Sharjah’s Xposure: Stop messing around, angry elephant tells Lankan tourists

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

“This is my jungle," proclaims the cheeky caption of this powerful visual, succinctly capturing the perils of wildlife tourism and human-animal conflict, two important conservation issues that are loudly echoing at the ongoing sixth edition of Xposure International Photography Festival at Expo Centre Sharjah.

Shot by Russian wildlife photographer Sergey Savvi in Yala National Park, south-east Sri Lanka, the image features a wild elephant trying to topple a safari jeep packed with tourists. The elephant is seen pushing his trunk into the front seat, almost unseating the petrified ‘intruders’.

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“We should respect nature and care more about it, but we should also avoid taking unnecessary and reckless risks,” the photographer says in his description of the image.

Speeding safari drivers and insensitive tourists often throw caution to the wind, as they go in search of the elusive leopard or other big game, endangering both the wildlife and the ecology of the scenic national park. Accidents are often reported from the island-nation’s most important sanctuary.