A series of captivating images depict an African bull elephant masterfully standing on its hind legs to grasp leaves in Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park.
Photographer Bobby-Jo Vial, 36, captured the remarkable display of strength, balance, and agility in September.
Vial said witnessing the elephant’s unique feeding behavior was a career highlight. This technique is typically observed among African bull elephants in Mana Pools, one of the few places where such behavior can be seen.
Vial mentioned that the elephant may have learned the skill by observing other bulls, especially when food is scarce in dry regions like Mana Pools.
Photographer Bobby-Jo Vial, 36, captured the moment the majestic African elephant kicked back on its hind legs to reach the juiciest leaves on the trees. Source: Bobby-Jo Vial/Caters News
The images have garnered much admiration from Vial’s friends, family, and followers, who are impressed by the elephant’s balancing act and the stunning afternoon light.
Once at severe risk of extinction due to poaching, African elephants have seen a decrease in illegal killings. In 2011, 10% of African elephants were killed illegally.
By 2017, this number dropped to 4%, possibly due to China’s declining demand for ivory. One of Africa’s largest wildlife preserves even celebrated a year without a single elephant killed by poachers.
This behavior by the elephant is usually a sign of a scarcity of food in the area. They have to reach the tops of the trees due to a lack of vegetation at their regular height. Here the creature can be seen trampling its front legs in the air to swing the momentum into the long drive upward. Source: Bobby-Jo Vial/Caters NewsThe photographer said that she felt the snaps were some of the greatest she had taken during her career. She said that it was a wonderful show of strength, balance, and agility. Source: Bobby-Jo Vial/Caters News
However, conservationists warn that elephants still face significant threats, with an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 being killed annually, threatening the remaining population of roughly 350,000 elephants.
Here is the moment the elephant swings its trunk to meet its mouth after claiming its prize of the best branches. Source: Bobby-Jo Vial/Caters NewsThe feeding technique is one that is unique to the African Bull Elephant. Mana Pools is one of the few places this technique can be seen. The photographer believes it’s a learned behavior between the Bulls. Source: Bobby-Jo Vial/Caters NewsMana Pools, where the photos were taken, is dry at this time of year, and food is largely hard to come by for the huge animals. Source: Bobby-Jo Vial/Caters NewsThe Bull can be seen kicking up dust as he prepares to drive upwards to the treetops in Zimbabwe. Bobby-Jo said that her family and friends have been so impressed with the elephant’s balance and the afternoon lighting. Source: Bobby-Jo Vial/Caters NewsAfrican elephants face severe risks from poachers but by 2017, there had been a significant drop in the number of dead elephants, largely thought due to the lack of demand for Ivory from China. Source: Bobby-Jo Vial/Caters NewsBetween 10,000 and 15,000 elephants are slain every year, it is believed, rapidly diminishing the estimated population of just 350,000 elephants. Source: Bobby-Jo Vial/Caters News
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