Beautiful and Whole

Did you know that elephants call each other by their names?

Researchers in Kenya have found that, astoundingly, African savannah elephants assign a unique structure of rumbling vocalisation to each member of their herd.

These gentle giants of the land have an incredibly sophisticated way of communicating with each other, and on top of that, are widely known for their empathy. This is often shown through the ways they care for each other’s young, helping each other recover from injuries inflicted by poachers. If a member is injured and suffering, the entire herd slows down.

Their complex brain structure and emotional capacity enable them to understand what others are experiencing. It is no surprise that they have secured their place in popular culture as creatures that remember everything.

However, whether cognitively evolved or not, every species has the right to live freely in the wild without the threat of poaching or exploitation for organs. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the greatest threat to these incredible animals is wildlife crime and habitat loss.

August 12, World Elephant Day, was conceived in 2011 to raise awareness of the threats that the world’s elephants still encounter today. Join us as we celebrate the beauty and intelligence of elephants and commit to protecting them.

This award-winning photograph is from the seventh season, “The Moment”, of the Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Rashid al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) Archive. The Climate Tribe has partnered with HIPA, leveraging the power of photography to inspire global awareness of sustainability and advance climate action.