A grieving female elephant carrying a stillborn baby: Federico Veronesi’s best photograph
‘She carried the dead calf for hours even though it wasn’t hers. She had had a miscarriage two years before – and now picked up the stillborn babies of other mothers’
TL;DR
- The photographer has a lifelong passion for African animals, especially elephants.
- He captured a striking photograph of a female elephant carrying a dead calf in Namibia.
- The female elephant was not the mother of the calf but had experienced a miscarriage previously.
- Researchers observed her picking up stillborn calves of other mothers, indicating potential unresolved trauma.
- The photographer uses black and white to emphasize texture, emotion, and remove distractions.
- The image won the adult grand title at Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
- The exhibition is at the Natural History Museum, London, until July 11, 2027.