Nursing Elephant Calf
by Gary Hall
Title
Nursing Elephant Calf
Artist
Gary Hall
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The African elephant (loxodonta africana) is the largest land animal on earth weighing in at 6000 kg ( 13,200 lbs) and measuring up to 3.3 metres (10 feet) at the shoulder. Both males and females grow tusks which grow throughout their lifetime. Elephants are extremely social and regularly show a high degree of compassion. They regularly display affection for each other by caressing each other with their trunks when they meet. Females and their young travel together in herds, led by the matriarch of the group. The bulls are more solitary travelling alone or in small groups.
In order to stay cool in the blazing hot sun, elephants use their trunks to squirt cool water over their massive frames followed by a sprinkling of dust to create a protective layer on their skin. Their normal gray color then takes on the appearance of the surrounding soil.
This elephant was photographed In Kenya's Samburu National Reserve. Samburu National Resreve is located in the arid north of Kenya roughly 350 km. (217 miles) from Niarobi. It derives its name from the Samburu people. The topography consists of large tracts of open savannah with clusters of acacia trees. The Uaso Nyiro River cuts through the reserve attracting large herds of elephants. In the dry season, the river sometimes dries up causing the elephants to search for water using their tusks to dig deep into the dry river bed.
Uploaded
November 26th, 2015
Statistics
Viewed 126 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/19/2024 at 6:18 AM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Comments
There are no comments for Nursing Elephant Calf. Click here to post the first comment.