Category

Land Animal

Location

Kariega Game Reserve, Kenton-on-Sea, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Gear

Canon EOS 5D mk4; Canon EF500mm f4L IS II USM

Description

During an afternoon game drive, we encountered a family of elephants grazing amongst some bushes. We stopped the jeep and observed them quietly at remarkably close quarters, and they were all very un-troubled by our presence. Eventually, though, one of the baby elephants decided that we were dangerous, and that it was his job to protect the rest of the herd. He came scurrying down a slope and challenged us from about 20m away, waving his trunk, flapping his ears, and adopting all manner of "threat" postures to try to intimidate us. He even resorted to picking up vegetation with his trunk and and throwing it at the jeep! At that point we decided that a dignified retreat would be best, but throughout all this I'd been able to take some highly entertaining photographs of the elephant's behaviour. Elephants are very special to me because they have so many behavioural characteristics, especially family and social ones, which seem remarkably close to that of humans. They are imposing, majestic and beautiful, and it breaks my heart that their future is so threatened and uncertain.

Photographer

Philip Yale

Social Media

Instagram: pypimages

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhilipYalePhotography

Website: www.pypimages.co.uk

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