They Are Other Nations
Aaron Gekoski connects the violence imposed on nonhuman animals to the Global Health crisis with his camera | By Kimberly J. Soenen January 16, 2023
(All photos by Aaron Gekoski. All Rights Reserved.)
Note from the Editor: This article contains photographs of violence. These images may be triggering for select persons. Reader discretion is advised.
On January 19, the Royal Geographic Society will present the World Premiere of the documentary Eyes of the Orangutan. The film is a captivating exploration of one of the most troubling facets of modern wildlife tourism, and an uplifting celebration of the human animal’s closest living relatives: the orangutan.
Sharing 97% of our DNA, they are sentient and intelligent animals. When kept in captivity, at places that cannot cater to their complex physical and emotional needs, they often suffer from stress, depression and death.
The question within the context of the Global Health Philosophy Transformation discussion presents itself in this framework: If human animals can do this to one of our closest living relatives, what hope is there for others—human and nonhuman animals alike?
Aaron Gekoski, along with director Chris Scarffe, cinematographer Will Foster-Grundy, and editor Damian Antochewicz are now presenting their four-year investigation into the orangutan tourism industry, the psychology of human animal violence, and how that violence impacts Global Health.
Poachers steal the orangutans from their natural habitats – their mothers killed in the process – and smuggle them across international borders to work at Wildlife Entertainment Parks. Once at their final destination, they are then trained to perform using cruel techniques and locked in cages for the rest of their lives.
During production, the team witnessed the immense pain and suffering of the nonhuman animals. In Thailand, they witnessed orangutans forced into grotesque boxing shows, and others kept in dirty cages at the top of a shopping mall. In Indonesia, they documented orangutans on display at lavish breakfast buffets, and crowded by groups of tourists at National Parks.
As the World Economic Forum in Davos is taking place this week, the need to address Systemness in every industry is paramount. Who, specifically, needs to be held responsible for harm to Global Health?
Aaron Gekoski is an acclaimed environmental photojournalist and film-maker, specializing in human-animal conflict. He has earned the following honors: Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Nature Photographer of the Year, Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year and others. His images and articles have appeared in National Geographic, BBC, The Guardian, The Times, Asian Geographic and more. His book, Animosity, chronicles life on the frontline of conservation.
His work is highlighted in numerous books such as Photographer's Against Wildlife Crime, Hidden, BBC Green Planet, and The Evidence Project. Recent broadcast films he produced have been shown on Al Jazeera, Smithsonian, Apple TV, Sky, Amazon, and National Geographic. He is currently working on a global documentary about the Big Cat trade, which will be released later in 2023.
I began our conversation by asking Aaron why he focuses on Animal Welfare and how it correlates to Global Health.
There are many issues and topics to document and photograph in the world. For you, why do you specialize on nonhuman animals?
Animals are the victims of human greed and cruelty. Never at any time in history has there been so much human-animal conflict. As a result, we are now contemplating a world without great whites, orangutans, elephants, tigers and lions, which is beyond comprehension. These stories are complex, multilayered and deserve more exposure.
War, hunger, poverty, the oppression of women and girls worldwide, inflation, environmental health…people have suggested there are more important topics to focus on than nonhuman animal rights. What is your view on interconnectedness and importance of nonhuman animals?
There are many people specializing in humanitarian stories. Animal Welfare is an underrepresented area. Most animals are sentient, intelligent beings that feel pain and may suffer immeasurable psychological and physical distress at the hands of human animals. Given we have only been around for a relatively small amount of time, we have unleashed hell on this planet. We need animals to regulate our ecosystems, control our climate, and for sustainable development. We need animals way more than they need us.
You witness cruelty, abuse, violence and despair of sentient animals consistently. How do you manage your own mental health and wellbeing as a photojournalist and documentarian in the midst of the violence?
I try to switch off my feelings during hardcore assignments. If you’re too emotionally invested it can compromise your decision making. Instead, I concentrate on the technical elements rather than focusing on Animal Welfare issues. Then, when the shoot is finished, I allow myself to feel. Conservation photographers can suffer from compassion fatigue so it's important that we keep empathizing. We don’t want to end up emotionless zombies carrying cameras.
What is the moment you decided to focus a large part of your work on nonhuman animals?
When I was working on my first documentary about shark finning in Mozambique while living with the shark fishermen in rural communities and witnessing firsthand the challenges faced by both man and animal. I was hooked on telling these stories and have since been fortunate to travel the world, documenting our complex relationship with wildlife. The moment it feels like a chore to pick up a camera is the moment to quit. I’m definitely not there yet!
What have you learned about human animals over the course of your reporting?
That they are capable of feelings and intelligence that we can barely comprehend. When you observe a pod of Orca whales or a herd of elephants in the wild, you realize how little we know and how much we still have to learn.
What is the most shocking thing you have witnessed in the Wildlife Tourism and Entertainment industry?
I’ve witnessed many, many shocking things doing this work, but Wildlife Tourism is one particular industry that makes my blood boil. It is mostly unnecessary and involves so much suffering..and all for what? For our “entertainment?” Wild animal performances are particularly cruel. The orangutan boxing shows in Thailand are a disgrace. Orangutans are taken from the wild, their mother’s killed in the process. They’re then shipped illegally to these shows, trained using corporal punishment, and forced to perform sexualized dances or box each other. Behind the scenes they’re underfed and housed inappropriately…then they die. It’s a shocking existence.
When you were younger did you have animals or pets? What was the first animal that made you aware of their capacity to communicate and be sentient, emotional beings?
Strangely enough, my dad doesn’t like animals so we never had any pets. Like most kids, we used to go to the zoo, and I was always fascinated by all the animals there, particularly marine life. Little did I know, I would spend a good part of my adult life campaigning against Wildlife Tourism.
What legislation has passed between 2020-22, or is being considered now, that will change the outlook for wild animals and domesticated animals alike?
Every country has different laws regarding Animal Welfare, most of which aren’t followed or enforced anyway. Along with legislation, we need societal changes and a paradigm shift in terms of our relationship with animals, which are too often seen as commodities.
For you, what is the most difficult scene in this film to watch?
When we are trying to rescue two baby orangutans from traders…but the bust goes wrong and we fail. It was very hard knowing that those two babies were still out there, somewhere, ready to be trafficked, a life of misery just beginning.
What specifically do think we have to learn from elephants and orca whales?
Compassion, empathy, mourning the dead, teamwork, maternal instincts, communication…there’s so much to learn from these animals.
Who else can readers look to in the photo and film world for high quality, high caliber coverage of nonhuman animal rights and animal welfare and what can readers do to help bridge the divide between “us” and “them?”
WaterBear is a great network for conservation documentaries. For high end films, Terra Mater produces very high caliber work such as The Ivory Game and Sea of Shadows and Eyes of the Orangutan. In terms of photojournalists, Paul Hilton, Charlie Hamilton James, Joanne McArthur, Steve Winter, Jasper Doest, Britta Jaschinski, Marcus Westberg and many others are producing consistently high-quality and important work.
What are your feelings about animal testing for medicine, cosmetics and other? Make the case.
Like many Animal Welfare issues, this is a hugely complex topic far from black and white with many shades of grey. I do not believe in testing cosmetics on animals which seems gratuitously cruel and unnecessary. For medical purposes, it’s more nuanced. Though it’s not a story I’ve covered, so don’t feel qualified to offer too many opinions beyond my initial feelings.
We are in the midst of a global pandemic of Covid, respiratory illness and flu. Avian flu was the worst in history in the United States last year with a major turkey kill off and risk to humans. It hardly received any attention and was a punch line on late night. Are you hopeful about transforming Health Philosophy? What makes you optimistic and hopeful for the nonhuman animals and humans alike in the context of health, healthcare and Global Health?
We are becoming more aware of both health and Animal Welfare issues. So, things are moving in the right direction. However, when you have 8 billion human mouths to feed and extreme global poverty, we are in for a long battle.
Where can readers see the film after it premieres in London?
Broadcasters around the world will soon pick it up from our distributor. Many outlets and platforms reject conservation films because they feel they are too “depressing’”and “too dark.” This is strange thinking given how popular serial killer and true crime series are across channels. We are making every effort with this work to demonstrate to the networks consumer taste has changed and there is an enormous global appetite for educational material centered on Global Health.
Favorite meal?
Whatever I’m eating at that moment.
Favorite place to travel? Zimbabwe.
The nonhuman animal that touches you the most, and why? Manta rays for underwater for their grace and intelligence, and elephants on land for their grace and intelligence.
Playlist while in the field or relaxing? Rolling Stones, Arcade Fire, Death Cab for Cutie, Placebo and Elbow.
Favorite way to relax and unwind? Being on the ocean or underwater. Going to the gym.
Recommended reading? What are you reading now? I’m more into podcasts and am currently listening to a great series all about famous inventions, from the paper clip to LSD.
Coffee or tea? Coffee, coffee, coffee. I’m mad about the stuff and take it very seriously.
Nikon, Canon, Leica, Lumix or Sony? I shoot with Canon but prefer Nikon. Much more natural colors.
Australian Shepard or Border Collie? Border collie, they are both cute and loyal.
Thank you, Aaron.