African Elephants - Hardcover

Kunkel, R

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1860465722 ISBN 13: 9781860465727

Publisher: The Harvill Press, 1998

Synopsis

No photographer works as closely to animals as Kunkel does. His photographs are testament to a quite exceptional gift for being close to animals in the wild and for earning their respect. For 30 years he has stalked elephants with his camera, establishing with them a near-mystical rapport. He has followed them on narrow trails to watering holes and mud wallows. He has watched the combat of rival bulls. He has captured the drama of a mating and once even dared accompany a herd swimming in a river. Alongside the captivating images in this book, Kunkel explores and cannot optimistically answer the ultimate question of whether the species will survive. Even those in national parks and game reserves are no longer safe from the poaching which has dramatically reduced the elephant population. The sombre analysis of Kunkel s text makes even more precious the wild beauty of his images.

About this title

Review

Elephants, according to German wildlife photographer Reinhard Künkel, are strange creatures. "Despite their size," he writes, "elephants by no means claim undisputed precedence in all their dealings with other animals. The privileges they might derive from their awesomeness and strength they are often too gentle and peaceable to claim." Yet an elephant that makes room for an annoyingly chiding pair of crested cranes one minute will defend its territory against a curious human the next. And, as Künkel relates, some of the images in this fine suite of photographs were the result of hair-raising negotiations with elephants on their native turf.

Few wildlife photographers have worked in such close proximity with their subjects, as he notes in some of the wry autobiographical vignettes that open his book. Künkel's 120-plus colour plates capture elephants in all aspects of their daily lives: eating, bathing, travelling, playing, fighting and, well, making other elephants.

Künkel has spent many years among elephants throughout East Africa and his familiarity with their ways affords his readers an exceptionally fine experience in armchair nature travel. --Gregory McNamee

Edition details

• Publisher: The Harvill Press
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1860465722
• ISBN 13: 9781860465727
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224