the end of the world when you arrive and see the sea and it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Definitely a bucket list location!
The Remembering Wildlife series raises awareness and funds for endangered species of wildlife across Africa and Asia. How do you identify the species you want to portray in each book?
There are so many species in trouble it truly is hard to choose so I have to just use my best instinct each year about what will not only sell and raise funds but also the animal whose story deserves to be told. Choosing African Wild Dogs last year was a big gamble as so few people have even heard of them but that made the choice even more important.
“the question is, are we happy to suppose our grandchildren will only ever see elephants in picture books”
What take-aways do you hope to instil in the readers of the books?
We called the series Remembering Wildlife inspired by a Sir David Attenborough quote which goes “the question is, are we happy to suppose our grandchildren will only ever see elephants in picture books” and that really struck me. With the current rate of wildlife reduction, whether from poaching or hunting, habitat loss or human conflict, a future where much of the wildlife we take for granted really is gone is a real possibility if action isn’t taken now. I want our readers to understand and be as enraged about that as me and I want them to know that by buying our books they are playing a role in changing that. This series has now raised more than £950,000 for 55 conservation projects in 24 countries so far and we’re not stopping there. I hope readers will want to get involved and help us change the future chances for wildlife!
We are so excited to be hosting a talk with you at Thyme this March. What can our guests expect from this morning?
Thyme’s values match mine so closely (and it is such a beautiful hotel) that I’m really excited to be coming to speak there too! I hope guests will enjoy hearing about my journey, learn a lot about wildlife conservation and hopefully be inspired by my passion too. At the very least, if they love wildlife, they’ll be treated to a morning of images by some of the very best wildlife photographers out there, documenting what it is we stand to lose.
