Proof: Steve Winter on Saving the World’s Predators | National Geographic

I have this vivid memory of lying on our

I have this vivid memory of lying on our living room floor

living room floor

living room floor Nike kid with your feet in the air legs

Nike kid with your feet in the air legs

Nike kid with your feet in the air legs crossed leaping through national

crossed leaping through national

crossed leaping through national Geographics

Geographics

Geographics and going to these exotic lands with

and going to these exotic lands with

and going to these exotic lands with exotic cultures and my heart was gone

exotic cultures and my heart was gone

exotic cultures and my heart was gone when I was 8 years old

when I was 8 years old

when I was 8 years old I want to be a national and geographic

I want to be a national and geographic

I want to be a national and geographic photographer so I’m very very lucky to

photographer so I’m very very lucky to

photographer so I’m very very lucky to be able to have realized my dream it was

be able to have realized my dream it was

be able to have realized my dream it was so funny on my first story I was you

so funny on my first story I was you

so funny on my first story I was you know one-room shack on top of a mountain

know one-room shack on top of a mountain

know one-room shack on top of a mountain Guatemala when I heard the stairs

Guatemala when I heard the stairs

Guatemala when I heard the stairs creaking at night and then I hear this

creaking at night and then I hear this

creaking at night and then I hear this scratching under the door and then and

scratching under the door and then and

scratching under the door and then and the hair on back my head stood I grabbed

the hair on back my head stood I grabbed

the hair on back my head stood I grabbed the radio and called down the mountain

the radio and called down the mountain

the radio and called down the mountain to juan carlos and they said in spanish

to juan carlos and they said in spanish

to juan carlos and they said in spanish steve no problem it’s just a black

steve no problem it’s just a black

steve no problem it’s just a black Jaguar that was my beginning of big cats

Jaguar that was my beginning of big cats

Jaguar that was my beginning of big cats the one thing I learned about big cats

the one thing I learned about big cats

the one thing I learned about big cats is that it’s like an umbrella you’ve

is that it’s like an umbrella you’ve

is that it’s like an umbrella you’ve protected top predator you protect

protected top predator you protect

protected top predator you protect everything underneath it

everything underneath it

everything underneath it including the landscape the ecosystem

including the landscape the ecosystem

including the landscape the ecosystem and everything down to the little

and everything down to the little

and everything down to the little insects and you see this when you go to

insects and you see this when you go to

insects and you see this when you go to empty for sore dead for us you take out

empty for sore dead for us you take out

empty for sore dead for us you take out certain parts something Bad’s gonna

certain parts something Bad’s gonna

certain parts something Bad’s gonna happen because these are all important

happen because these are all important

happen because these are all important to each other we’re doing this to show

to each other we’re doing this to show

to each other we’re doing this to show millions of people a story that we were

millions of people a story that we were

millions of people a story that we were so interested in because the stories

so interested in because the stories

so interested in because the stories come from here pictures that you don’t

come from here pictures that you don’t

come from here pictures that you don’t want to look at sometimes have more

want to look at sometimes have more

want to look at sometimes have more power

power

power I mean beauty is one thing heartbreak is

I mean beauty is one thing heartbreak is

I mean beauty is one thing heartbreak is another pictures that you just can’t

another pictures that you just can’t

another pictures that you just can’t stand looking at are the ones that maybe

stand looking at are the ones that maybe

stand looking at are the ones that maybe have the most power