BBC Photographer Pledges Percentage of Profits to Help Animals
Renowned wildlife photographer Andrew Parkinson has pledged to donate a percentage of his profits to charities that work to preserve animals’ disappearing habitats. He made the decision after seeing the outcome of the landmark “monkey selfie” lawsuit, in which PETA US sought to establish the macaque Naruto as the copyright owner of the internationally famous photographs.
As part of the settlement, photographer David Slater agreed to donate 25 per cent of any future gross revenue that he derives from using or selling any of the “monkey selfies” to registered charities dedicated to protecting the welfare or habitat of Naruto and other crested macaques in Indonesia.
Andy hopes his decision to donate part of his profits will inspire others in his profession around the globe to do the same. In his words, “We need to start giving back more to our subjects.”
He also expresses frustration that so many wildlife photographers appear to care only about the lives of wild animals, giving little thought to the suffering of farmed animals who are bred unnecessarily for food:
We need to stop this absurd hypocrisy and start seeing the beauty and value in all lives. It makes no sense to spend our days looking directly into the eyes of our wild cousins, transfixed and astonished by their beauty, and then go home and fry up some bacon.
Andy’s compassionate decision may inspire other wildlife photographers to follow in his footsteps, and his captivating photographs help show people that animals are thinking and feeling beings who should be able to live free from abuse and suffering at the hands of humans.
