Part of TIME's most influential photo collection, Brent Stirton's photo of a silverback gorilla that had just been shot not only resonates with the viewer on an emotionally moving level but helped to influence policy as well. As someone who wants to go into environmental photojournalism, seeing this image greatly affected me. I want to be able to influence politics and the individual viewer just as this photo has. This gorilla was just living and minding his own business in an area supposed to be designated to protect him. He was shot by crossfire from conflict in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the excerpt in TIME, three months after this photo was published, nine African countries signed a treaty to try and protect the gorillas that live in the Virunga.
It's a heartbreaking photograph that relates the pain of the animal to the reader. Although the gorilla was shot because of humans, it is also humans that are bringing him out of the jungle and not leaving him for dead. By taking this photo, Stirton was able to start a conversation about the protection of animals and influence countries to do something about it. I think this photo is one on TIME's list that is not as well known as some of the others, but even still it made an impact and started a conversation that eventually led to action.
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