1998 Photo Contest, Nature, 3rd prize
Photographer

Jim Leachman

Smithsonian Magazine / Terre Sauvage

01 January, 1997

In the chilly morning the keepers keep their charges warm by covering them with blankets and building a camp fire. At this rehabilitation center, a trained staff of eight are looking after orphaned elephants hoping to release them back into the wild - though this may take some years. The animals develop a strong bond with their keepers, who take care of them 24 hours a day.

About the photographer

Jim Leachman

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