Meet Craig the Tusker!

Meeting Craig’s Guardian–A Conservation Hero!

David is a Maasai who has been following Craig for years. He is one of the conservation gaurdians trying to keep these magnificent animals from disappearing. Tuskers have a genetic marker that results in their huge tusks. If these boys cannot continue to mate, we will lose them forever. I was in awe of David as much as I was Craig! (Elephant guardian was never mentioned at career counselling in high school…)

For more than two hours each night we hung out with Craig, watching him snack his away around the bush as the light disappeared. He is a very mellow and relaxed elephant. Pal, on the other hand, was a little more feisty. So, we kept a respectable distance from him. When Pal moved off, I was able to get out of the truck with David to try shooting from ground level. This is not something you get a chance to do often and elephants are the absolute best subject for this kind of perspective, exaggerating further their enormous size! I have not had much practice doing this, plus, I confess to being so mesmerized I forgot to adjust settings on my cameras.

At one point, I was sitting in the dirt with my back against the truck tire and Craig came sauntering by, likely just a couple meters away. He definitely didn’t fit in the viewfinder! My brain was exploding–let’s just say the horizon was not the only thing tilting. Thankfully, his “fifth” leg was mostly retracted when he sauntered by. Those are known to swing widely and I was at risk of being slapped. (Shot at 24m)

I can’t even describe what these seconds felt like. I am still processing. He moved so slowly and lightly, but I could feel him through the ground. I was star-struck for sure.

Craig at Sundown

For most of our time together the light was dull; gray with flat, overcast skies. The worst kind of light for photography. But, as luck would have it, a few moments of sunshine broke through right as the sun was going down. It was wonderful to see him with a splash of golden light!

My second evening was very different, but just as magical. This time Craig was hanging out in thicker vegetation, so photographing him was much more challenging. However, just being able to watch him move through his world, in and out of dense foliage, stopping to browse, scratch himself on a fallen tree, or dust himself, was, in a word, delightful.

These two evenings with Craig were nothing short of magical! To be in the presence of this magnificent and mellow giant was such an enormous privilege. I have no doubt it will stay with me always.

Thanks!
Thanks for taking the time to look at my work. I support myself  as an artist through my photography and writing. This post originally appeared on  KO-FI.COM, a platform that allows people like you to help support artists in some small way. You can make a one time donation for a cup of coffee, or, join one of my memberships and have access to exclusive content-including members only live updates while I am on safari and a private Facebook page. Please check out my memberships here on Ko‑fi and consider joining. I would greatly appreciate your support.

Cheers,

NJ

The post Meeting the Legend Craig appeared first on NJ Wight.

It’s time to get serious about wildlife crime.

Some nights I lie awake remembering the moments I have spent in the company of Africa’s extraordinary wildlife. My mind drifts to a darker place and I can’t help wonder if the animals I have photographed are still alive? I wonder if they are hunting, grazing, mating, playing, fighting. Being. I lie awake wishing it was all a very bad dream…

Elephants, lions, rhinoceros, vultures, apes, wild dogs…the list goes on. They are disappearing under our watch, slaughtered for body parts to be carved into fashion accessories or sipped in magic elixirs. They are being hunted for their meat and traded for money, trapped and sold for our entertainment and amusement. Black market animal trafficking is now estimated at a staggering 7-9 BILLION dollars, not far behind drugs, weapons and human trafficking.

Sadly, the numbers do not lie. Killing animals is BIG business and we need to get serious about wildlife crime.

Elephants

Africa has lost 99% of its elephant population since the 1930’s. There were approximately 10 million elephants in the 1930’s and the African Wildlife Foundation now estimates the population closer to 470,000 individuals. While the elephant numbers dwindle, the price of ivory in China does anything but. Since 2010 the price of ivory has increased as much as tenfold.

Lions

Around the time I was born, there were an estimated 100,000 lions roaming in Africa. There are approximately 20,000 remaining. The decline is staggering.  The death of one mature male lion can have significant impact on a local population. (See The Sad Story of Lion Math) I cannot imagine a world without lions, and yet, it may happen in my lifetime.

Rhinoceros

I have been lucky to photograph both the black and white rhinoceros at a time when it is facing the most intense threat of all African wildlife. Rhino horn is more valuable on the black market than cocaine and diamonds. At $60,000 kilo, it is by far the most valuable commodity in illicit wildlife trafficking business. In South Africa the penalty for trafficking in small amounts of cocaine starts at 5 years in prison. For rhino poaching the fine is a very affordable $14k. While overall poaching numbers for rhino in Africa have declined over the past few years, the numbers are still a serious threat to the population. There were 750 slaughtered rhinos reported in 2019. According to savetherhino.org, between 2010 and 2019 there were 9441 recorded killings–that is 3 rhinos poached every day.

1 every 8 hours…

Wild Dog

The African wild dog is considered one of the most endagered animals in the world. A pack of dogs will traverse a range as big as 900 square miles. These nomadic pack animals are living on diminishing land parcels areas as human population take over more space. This has resulted in hunting challenges and inevitably, deadly conflict with farmers and herders. The reduced roaming area has led to a weakened gene pool for reproduction. Closer contact with domestic animals has introduced rabies and distemper into the wild dog population, killing large numbers of dogs.

Serious About Wildlife Crime: Humans

“Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.” ‑Nelson Mandella

It is really is up to all of us…

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