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The wildlife photographer has devoted the last ten years to gathering donations for wildlife protection around the world, but currently she expresses concern about the prospects ahead. "It seems like we've taken a backward step," she stated.

Through her Wildlife Memorial series—an annual, not-for-profit photo collection featuring images from the leading nature photographers—she has raised £1.2m over the last decade. The inaugural volume was published in 2015, coinciding with the drafting of the Paris accord, but in the years following, initiatives to tackle the climate crisis have been rolled back.

Compared to a few years ago, there was a push for renewables rather than drilling for oil globally. I think the value of the natural world is something for us all to cling on to.

Despite this, she holds some hope. "I feel anxious but at the same time I'm encouraged by the fact that there are numerous individuals that continue to show concern. I'll do everything I can to keep my end of the bargain and continue the struggle. And I know there's many others who feel the same, so only the future will reveal, but we must not be complacent."

An Unsettling Visual Reminder of What Could Be

This year's release, called Ten Years of Remembering Wildlife, includes unaltered and modified images of animals such as arctic bears, cheetahs, and pangolins living in and then erased from their native environments.

Raggett stated these images were intended to be "thought-provoking" and to offer a preview of the future if we remain on our current track. "The pace of animal population decrease is alarmingly fast across the world and there's a significant effort to be done to reverse it. We really could be facing a future where these landscapes would be devoid of these wild animals," she said. "This is the reason we created it, to cause reflection and understand what may occur if we don't take action."

Worries Domestically

While the majority of her professional work has taken her to distant locations like East Africa, Tanzania, and the Himalayas, she also has apprehensions about developments in her native land. The government has committed to build 1.5 million homes by the conclusion of its initial period in parliament.

As part of this, officials have instructed the Environment Agency to greenlight planning applications in England with minimal resistance, a decision that has dismayed environmental campaigners. Earlier recently, it was revealed that a top figure boasted about unblocking a housing project of 20,000 homes that was being delayed by "some snails on the site."

Raggett urged a "significant halt" on the government's "near-sighted" plans for accelerated construction. "It's crucial to recognise is that we are all intertwined with the environment," she stated. "It's simple in a developed nation like ours to not grasp the part every animal plays in our ecosystem, how they support forest health and the impact that has on clearing carbon from the atmosphere.

"I feel like, in this country, there are sufficient previously developed land that ought to be repurposed before you sacrifice additional countryside. We've lost so much. I think there needs to be a massive pause."

Inspiration from Tragedy

Raggett was inspired to create the Remembering Wildlife initiative after encountering an elephant that had been a victim of poaching in Kenya. "He had a poisoned arrow in him and then he started to be eaten by scavengers. I was so horrified and I felt so impotent… so I was determined to try and do something about it," she shared.

She commented that efforts to curb wildlife crime have been varied. "The impact of poaching rhinos for their horns in South Africa remains horrific. I have friends who are located there and the frequency of illegal killing is shocking but there have been some wins too. China banning ivory a few years ago definitely has had an impact but then it pops up in the illegal trade in other parts in Asia," she detailed.

Tackling consumer desire, particularly in Asia where illegal wildlife items are used in traditional medicines, is one of the most important ways to combat the practice, Raggett said. "Poaching is still a massive criminal industry and it's not going anywhere. It's still very much widespread."

Honoring a Iconic Primatologist

Earlier in October, the globally celebrated primate expert Jane Goodall passed away at the age of 91. Raggett had encountered her in 2018. "I was amazed by her dedication and determination. She had just gotten off a night flight from Tanzania. At my age, I'd be resting the next morning and yet she had a queue of people eager to have appointments with her. She was totally motivating and supportive and had genuine modesty in how she spoke," she recalled. "She has a remarkable legacy full of insight, and wit as well."