I want change

thanks

This sends a good message. Its also a sad picture.  JB

Thought provoking and emotional...perfect title!

Hope and change remain an ever elusive goal, for all of us.  A very emotive image... Mike

Important to see this guy behind bars.because how do all the world see this as okay, to show future generations.

Yearning for freedom! Sad reminder of animals kept in captivity.

Let's hope for change... Well done!

Powerful selection and presentation.

Thank you all very much. Your thoughts are appreciated. Instead of responding individually I'll do so collectively in the hope the same is achieved.

Firstly, before I go into the reasoning behind why I shot this image let me say I am a strong believer that, in an ideal world, animals belong in the wild as they were designed to.

As for the image itself, well there are two sides to that coin.

On one side you have an image which expresses the sad truth of animals in captivity and on the other ,which could be seen as an ironic twist of fate, that very captivity has provided the means for their survival.

So I come to the point of two sides of the same coin.

Historically animals in captivity have been designed purely for human entertainment, experimentation and to a far lesser extent conservation research. Be it in sanctioned public zoos or private ones these animals were often kept in horrific states. Does this still continue? shamefully so. Traditionally the media has helped bring to light so many horrific examples of animals in captivity and in so doing has also perpetuate (through unbalanced reporting) a misconception that ALL animals in captivity fall within the same level of victimisation regardless of how well they're kept in enclosures. Personally, I feel that this imbalance reporting is a big reason for why an image like this one invokes so many emotions and feelings of injustice.

My hope is that when the viewer looks at this image and sees a Sumatran orangutan's hand clinging onto a metal cage, they also understand the sad truth of human encroachment resulting in deforestation of their habitats to the point where their conservation status is now critically endangered.

"I want change" isn't just about wanting freedom from a cage, more to the point it is freedom from the point of extinction and a change in the choices we make to ensure that survival

Which brings me to the other side of that same coin.

Through the creation of captive breeding programs and an concerted effort of conservation awareness many zoos around the world have actually changed much of the way we think and feel about these animals. They have forced governments to change their food labeling laws which would otherwise allow companies to hide behind false or misleading food branding (noticeably palm oil which currently sits as the biggest reason for deforestation in Sumatra and neighbouring countries. In so doing that are helping turn the tide on deforestation and have ensured that through the shared knowledge of a captive breeding program a consistent breeding and release program (in other countries) remains effective.

Arguments for and against will always exists. As I said in the beginning I'm an advocate for animals being in the wild but the romantic ideology of that advocacy is at odds in an world that isn't ideal

Nice composition. Very well done. I think that the scene is asking a bw version which is more expressive. Congratulations. Roldao.

I appreciate the words you shared in answer to all the comments. Very dramatic image. Your love and devotion to these mammals is well demonstrated throughout your Portfolio. I am glad they have you to 'speak' for them, as well as the many others who dedicate their lives to a brighter future for them. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and this impressive image Art.

Sincere regards, Gail