Wildlife / Animals nominee

Scale a map of African to a sheet of printer paper, and the habitat of the mountain gorilla is smaller than a penny. It’s this question of land that stands at the heart of why these animals remain endangered. Over 100,000 people live in areas surrounding the gorillas’ habitat, and the cultivation of land has led to the shrinking of this already confined space. Poaching, civil war, and disease have also contributed to the deaths of these impressive creatures.

I spoke with my guides early this November morning to express interest in a family positioned in a less obstructed area. Thick foliage often conceals the broader scene, making it difficult to convey the impressive landscape that inspired the name of this subspecies.

We arrived at the Kwitonda family along the rock wall separating the farmland from the jungle. While cultivated land wasn’t what I originally had in mind as “open space,” I soon realized this was the story to be told. As the squeeze is placed on this already delicate space, scenes like this are becoming more commonplace. Animals previously considered mythical figures of the jungle are now roaming across land maintained by humans.
Life very much on the fringe.

Eric Kanigan is a Canadian-American photographer and storyteller who is driven to visit remote corners of the globe to highlight commonalities where others might initially perceive differences.

A degree in Biology solidified his affinity for wildlife and the natural world. However, it was a specific focus in ecology that left the largest impression. The core premise that organisms and species are intertwined, no matter how disparate in form and function, inspires much of his work today.

Eric brings his audience with him above and below the surface to bear witness to some of the world’s most striking scenes and beings. He seeks images with the intent to bring them to life as physical prints—a permanence and longevity he creates with the finished piece, but more importantly, wants to observe in the subjects through conservation and action. Through his artwork and writing, Eric ventures beyond a simple image—not to lecture, but to inspire individuals to develop their own thoughts on the environmental, social, and ethical questions that we face today.

He hopes that others might recognize some of themselves in the people and the animals with whom we are fortunate to share our planet.