National Geographic magazine photographer Joel Sartore is taking a working tour of the American zoos in order to take portraits of the world’s animals. It’s all part of the the Biodiversity Project. Learn more about the Biodiversity Project and see some of those awesome portraits up close at the Neatorama Spotlight Blog. Link

We're excited to feature National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore's new book Rare: Portraits of America's Endangered Species over at the Neatorama Spotlight.

Joel has been on a 20-year personal mission to photograph the world's most endangered species. His new book, RARE, presents a multi-year project documenting Earth's vanishing biodiversity. The photographs, needless to say, are exquisite.

The first animal featured, Bryn the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit, died while Joel was working on the book. She was one of the last two of her species. Shortly afterward, the last of the breed died as well, and the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit went extinct:

Bryn the pygmy rabbit died in 2008, marking the end of her genetic line. This subpopulation lost its sagebrush habitat as the land was developed for agriculture. Key features of Bryn's genetic material survive in hybrid pygmy rabbits; a breeding and reintroduction program holds out hope for her kind.

In an off-exhibit room at the Oregon Zoo, the staff was quiet, even reverent, as they brought in Bryn. She was one of two Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits left, and since both were old females, this was a solemn occasion.

A keeper placed her gently on my black velvet background, and i began to take photos. I stopped to watch her from time to time, but she didn't move much. She wasn't even scared. Nearly blind, missing half an ear, and with fur falling out onto the cloth, she seemed to have already given up.

The whole experience left me morose and extremely disappointed. We'd done it again, this time by converting sage habitat to agriculture in western Washington. Our photo session was one of the last chances Bryn had to be noticed. She died a few months later, and then Raphaela, the last of the breed, died as well. The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit is now extinct, a passenger pigeon for the 21st century.

Don't miss this one (particularly the behind the scenes "making of" video clip!)

Links: RARE Feature on Spotlight | RARE Book Official Website | Joel Sartore's Website

P.S. Joel and National Geographic are kind enough to provide 3 copies of RARE, which we will send to commenters with the best comments on the Spotlight post. Visit the RARE Post on Spotlight to leave your comment: Link

Be sure to visit the gallery in Joel's Website for more amazing photographs.

Gregory Carpenter, aka Dr. Danger, doesn’t like to be restrained. As a concession to safety, he wears a helmet and seat belt when he does his "suicide car jump" driving 60 miles an hour over a ramp, through a ball of flames, and smack into a stack of junkyard cars, thrilling fans at state fairs across the country.

Sure he gets his share of cracked and dislocated bones, but it doesn’t slow him down for long. His crew once kidnapped him from the hospital so he could return to his daredveil stunts.

Why does he do it? "If I weren’t doing this, I’d be a mercenary or something…The closer I get to not being here anymore, the more passion I have for life."

Photo by Joel Sartore for National Geographic

Watch the "suicide car jump" video clip: Link

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Marilyn Terrell.