Full Breakdown
A Grieving Elephant Captured in Namibia
By Drooid · · How we work
The Photograph and Its Scene
In September of the previous year, photographer Federico Veronesi was guiding a group of photographers along a dry riverbed in the Namibian desert when his team encountered an unusual sight. A lone female elephant was carrying a dead calf, its tiny body wedged between the adult’s tusk and trunk. As another elephant approached, the female lifted the calf to keep it out of the way before continuing her trek. The image, taken in black-and-white, emphasizes the texture of the elephant’s skin and the stark emotion of the moment.
Veronesi’s Background and Perspective
Born in Milan, Italy, in 1975, Veronesi has spent the past two decades living and working in Africa, guiding photographers on the Maasai Mara National Reserve and elsewhere. He describes elephants as his favorite subject because of their “extraordinary presence” and adaptability across habitats—from Kenya’s savannas to Namibia’s arid deserts. While most of his work is in black-and-white, he occasionally uses colour to highlight contrasts such as red earth in Tsavo, Kenya, or white clay in Etosha, Namibia. Veronesi interprets the photograph as a window into elephant psychology, suggesting the animal experiences grief comparable to human loss.
Alarming Stillbirth Rates in the Area
Researchers monitoring the same region have reported that 17 of the 19 calves born there over the past four years have not survived. The female in the photograph was identified not as the calf’s mother but as an individual who suffered a miscarriage a few years earlier and has since been observed picking up stillborn calves of other mothers. The cause of the high mortality rate remains unclear.
Recognition and Exhibition
The image won the adult grand title in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. It is currently on display at the Natural History Museum in London, with the exhibition running until 11 July 2027.
Conservation Implications
Veronesi hopes that powerful photographs like this encourage the public to recognize the emotional lives of elephants and to support peaceful, respectful coexistence with wildlife. By highlighting the tragedy of stillbirths, the image draws attention to the urgent need for research into the underlying factors threatening elephant populations in the region.