Charlie Hamilton James's Image

A lone bull elephant reaches up to feed at dusk. Elephants in Gorongosa National Park are very wary of people but this male seemed relaxed, so Charlie approached slowly and quietly. Hiding behind a tree, he framed his picture, encapsulating the peaceful scene.

Mozambique’s 15-year civil war decimated its elephant population. Their meat was used to feed soldiers while their ivory helped to buy weapons. Since the conflict ended in 1992, elephant populations have been slowly growing. Today, thanks to conservation efforts, the park has 650 elephants protected by 250 rangers.