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The wildlife photographer has devoted the last ten years to raising funds for conservation efforts globally, but now she feels nervous about the prospects ahead. "It does feel like we've regressed," she stated.

Through her Wildlife Memorial series—an annual, not-for-profit picture book featuring photographs from the world's top wildlife artists—she has collected £1.2m over the past 10 years. The first edition was published in 2015, during the time of the formulation of the Paris accord, but since then, efforts to address the environmental emergency have faced setbacks.

Relative to a recent past, there was a desire for clean energy rather than fossil fuel extraction globally. I think the importance of the natural world is something for us all to cling on to.

Despite this, she holds some optimism. "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 keep fighting. And I know there's many others who share this view, so time will tell, but we must not be complacent."

A Stark Visual Reminder of Potential Futures

This latest publication, called Ten Years of Remembering Wildlife, features original and altered images of creatures such as arctic bears, cheetahs, and scaled mammals living in and then erased from their natural habitats.

Raggett explained these images were designed to be "thought-provoking" and to provide a glimpse of the what lies ahead if we remain on our current track. "The rate of animal population decrease is alarmingly fast worldwide and there's a significant effort to be done to turn it around. We really could be looking at a future where these landscapes would be devoid of these creatures," she said. "This is the reason we produced it, to make people pause and realise what could happen if we don't take action."

Worries Domestically

While much of her photography career has taken her to far-off places like East Africa, Tanzania, and Bhutan, she also has reservations about developments in her native land. The administration has pledged to build 1.5 million houses by the conclusion of its initial period in government.

In support of this, officials have directed the ecological authority to greenlight development proposals in England with minimal resistance, a decision that has alarmed environmental campaigners. Earlier this month, it was revealed that a senior official boasted about removing obstacles from a housing project of 20,000 homes that was being delayed by "some snails on the site."

Raggett urged a "massive pause" on the government's "near-sighted" plans for rapid 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 understand the part every animal plays in our ecosystem, how they support forest health and the impact that has on removing CO2 from the air.

"I feel like, in this nation, there are sufficient previously developed land that ought to be repurposed before you sacrifice additional rural areas. We've already sacrificed plenty. I think there should be a comprehensive stop."

Inspiration from Tragedy

Raggett was inspired to create the Remembering Wildlife project after coming across an elephant that had been a prey of illegal hunting in Kenya. "He had a poisoned arrow in him and then he began to be consumed by scavengers. I was so horrified and I felt so powerless… so I was determined to try and do something about it," she recalled.

She noted that efforts to clamp down on illegal poaching have been mixed. "The impact of illegally hunting rhinoceroses for their tusks in South Africa remains horrific. I have friends who are located there and the rate of poaching is shocking but there have been positive developments too. China banning ivory a recently has certainly made an impact but then it resurfaces in the black market in other parts in Asia," she detailed.

Tackling consumer desire, especially in Asia where illegal wildlife items are used in folk remedies, is one of the most important ways to reduce the practice, Raggett said. "Illegal hunting is still a massive illegal enterprise and it's here to stay. It's still very much rampant."

Remembering a Legendary Scientist

Earlier in October, the globally celebrated primate expert Jane Goodall died at the age 91. Raggett had encountered her in 2018. "I was blown away by her work ethic and perseverance. She had just arrived from a overnight trip from Tanzania. At my age, I'd be resting the next morning and yet she had a line of people eager to have meetings with her. She was totally motivating and encouraging and had genuine modesty in how she spoke," she recalled. "She has a extraordinary heritage full of wisdom, and humour as well."