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Black and white photograph of an elephant
A black and white image shows a male elephant in profile. His head is lifted and his trunk is curled back toward his mouth forming a circle. His tusks extend beyond the circle of his trunk, looking a bit like a sideways and reversed capital letter Q. His ears are down, but held in a position, not floppy. His tail stands out at an angle behind him, sloping toward the ground. The wrinkly texture of his skin stands out against the grasses in which he stands. In the distance, a few trees dot the landscape. Moody cloud cover frames the top of the image.

Boisterous Bull

James Hassell
Winner Rank
3
Artist Statement

The elephant in this picture was one of two adolescent bulls I encountered in Laikipia, Central Kenya. I took this picture just after they began showing off to one-another. Within ten minutes their posturing had led them to use my car as a prop, gently leaning into it with their tusks. Several hundred dollars of paint damage and a police report later, this picture was all I had with which to remember the encounter!

An adolescent bull African Elephant in Central Kenya. The picture captures his boisterous attitude, as he squares up to another young elephant out of shot.

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