“One of my favourite species to photograph is the Sumatran elephant. They have challenged me time and time again. But at the same time, I’ve found it so rewarding just to get into a position to be able to photograph them. Sometimes you can walk for several days before you find their trail and then you can’t help but notice the constant ‘gardening’ performed by the elephants, as they move through the forest. Different plant species are pulled out of the ground or just slightly pruned, and seeds are distributed along their ancient migration routes. These elephants literally shape the forest. 

Their footprints are not hard to miss, and the closer you get to them, you more you notice a whole host of species have used their trails. After rain, tadpoles appear, darting from side to side in their deep mud prints. 

Once in position, it’s so hard to know how many elephants are in the area because the Sumatran jungle is so thick. There have been times when I’ve been completely surrounded by them. 

I’ve learnt so about the forest and about myself in the presence of the Sumatran elephants. It’s always a real adventure.

The Sumatran elephant, like the Sumatran orangutan and Sumatran rhino, is suffering the impact of deforestation and palm oil expansion in the biodiverse Leuser ecosystem, which urgently needs to be protected.” 

www.paulhiltonphotography.com
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My Big 5

Sumatran Elephant
Sumatran Orangutan
Gorilla
Quoll
Wolf

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