I have been blessed to have traveled to several different countries within Africa and on all of my trips there, I have photographed one of my favorite animals - the Elephant. I also have a few images of the Asian Elephant that I photographed in India - they are smaller than the African Elephant. Several images in this gallery were done in Botswana at Stanley's Camp where we spent two days with Doug and Sandy Groves, who are founders of "Living With Elephants". They live 24/7 with three elephants that they rescued from culling efforts about 20 years ago - Morula, Thembi, and Jabu. Their foundation is instrumental in relieving conflict and educating humans about how to live with elephants. There is a great National Geographic article on the Groves, and the three elephants they adopted. See the link. http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/04/25/walking-with-elephants/
You may notice that many of my images highlight the shape, texture and forms that are unique and beautiful to elephants, i.e., their ears, or trunks, or eyes and even their wonderfully long eyelashes - which save them from those acacia trees. My favorite image in #19 - I call it Zen-Like - it just speaks to me and tells a story about the amazing emotions these animals have.
Near the end of this gallery, you will find several photographs (#38-43) that I took at David Sheldrick's Wildlife Trust Organization near Nairobi, Kenya. These are all orphaned elephants (usually babies), that have lost their families due mainly to poaching for their ivory and/or human population pressures and conflicts. They are rescued and raised until they are old enough to be released back into the wild. To date the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has successfully hand-raised over 150 infant elephants and has accomplished its long-term conservation priority by effectively reintegrating orphans back into the wild herds of Tsavo, claiming many healthy wild-born calves from former-orphaned elephants raised in their care. You can find out more about this organization at www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org
Don't think for a moment that the only elephants in danger or mistreated are all in other countries. You would be mistaken. Photograph #45 is an elephant named Iringa that I photographed at PAWS - Performing Animal Welfare Society in Galt and San Andres, CA. She was captured in Africa as a baby and taken from her family and spent more than 40 years in the Toronto Zoo until they finally agreed to let her live out her life at PAWS. PAWS currently has 8 elephants that have been rescued from US Zoos and/or circuses where the elephants when not performing for the crowds spend about 22 hours per day in 100'x100' concrete space with chains on one front and one back leg. Finally the circuses will discontinue all elephants in their shows, but not until 2018. Please check out PAWS website and if you are local, go and visit them. www.pawsweb.org
You may notice that many of my images highlight the shape, texture and forms that are unique and beautiful to elephants, i.e., their ears, or trunks, or eyes and even their wonderfully long eyelashes - which save them from those acacia trees. My favorite image in #19 - I call it Zen-Like - it just speaks to me and tells a story about the amazing emotions these animals have.
Near the end of this gallery, you will find several photographs (#38-43) that I took at David Sheldrick's Wildlife Trust Organization near Nairobi, Kenya. These are all orphaned elephants (usually babies), that have lost their families due mainly to poaching for their ivory and/or human population pressures and conflicts. They are rescued and raised until they are old enough to be released back into the wild. To date the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has successfully hand-raised over 150 infant elephants and has accomplished its long-term conservation priority by effectively reintegrating orphans back into the wild herds of Tsavo, claiming many healthy wild-born calves from former-orphaned elephants raised in their care. You can find out more about this organization at www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org
Don't think for a moment that the only elephants in danger or mistreated are all in other countries. You would be mistaken. Photograph #45 is an elephant named Iringa that I photographed at PAWS - Performing Animal Welfare Society in Galt and San Andres, CA. She was captured in Africa as a baby and taken from her family and spent more than 40 years in the Toronto Zoo until they finally agreed to let her live out her life at PAWS. PAWS currently has 8 elephants that have been rescued from US Zoos and/or circuses where the elephants when not performing for the crowds spend about 22 hours per day in 100'x100' concrete space with chains on one front and one back leg. Finally the circuses will discontinue all elephants in their shows, but not until 2018. Please check out PAWS website and if you are local, go and visit them. www.pawsweb.org
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