Aaron Gekoski’s poignant photograph of an orangutan patiently waiting at Safari World in Bangkok has won the 2024 Environmental Photography Award, organized by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The image, titled “See No Evil,” sheds light on the exploitation of captive orangutans used for entertainment in zoos.
Gekoski’s photo reveals the harsh reality behind the scenes at Safari World Bangkok, where orangutans participate in daily shows. These performances include dancing in bikinis, riding bicycles, and mock fighting. After the shows, the orangutans wait for tourists to take photos with them. “Young orangutans are captured in the wild after their mothers are killed,” Gekoski said in a statement to Live Science. “They are trained using cruel methods, including physical violence and starvation. When they become too old, they are locked up in cages for the rest of their lives.”
The photograph underscores the abuses prevalent in the wildlife tourism industry. Of the three orangutan species—Bornean (Pongo pygmaeus), Sumatran (Pongo abelii), and Tapanuli (Pongo tapanuliensis)—all are critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. These species face numerous threats, including deforestation, poaching, and the illegal pet trade. The specific species in Gekoski’s image is unknown.
Chosen from over 11,000 entries by 2,600 photographers, Gekoski’s image was praised for its powerful emotional impact. “It captures one of the world’s most intelligent animal species in a graphic composition that is emotionally charged to the point of obsession,” said Alex Mustard, chairman of the jury. “This photograph will live long in the minds of all who see it.”
In addition to winning the overall competition, Gekoski’s image also won the Humanity versus Nature category. The runner-up was Alvaro Herrero López-Beltrán’s photograph of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with a deformed tail due to entanglement in fishing gear off the coast of Mexico.
Other category winners included Daniel Valverde Fernández’s image of a polar bear (Ursus maritimus) caught in a blizzard in Canada, which won the Polar Wonders category, and Magnus Lundgren’s photograph of an argonaut (Argonauta hians) attached to a jellyfish, which won the Ocean Worlds category.
