Wildlife photographer and cinematographer Shannon Wild is a passionate conservationist who lives in Africa but works wherever the wildlife calls. In her 15 years documenting wildlife, she’s been mauled by a cheetah, charged by an elephant, lions, and buffalo, and bitten countless times by snakes and lizards.

But her most recent assignment might prove her most difficult yet: producing a documentary about a rare black panther—the only one living in 250 square miles of dense forest in southern India. Get an inside look at the challenges and dangers of tackling an assignment in an unforgiving environment, from the narrow dirt roads to extreme weather to unexpected injuries—and worse.

This presentation is part of the National Geographic Live 2019/20 Portland Speaker Series and the 2019/20 Portland'5 Education Program season.

Series Subscriptions & Tickets

Individual tickets ($32.25–$52.25 plus fees) are available now. Series subscriptions to all five presentations ($136.25–$241.25 plus a one-time order fee) are no longer available for 2019/20.

Tickets are also available at the Portland'5 Box Office at 1111 SW Broadway Ave. and by phone: 800.273.1530.

Shannon Wild, Photographer & Cinematographer

Shannon Wild is an Australian wildlife photographer and cinematographer based in South Africa, working all over the world for clients such as National Geographic, WildAid, and the UN. She is also an ambassador for various conservation organizations and the founder of Wild In Africa jewelry, which helps raise money for conservation.

Shannon has written three books, including one on reptile ecophysiology, a topic she’s passionate about and which started her interest in photography. Her other two books provide instruction on animal photography.

Shannon has spent more than a year and a half in India focused on finding and filming an elusive and rare melanistic leopard—referred to as a black panther. The project has meant countless hours in the forests of southeastern India battling weather extremes, incredibly dense forest and, during filming, a spinal injury.
 Her passion for protecting and documenting wildlife for the world has driven her to overcome not only her own self-imposed doubts and limits, but others’ as well.

About National Geographic Live:

As audiences around the world have discovered, National Geographic Live events are lavishly illustrated, firsthand presentations by dynamic individuals who travel the world to get the powerful stories and images you’ve seen on the National Geographic Channel and in National Geographic magazine.

National Geographic Live is the live events division of National Geographic. With a broad roster of talent including renowned photographers, scientists, authors, filmmakers and adventurers, National Geographic Live’s critically acclaimed programs have connected with audiences worldwide for over a century. Currently, National Geographic Live events are held in a variety of cities around the world, including Seattle, Tampa, Los Angeles, and Calgary. In each of these cities, speakers share behind-the-scenes stories from the front lines of exploration onstage alongside stunning imagery and gripping footage. For more information, visit natgeolive.com.