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Elephants
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Nelis Wolmarans: " Giants at play... where better to seek relief from the exhausting midday heat than in a muddy waterhole. "
Beverly Joubert: " Denizens of the Delta. A herd of elephants weave their way through Botswana’s flatlands tracking a snaking spillway and pausing momentarily to quench their thirst. The vast, open spaces and plentiful water of Botswana’s Okavango Delta provide a stronghold for a species threatened by poaching and conflict with humans. These giants moved calmly through their pristine habitat, unperturbed by our presence – a peaceful kinship between human and animal that I hope will be sustained for many years to come. "
Astonishing photo ! Look at the nervures of the ears, the wrinkles around the eyes, the texture of the trunk...
James Tyrrell: " The curiosity of elephants is mistaken for aggression far more often than it should be, yet spreading the ears wide - which helps the elephant focus its hearing efforts on what it perceives as a possible threat - does have the added bonus for the animal of adding dramatically to how big it looks. If anything WAS a potential threat, it would hopefully be intimidated.
I certainly was when taking this picture. "
$dereck Joubert: " We mark #WorldWildlifeDay this year very conscious that all around the globe, people are grappling with the increasingly urgent and serious consequences of natural ecosystems spinning out of control due to human action. And we are reminded of another important date that passed by quietly just last month: the 30th anniversary of the most iconic image ever captured from space … the “Pale Blue Dot” photograph of Earth as a speck in a band of light. You cannot look at that photograph without feeling a deep sense of tenderness for our precious, fragile and only home. And not just ours – home, too, for multitudes of irreplaceable species, a million of which are now at risk of vanishing forever. We must protect this collective home. We have no other choice. "
Beverly Joubert: " It is with cautious understanding that we share close encounters with Africa's giants. Elephants seldom act aggressively without just cause and, in keeping with their reliance on communication, they almost always signal their intent. The shake of a head, a spray of dust, or an ear-piercing trumpet are all indications that a line has been crossed. Paying attention to this "language" and heeding the warning signals helps open a secret doorway to life in the herd. This matriarch – ever protective of her precious youngster – whipped around with surprising agility, forcing her bulk between us and her calf. Message received. We'll keep our distance. "
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