National Geographic Magazine - UK March 2024

FOR 135 YEARS AT National Geographic, we’ve continued to evolve the magazine you hold in your hands. What started as a journal with just words, maps, and a simple monochrome cover became a popular magazine filled with photographs and known for its striking cover images. Our commitment to bringing the world to you and helping you understand it better has never wavered, but the way we’ve done that has shifted with the times. We last refreshed the magazine in 2018, so it seemed like a good moment to think about how we could improve it even more. We wanted to give you everything you love about National Geographic while making it feel livelier and easier to read. We kick off the magazine with a set of pages that will appear every month,…

CULTURE “The post-Taliban generation, which once experienced RELATIVE FREEDOM, now grapples with a future under a regime that has abruptly diminished those freedoms.”KIANA HAYERI, photographer ENVIRONMENT “The initial thrill of discovery was soon tempered by the sad realization that this cave only existed because of CLIMATE CHANGE.”JASON GULLEY, photographer SPACE “Ines was in that moment representing for me ALL THE HUMAN RACE facing the mystery of space and the challenges to come. I utilized multiple light sources, resulting in the human presence being ILLUMINATED as if there were multiple suns.”PAOLO VERZONE, photographer ANIMALS “Documenting the RESCATE ROSADO project was an intense experience. The most amazing part was observing the powerful efforts to reverse this situation and sensitize the population about having these migratory birds FLYING FREE.”FERNANDO FACIOLE, photographer…

FOR THIS month’s cover story on spotted hyenas (page 18), Jen Guyton was determined to do something different and innovative. “Going into this story, I knew that I wanted to go against that trend of taking photos of hyenas during the day,” she says. So she photographed the primarily nocturnal animals at night. To avoid spooking them with bright spotlights or flashes, she used infrared lights, which hyenas can’t see. National Geographic photo engineers also supplied her with an armored, remotely operated robot that was retrofitted with cameras after an earlier career in bomb disposal. Dubbed Ed by the engineers, the robot helped Guyton capture intimate images, including a portrait that became one of our 2023 Pictures of the Year.…

David Liittschwager, p.116 An Explorer since 2018, the San Francisco-based photographer has traveled around the globe to document the natural world—even the surprising biodiversity found within a single cubic foot. This month’s story on the sea creatures that thrive at depths with little light is his 17th for the magazine. Rubén Salgado Escudero, p.48 Born in Spain and now living in Mexico, Salgado Escudero focuses on the human condition, including the realm of the ancient Maya for this feature. His photographs have been exhibited worldwide and published in outlets such as the New York Times and the Guardian. He became an Explorer in 2018. Isadora Kosofsky, p.90 A resident of Los Angeles, Kosofsky embeds herself in the lives of those she photographs. For this month’s feature on dementia, her first…

Thunderclouds rolled across Kenya’s Masai Mara savanna as the spotted hyena cubs played, tumbling over each other in the wet grass. The cubs’ mother lounged nearby, rising occasionally to discourage a bigger one-year-old from joining the little play group. When the older animal approached again, one of the pluckier cubs took a cue from its high-ranking mom and stood tall, trying its best to look intimidating. That action seemed comical, but both animals knew their place. The larger, lower ranking hyena stopped short, then bowed its head and slunk off. Photographer Jen Guyton recorded this scene with an infrared camera, allowing an intimate look into hyenas’ nocturnal behaviors. In doing so, she provided a small window into the intriguing structure of hyena society, where all members inherit their place in…

Numerous other species survive and thrive thanks to strong female leaders that teach survival skills, resolve conflicts, even sacrifice their bodies for the good of the group. AFRICAN SAVANNA ELEPHANT Among African savanna elephants, the matriarchs are repositories of wisdom in the ultimate animal sisterhood. BONOBO One of humans’ closest relatives, bonobos live in female-led societies. They form close relationships and are largely peaceful. LEAFCUTTER ANT Leafcutter ants—as many as eight million per colony—report to one queen that can live 20 years and produce 200 million eggs. ORCA In orca pods, grandma knows best; her presence boosts calf survival. She also outlives her breeding years by decades. ETHIOPIAN WOLF The Ethiopian wolf is Africa’s rarest canine. Usually only the alpha female breeds, but the entire pack helps raise the cubs.…