Stefano’s story with the yaki (the local name for crested black macaques) began more than 10 years ago, when he first travelled to Sulawesi, Indonesia, to spend time with the primates. Since then, hunted for bushmeat, captured as pets and homeless due to deforestation, the yaki’s numbers have declined drastically and they are now critically endangered.
Determined to explore their plight, Stefano returned to Sulawesi and created this moving photostory, examining the relationship between macaques and humans. The investigation was complex, challenging and sometimes ‘incredibly tough’, but he knew he had to ‘put the feelings aside and do the job’, for this was a story that had to be told.
Italy
Stefano became serious about photography at 17 and went on to obtain a PhD in zoology from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland). He is the author of nine photography books, a multi-award winner in Wildlife Photographer of the Year and a regular contributing photographer for National Geographic magazine. Stefano has run many long-term multimedia projects, the latest being A Family in the Arctic.
