Remembering Elephants: beautiful photographs of this majestic giant

By Megan Shersby

Published: Monday, 09 October 2023 at 11:30 AM

About Remembering Elephants

Remembering Elephants. This was the first book in what became the Remembering Wildlife series, which raises awareness of the plight of some of the world’s most endangered species, as well as funds to protect them.

Images in the book were donated by 65 of the world’s best wildlife photographers, after they answered a request by Remembering Wildlife founder, British photographer Margot Raggett.

Buy now from:

“There are now as few as 400,000 elephants in Africa and they are being wiped out quicker than they are being born,” says Raggett. “We don’t want this generation to be the last to see them in the wild. It’s now that we need to remember elephants, before it is too late.”

Now in its third edition, Remembering Elephants has donated over £150,000 to protect them, with all profits from the book going to conservation projects such as anti-poaching equipment, collaring of elephant bulls, population monitoring, patrol vehicles and other provisions for rangers.

, “it is more important than ever that organisations like ours step up to plug the gaps. We are eternally grateful to the donating photographers for their support and to everyone who buys a book.”

Close-up, side photo of an elephant that’s just sprayed water from its trunk, with the water spraying in different directions. The muddy water is almost the same colour as the elephant.
Cooling off in the Savuti Marsh, Chobe National Park, north-east Botswana. © Ben Osborne/Remembering Elephants

Cooling off in the Savuti Marsh, Chobe National Park, north-east Botswana. © Ben Osborne/Remembering Elephants

A large group of elephants makes its way along a dusty track during the day. At the front of the herd is a baby, flanked by a bigger youngster and older elephants.
Elephants on the move in Etosha National Park, Namibia. © Billy Dodson/Remembering Elephants

Elephants on the move in Etosha National Park, Namibia. © Billy Dodson/Remembering Elephants

A black and white image of a playful youngster touching its older sibling with its trunk and raising its front leg as the sibling sits on the ground, closely protected by two grown ups.
Family time in the Kariega Private Game Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa. © Brendon Jennings/Remembering Elephants

Family time in the Kariega Private Game Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa. © Brendon Jennings/Remembering Elephants

The sun sets in a pink-orange sky behind four silhouetted elephants down by the waterside, creating a mirror image of the beasts on the water.
Sundown silhouettes in Botswana. © Chris Packham/Remembering Elephants

Sundown silhouettes in Botswana. © Chris Packham/Remembering Elephants

A baby elephant’s head and trunk, covered in dirt, pops up from the muddy ground in the centre of the picture, between the legs of a grown up.
A baby elephant covered in mud to protect against bites and heat at Chief’s Island, Okavango Delta, Botswana. © Daryl & Sharna Balfour/Remembering Elephants

A baby elephant covered in mud to protect against bites and heat at Chief’s Island, Okavango Delta, Botswana. © Daryl & Sharna Balfour/Remembering Elephants

Two small and one medium elephant huddle tightly together, protected by fully grown elephants.
Group hug at Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa. © Giorgio Bighi/Remembering Elephants

Group hug at Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa. © Giorgio Bighi/Remembering Elephants

A silhouette of a lone elephant crossing a narrow river, the water brightly lit up in yellows and golds.
Elephant crossing the Mkuze river in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. © Heinrich Neumeyer/Remembering Elephants

Elephant crossing the Mkuze river in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. © Heinrich Neumeyer/Remembering Elephants

A huge bull elephant, with tusks that almost touch the ground, looks directly into the camera, with ears outstretched. In the background, about a dozen other members of the herd are walking away.
Encounter with a ‘Great Tusker’ at Tembe Elephant Park, South Africa. © Johan Marais/Remembering Elephants

Encounter with a ‘Great Tusker’ at Tembe Elephant Park, South Africa. © Johan Marais/Remembering Elephants

A herd of elephants walk towards the camera against a backdrop of pale orange light as the sun peaks through.
Follow the leader at the Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana. © Kyle de Nobrega/Remembering Elephants

Follow the leader at the Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana. © Kyle de Nobrega/Remembering Elephants

A close up of the tip of an elephant’s tusk, which is curved at the end.
Up close at the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa. © Marius Coetzee/Remembering Elephants

Up close at the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa. © Marius Coetzee/Remembering Elephants

A solitary elephant walks along a grassy plain, against a glorious sunlit sky.
Ambling along at the Zimanga Private Nature Reserve, South Africa. © Mark Dumbleton/Remembering Elephants

Ambling along at the Zimanga Private Nature Reserve, South Africa. © Mark Dumbleton/Remembering Elephants

An elephant balances on hind legs, with his head back slightly and trunk stretched up high, to eat leaves from an overhanging tree.
Balancing act at Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. © Morkel Erasmus/Remembering Elephants

Balancing act at Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. © Morkel Erasmus/Remembering Elephants

A close-up photograph of an elephant’s head and trunk, surrounded by swirling dust that is various shades of orange and brown in the light.
Orange dust in Samburu, Kenya. © R.J. Walter/Remembering Elephants

Orange dust in Samburu, Kenya. © R.J. Walter/Remembering Elephants

Three mature elephants keep a watchful eye on two youngsters, within touching distance. One young elephant rests his trunk on the back of the other.
Child minding the young ones in Etosha, Namibia. © Todd Gustafson/Remembering Elephants

Child minding the young ones in Etosha, Namibia. © Todd Gustafson/Remembering Elephants

About the Remembering Wildlife series

At the time, Margot Raggett thought the book would be a one-off. But her vision created a series and there are now five books in the Remembering Wildlife collection, with a sixth book, Remembering African Wild Dogs, launching in November 2021.

More Remembering Wildlife galleries:

Nearly 200 wildlife photographers have since donated images to the series, which has raised over £836,000 for 54 conservation projects in 24 countries.

“With the pandemic still reducing travel to many places in Africa that rely on tourist dollars to fund conservation,” adds Raggett