Dominique Gonçalves

Manager of Elephant Ecology Project, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

“Elephants are huge and majestic. Watching them knock down trees and interact bravely with people is a great display of intelligence, power and strength. But elephants are also warm and compassionate to each other.

When I am in a calm environment with them, I often get lost in time, just looking at their skin wrinkles, how they use their trunk and how they take care of their young. My admiration for them has grown and grown as I have come to know them over the years. Now, they are definitely my favourite animal.

I’ve been up-close to these animals. Some of my work has involved temporarily putting elephants to sleep, to put a tracking collar on them, for scientific purposes and also to keep it safe. That way I’ll know if the elephant leaves the park, which can be dangerous for it.”

Photo by Dominique Gonçalves