Kevin Carter. The Vulture and the Little Girl, Sudan, 1993

In 1993, South African photojournalist Kevin Carter was on assignment in Sudan, documenting the devastating famine that plagued the nation. During his time there, he encountered a young girl who had collapsed on her way to a United Nations feeding centre. A vulture had landed nearby, ominously waiting for the girl to succumb so it could feast on her. Carter, grappling with the grimness of the scene, chose to photograph it. He waited until the vulture was sufficiently close to the girl to capture the harrowing image, before finally chasing the bird away.

The photograph was published in the New York Times and immediately sparked global concern for the well-being of the child depicted. The paper later reported that, according to Carter, the girl had regained enough strength to continue her journey after the vulture had been scared off. However, it remained uncertain whether she reached the UN feeding centre. In a subsequent revelation, it was disclosed that the child was actually a boy named Kong Nyong. He survived the famine and lived for another 14 years before dying of a fever.

Carter’s photograph won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1994. But the accolade was overshadowed by the ethical dilemma that the image presented, both to the public and to Carter himself. Just a few months after receiving the Pulitzer, Carter took his own life, deepening the debate surrounding the ethics of photojournalism. He had openly admitted to feeling an immense sense of guilt and emotional turmoil following the capture of the photograph. In his own words, he “talked to God and cried” before lighting a cigarette, reflecting the profound moral and emotional conflict he experienced.

The dark shadow cast by this photograph stretches beyond the image itself, compelling us to ponder the ethics and responsibilities carried by those who document human suffering. Carter’s struggle and ultimate demise add another layer of complexity to this already emotionally charged image, raising poignant questions about the role of photojournalists in capturing and disseminating such harrowing moments.

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