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While not everyone is cut out to be a model, wildlife photographers grapple with a unique challenge—their subjects are completely unaware they’re being photographed. To tackle this, professionals often resort to creative techniques. As showcased by National Geographic in the video below, one such method involves using high-end fragrances to capture the perfect shot.
The short film "How to Catch a Tiger with Joel Sartore" follows NatGeo photographer Joel Sartore as he strives to photograph a South China tiger at Colorado Springs' Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Filmmaker Morgan Heim captures the process, which includes resorting to Prada perfume after hours of failing to engage the elusive big cat.
Interestingly, zookeepers frequently use perfumes to enhance the well-being of large felines. Fragrances like Eau de toilettes, along with spices and essential oils, act as sensory stimulation for captive wildcats, who miss out on diverse scents found in the wild. Researchers also use perfumes to attract animals in the wild, though success varies. These scents help lure cats to hair traps or snares, which collect DNA samples when the animals brush against them. These samples are invaluable for scientific research and conservation efforts.
Perfume isn’t the only tool: in 2010, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society at New York’s Bronx Zoo discovered that Calvin Klein's Obsession for Men was particularly appealing to cheetahs. (While it was a hit with captive cats, the preferred scent of their wild counterparts remains a mystery.)
Louise Ginman, the Carnivore Unit Supervisor at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo, shared with Scientific American that lions and tigers showed the strongest response to fragrances, with snow leopards also showing interest. Obsession for Men emerged as a top choice among the big cats.
Pat Thomas, a general curator at the Bronx Zoo, explained to National Geographic how big cats react to scents, likening their behavior to a housecat’s response to catnip: "Some exhibited intense cheek-rubbing, wrapping their paws around trees and rubbing vigorously. Others drooled, their eyes half-closed, as if entering a trance-like state."
According to Scientific American, the big cats’ fascination with fragrances stems from a chemical compound called civetone, found in perfumes. Originally derived from civets, it is now synthetically produced.
Witness how fragrances help capture stunning photographs, like the one taken by Sartore, in the NatGeo video below.
