A Rising Star in Animal Photojournalism
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Havva Zorlu in the field. Photo credit: Lukas Vincour / We Animals Media
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After six months in the field, Havva Zorlu’s epic We Animals Media Fellowship is a wrap. Havva worked intensely to document animal industries in her home country of Türkiye—from the cruel live export trade to the unseen experiences of bees used for honey production.
“These six months of great friendship with the very professional and humble people at We Animals Media have been such an important part of my life. I gained so much experience by focusing only on animal photojournalism. I think I have improved the most in the post-shoot phase, for example, with my photo and video selection and editing.”
Until March 16, a virtual exhibit of Havva’s work is available to view. Check out the exhibit and learn more about Havva’s fellowship experience. We’re so proud of you, Havva!
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Exposing Auctions in Latin America
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A young bovine peers up from a crowded holding pen at a live cattle auction. Photo credit: Molly Condit / Sinergia Animal / We Animals Media
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Together with Sinergia Animal, we completed an investigation documenting the lives of animals farmed for food in Chile and Argentina. Our photojournalists visited 30 locations for this assignment, and the new footage is available free for anyone helping animals. Sinergia Animal’s latest campaign, featuring these visuals, focuses on the poor treatment of animals at the region’s auctions.
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The We Animals team is in this work for the long haul. This is why we’ve created a program called the We Animals Allies. These allies are a critical group of monthly donors who help sustain our ground-breaking work year-round.
We invite you to become one of our allies! You will be making a difference for animals by supporting our mission and our team as we embark on investigations, expand our network of international partnerships, and continue to provide the movement with free access to the 25,000+ visuals in our stock collection.
We’d love your help building bridges between social movements, mentoring the next generation of animal photojournalists, and inspiring solutions that will result in a kinder and healthier world for all.
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Two bull camels pitted in a wrestling competition are pushed at their necks and pulled with ropes. Photo credit: Jane Mar / We Animals Media
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Rodeo, bullfighting, cockfighting and … camel wrestling? This is another example of how animals are exploited for human entertainment, and right now, it’s camel wrestling season in some parts of the world.
In December 2023, We Animals Media photojournalist Jane Mar documented the tradition of camel wrestling in Türkiye — where male camels, typically during mating season, are forced to wrestle for human spectacle.
Camels used in these matches generally do not fight of their own accord, and “owners” purposely agitate and provoke them for the crowd's entertainment and to win prize money. A camel “wins” by making his opponent scream, fall or retreat.
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Meet the Team: Sally Thompson
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Sally Thompson, Communications Manager. Photo credit: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media
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In our Meet the Team series, we proudly present the dedicated individuals helping shape the essence of We Animals Media. Sally Thompson started as an intern and over the years worked her way up to own the role of Communications Manager. Sal is the voice behind many of the stories you read on our website, and she leads our communications strategy and team.
Sally's talent, sharp wit, and ability to juggle many plates at once make her indispensable around here (and to be fair, we also really like her British accent).
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Photo of the Month: Wheel of Misfortune
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Cows stand inside a rotating carousel at a large dairy farm. This fully computerized system operates 24 hours daily, with two workers present to handle the cows and oversee the milking process. Photo credit: Andrew Skowron / We Animals Media
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On the heels of “Februdairy,” we bring you our most downloaded image of 2023. The image, while not overtly graphic, is still a shocking glimpse into a scene that couldn’t be further from the rolling green hills that “Big Milk” wants to sell us.
Within this 60-stall rotating carousel, each cow has been placed into a slot like a cog in a wheel, treated as nothing more than a unit of production.
The dystopic scene feels oddly devoid of life–but how can that be when so many living beings are held here? When we look more closely, we can see the small, gentle interactions between some of the cows. Perhaps the real power in this image comes from what isn’t part of the scene: grass, open sky, or other elements of a cow's natural environment.
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Animals transported for slaughter from across Europe through the Bulgarian-Turkish border. Photo credit: Jo-Anne McArthur / Eyes On Animals / We Animals Media
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Did you know that in addition to this newsletter, we also offer monthly Stock Alerts, dedicated to keeping you informed about our new stock content? Be the first to know about impactful visuals to use for your advocacy and storytelling – perfect for media and NGO professionals who need the latest.
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Getting Animals in the Media
Click below to see our visuals in the latest news
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ICYMI: 100+ Photographers in the Field
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We Animals Media is now 100+ photographers strong. That’s 100+ photojournalists and videographers using their cameras as an instrument to tell animal stories, reveal the hidden realities of animal industries, and inspire swift and radical change. Thank you for being part of this journey.
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