david jenkin, Mothersa, Aunts and Calves (ANIMALS 2026)

We pulled up to a bend in a river to eat and drink tea, our breakfast/morning tea. There were a couple of dozen hippos hogging the beach around the bend, also a snoozing croc and a patrolling stork. A herd of elephants came down to the water’s edge then crossed the river, annoyed the hippos and returned to the other side. There were several calves in the herd crossing the river, in line behind a female, and returned to the other side for a sand bath and to drink. The mothers and other females were keeping close to the calves and this picture, I think, captures the adults interacting and providing protection to the little ones

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.