Nat Hab's 2024 Guest Photo Contest

Species: Elephant | Location: Southeast Okavango—Santawani Private Concession, Botswana

While staying at the Gomoti Camp during an August 2023 Secluded Botswana Photo Safari, we enjoyed watching the various wildlife that came to the watering hole. During an afternoon break, we had the privilege of watching a herd of elephants when we saw something odd about one of them. After realizing what it was, we were in disbelief and horrified about the implications of what we were seeing. If you look closely at the elephant on the right, you will notice that part of its trunk was missing. Our guide indicated that the trunk was probably severed because of a snare. The elephant on the left is providing water to the injured elephant directly through its trunk into the mouth of the other. The scene demonstrates how indiscriminate snares are and it’s hard to imagine how much pain the elephant experienced in the process of losing its trunk. Who is demonstrating more compassion; the elephant or the poacher who set the snare?

About The Photographer

Enjoys photographing wildlife, wildflowers, landscapes and macro, Entered digital photography in 2016 in preparation to first NatHab trip, Hidden Yellowstone Safari and have continued since, whether it be in my yard, at local reserves and parks, during personal travel or subsequent NatHab trips. While photographing, I prefer to vary the settings on my Nikon cameras in order to capture the scene as close to how I observe it as possible.