Very few bonds are stronger than a mother and child, particularly in the early phase of life. Baby elephants are certainly not the exception. Females remain closely bonded to their mothers for life never leaving the herd while males typically leave the family as early teenagers. So much is still to be learned from elephants’ behavior. What we do know is they are highly intelligent social animals with deep long-lasting memories. I took this image while on safari with my mother making it particularly special to me. We were in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. This trip was a buck list trip for me. I wanted to share with my parents a place that has become so dear to me. I wanted to be there when they got their first glimpse of elephants in the wild. The sun was setting as this family approached mine. I focused my camera on this particular mother and child in the soft light capturing the gentle beauty of these massive animals. My hope is these images of wild animals will inspire your own desire to see them for yourself.

Tanzania, 2022

Limited edition fine art print of 6

Photo © copyright by Derek Nielsen