Igor Shpilenok's WWoE mission in May 2009 was to photograph Europe's only antelope, the endangered Saiga, in their native and disappearing steppe in Kalmykia, a region in Southwestern Russia. Because of poaching and other pressures, there are fewer than 20,000 saiga remaining in Europe - down from more than 2 million animals in the middle of last century. Igor hopes that by showing these unique, hump-nosed antelope to Europeans and the world, he can evoke in people the desire to help the animals in their fight for survival. As well as photographing the saiga and their calves, Igor captured Demoiselle crane, Steppe eagle and wild flowers including tulips.


An environmental activist and former director of the Bryansk Forest Nature Reserve in western Russia Igor Shpilenok has been phot

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