“Wall of Shame”. Bloodied hand prints, signatures and snakeskins on a wall at the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup. Sweetwater, Texas, USA, 2015.
Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals
The Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year showcases the world’s best nature photography and photojournalism. The most coveted wildlife photography competition, it attracted nearly 50,000 entries from 100 countries.
[Content warning: Contains confronting images]
Jo-Anne McArthur’s image “Highly Commended” in this year’s Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
In 2017, Jo-Anne’s image Pikin and Appolinaire won the People’s Choice award. This year, as We Animals continues to make headlines with groundbreaking investigative work, Jo-Anne’s image “The Wall of Shame” is selected by the Jury as a Highly Commended image in the Wildlife Photojournalism category of the 2019 competition.
It’s a deceptively simple image – a seemingly joyful grab-shot of handprints that morphs into a grotesque parody of children’s art. Quite simply shocking. — Rosamund ‘Roz’ Kidman Cox OBE, Chair of the Jury, Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019
Pinned to a wall are the skins of rattlesnakes. Surrounding them are signed bloody handprints – triumphant marks of those who have skinned snakes at the annual rattlesnake roundup in Sweetwater, Texas. Each year tens of thousands of rattlesnakes are caught for this four-day festival. In spring, wranglers use gasoline to flush out the snakes from their winter dens – a practice banned in many U.S. states. “The wall of shame” is one of the many images that Jo-Anne captured during her time in Sweetwater, Texas.
The Wall of Shame. Rattlesnake Roundup, Sweetwater, Texas, USA, 2015.
Decapitated rattlesnakes lie under a bloody hand at the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup. Sweetwater, Texas, USA, 2015.
Rolled up rattlesnake skins at the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup. Sweetwater, Texas, USA, 2015.
The interior of a rattlesnake’s mouth is displayed during an anatomy demonstration at the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup. Sweetwater, Texas, USA, 2015.
Overall winners were announced on October 15, during an awards ceremony at the Natural History Museum’s iconic Hintze Hall. Jo-Anne will be in London speaking with media throughout the week about the image, and the story behind the rattlesnakes who continue to be slaughtered for the festival, and how every year the species is put at risk of endangerment for what amounts to grotesque entertainment.
I hope that people seeing this image will feel shocked, appalled, solemn, motivated to speak up against wanton violence. All animals should have the right to safety and respect, including the maligned rattlesnake. — Jo-Anne McArthur
A rattlesnake is kicked across the floor inside a snake pit at the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup. Hundreds of rattlesnakes lie on display inside the pit. Sweetwater, Texas, USA, 2015.
We spoke with Jo-Anne about her experience capturing these images at the Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas.
We Animals (WA): How did you decide to focus on this event, and how would you describe the experience?
Jo-Anne McArthur (JM): When I first heard about the roundups from Advocates for Snake Preservation founder Melissa Amarello, I knew it was something that I had to document.
Being immersed in photographing the snake roundup in Texas was surreal and unfamiliar. Documenting the celebration of slaughter in such an intimate way was sort of an out-of-body experience for me.
There were a number of us media folk at the festival, and the staff and volunteers were keen to show off the many facets of the roundup, including the removal of snakes from their environment by way of pouring gasoline into their dens. I had to disconnect from how I felt about it in order to do the animals – and the story – justice.
The killing was on display throughout the festival, and there were events like the snake-eating contest and the Miss Rattlesnake beauty pageant. I think that anyone feeling compassion for the snakes would have felt like a bit of an island, as I did. It was a reality check to observe our disconnection with the natural world, and such a violent celebration against it.
Rattlesnake demonstrations at the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup. Sweetwater, Texas, USA, 2015.
Visitors reach out to touch or photograph the rattlesnakes. Sweetwater, Texas, USA, 2015.
WA: How did others at the festival react to these activities?
JM: It was chilling to observe young people watching the killing and then participating in the skinning. Many were at first put off or apprehensive, but with the enthusiastic coaxing from family, they were learning that this sort of wanton violence is not only acceptable, but a fun and positive thing to do. I saw a young woman pass out while watching the killing. She was of course helped, but also laughed at and patronized.
WA: In addition to documenting the event, what do you hope these images show us?
JM: I’m so grateful to have Wildlife Photographer of the Year showcasing this important story. The reality of how we interact with the natural world isn’t pretty. We are so disconnected from “others”. We need to reconnect.
“The Wall of Shame” joins the breathtaking exhibit of 100 images that opened in London before embarking on a tour for millions of people to see at distinguished art museums around the world.
A knife and glove rest on a chopping block in the rattlesnake decapitation station at the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup. Sweetwater, Texas, USA, 2015. Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals
Watch the We Animals short documentary about the 2015 Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup.
Where to see the exhibit:
Media Coverage:
Natural History Museum: The Wall of Shame
CBC News: Wildlife Photographer of the Year winning images for 2019 and where to see them
Radio Canada: Voici la meilleure photo animalière de l’année
National Geographic: Contented seal, ‘stricken’ racoon and the chilling fate of a turtle commended in prestigious wildlife photography award
The Guardian: Wildlife photographer of the year – highly commended images
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