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Elephants
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MP's Bandhavgarh now permanent elephant habitat
Elephant experts now say the development is a sign not only of a rise in elephant numbers in the country, and the fact that they are travelling, but also that they can thrive at a place given the right conditions.
 *This image is copyright of its original author For the first time, Bandhavgarh reserve forest in Madhya Pradesh has a colony of elephants – the same herd of about 40 animals that arrived at the sanctuary around this time last year, and has stayed on.This, experts say, is an unusual occurrence in Bandhavgarh, which has, over the years, played host to herds of elephants that arrive to graze and forage and subsequently travel back to neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Elephant experts now say the development is a sign not only of a rise in elephant numbers in the country, and the fact that they are travelling, but also that they can thrive at a place given the right conditions. Pointing out that this is the first time in centuries that MP has had elephants, Bandhavgarh National Park deputy director Sidharth Gupta said, “This herd arrived in December 2018. The fact that the herd has stayed on is highly unusual. We have never had wild elephants reside here before. But Bandhavgarh is a large reserve forest – they have plenty of food and water here, and we believe that this is why they stayed on.” He said while the reserve has received no new funds for the elephants, certain measures have been taken. “Since this is not an elephant area, we were not trained in handling elephants. So we have had elephant experts and wildlife officials from West Bengal and Chhattisgarh to come and train our staff,” Gupta said. “We have deputed patrolling teams and are monitoring the elephants round the clock. We have conducted awareness and sensitisation campaigns in surrounding villages so that the locals are aware and we can control the man-elephant conflict, if there arises any.” So far, Gupta added, there has been no reports of a conflict. He explained that there are barely 50 villages around the 1,536-sq km national park, reducing the possibility of conflict between the inhabitants and the elephants, especially when the animals stray into agricultural fields and destroy standing crops, Gupta said. In October this year, the Union Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted a technical committee to develop a National Elephant Action Plan. Committee member Bivash Pandav, who also works for the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Chhattisgarh and is currently tracking several herds in the state, including the one now settled at Bandhavgarh, said, “When they (herd of elephants) migrated to Bandhavgarh, we kept expecting them to return, but they did not.” Giving an example from Surguja, in north Chhattisgarh, not far from the MP boundary, Pandav said there were elephants in that area earlier. “There are records of this, and even records of elephants being either hunted or captured and presented to Mughal emperors from Surguja. But in the 1920s, they disappeared entirely for unknown reasons. Then they reappeared in the late-1990s and early-2000s. Today, there are 250 elephants in north Chhattisgarh that have mostly come from Odisha and Jharkhand,” he said. Qamar Qureshi of WII said migrating elephants is now a country-wide trend, with the animals moving from South India to North India, and from the country’s east towards the west. “The source population is increasing, so the animals are migrating. Tiger and elephant ranges in the country are also expanding,” he said. Pandav said, “The herd that has gone to Bandhavgarh and decided to settle there is an extremely interesting study for us. It is now obvious that if given a healthy habitat, elephants will stay put at a place. This is something that needs to be replicated in Chhattisgarh and other elephant areas.” Within Chhattisgarh, Pandav said, elephants keep travelling from one place to another, before being hounded out by villagers who are trying to save their crops. Although there is extensive forest cove, it is often patchy and elephants in Chhattisgarh rely on crops a lot, so the human-elephant conflict here becomes inevitable. 
David Yarrow: " I would like to thank all those that have encouraged us forward in 2019. The new year will bring new challenges, but we will work hard to make sure that the highs of the last 12 months are matched in 2020.
This moment in Amboseli will never be matched, but there will be other moments - there always are. I certainly hope that my best work is ahead of me - there is no other disposition to have. Always look ahead and attack. Happy New Year. "
Beverly Joubert: " Family is everything for elephants. Nestled in a protective circle of grey bodies, these babies are carefully guarded by an ever-watchful herd. Elephant calves are born into extended family groups and will receive nurturing and protection from older siblings and relatives. Herds are cohesive units and when calves come under threat, the family quickly work together to keep the youngsters safe. "
Howard Cleland : " Settling down...perfect remedy for those hot KwaZulu-Natal Summers when the thermometer edges towards 30 degrees C with humidity. Taking the load off and spending hours submerged in the cool waters at @andbeyondphinda is this Bull elephants afternoon routine. Makes complete sense. "
Dereck Joubert: " Birds do it, bats do it, even salt-deprived elephants do it (and we humans sometimes do, too). It may not look particularly appetising, but the practice of geophagy (eating soil) has an important function. Plant-based meals sometimes fail to provide sufficient sodium for consummate herbivores like elephants … so a bit of soil on the side does the trick, delivering the vital minerals they’re lacking. "
Beverly Joubert: " A herd of elephants wades through the life-giving waters of a spillway in the Okavango Delta. Aerial photos like this reveal just how vital these mega mammals are to the ecosystem – they use their bulk to forge paths through the reeds and vegetation granting smaller animals access and allowing the Delta to keep flowing. This shot was captured while filming Okavango: River of Dreams – a film for which @dereckjoubert and I spent countless hours in Botswana trying to capture the soul of the waterway that nurtures so many life forms in this pristine environment. This Sunday, our feature film will be shown at the Sundance Film Festival! It’s a first for us in our 35 years of filmmaking and we feel truly honoured and privileged to be able to showcase the beauty and wonder of Africa’s wildlife at such a prestigious event. We hope that the film will inspire people to protect the planet and preserve its nature for generations to come. Thank you, "
Mark Drury: " Craig ?? if you haven’t noticed through my post that this big gentle giant is my favorite. I encountered him for the first time almost a decade ago. And to be honest with you I thought it was Tim. It was only two years later when Tim and Craig were together I realized I was wrong. Tim is wonderful but Craig has always been my favorite. In the last decade I’ve spent more time with him then any other elephant. Two years ago I spent two weeks straight with big Craig. Everyday for several hours. He’s inquisitive and comes to me almost every time I see him. He’s touched me, dusted me and tried to steal my camera. Always so gentle and truly a magical being. He’s one of the last big boys and a national treasure for Kenya and the world. "
Beverly Joubert: " A herd of elephants quench their thirst at one of the Okavango Delta’s many spillways. Water is at the heart of this ecosystem – as it floods onto the flatlands it transforms the landscape, nourishing the soil and providing sustenance to an array of species. When our latest film, Okavango: River of Dreams, played to a full house at Sundance recently we were humbled to witness audiences fall under the unique spell of the Delta, visibly moved by its splendour. It’s a privilege for us to be able to share the beauty of this world through the film and we are thrilled it was so well received. Many people poured their hearts into this project and their contributions were felt by all at the screening. We cannot hope to save the world’s wild spaces unless we can communicate the value and importance of these ecosystems. @sundanceorg has provided us with a platform to do just that, and we are eternally grateful. "
War Elephants: The Military ‘Tanks’ of the Ancient World
 *This image is copyright of its original author https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/war-elephants-military-tanks-ancient-world-009967
War elephants depicted in Hannibal Barca crossing the Rhône (1878), by Henri Motte.
 *This image is copyright of its original author A BBC documentary about Hannibal's elephants
David Lloyd: " Matriarch
Maasai Mara Kenya 2010 This is a two picture post. I took this in the days before flip up screens and wireless remotes. I shot blind with my camera upended on a suspended monopod with the camera inches from the ground. At first it was hit and miss with the composition – lots of sky and grass at first – but with a 35mm lens and a little practice, good compositions became regularly achievable. In the beginning I’d set my camera to ten second timer to anticipate the moment before advancing to a wired remote. Then I discovered how to put the elephant to where I wanted it to be (while maintaining ethics) but that’s a story for another day. Quick Tip One. You’ll become good at anything with a little bit of practice. • I’ve usually decided whether to process a picture as black and white or as colour by view of what suited it best in the final result, but in this case I could not decide so I kept both. There is no such thing as a ‘black and white conversion’ from colour unless you want a quick and less aesthetically pleasing version. Quick Tip Two: Process all pictures from the ground up, including black and white ones. " |
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