Dhanu Paran (India) looks down on a family of elephants sleeping peacefully.
Dhanu had been following this herd on foot at the edge of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu.
When they decided to take a nap on the edge of the rainforest, Dhanu filmed them with his drone. After about 20 minutes of sleep, the elephants awoke and walked into the forest.
Once widespread in India, Asian elephants are now restricted to northeastern, northwestern, central and southern India. Though their numbers are hard to quantify, this endangered species of elephant faces increasing threats from habitat loss, poaching and conflict with humans.
India
Dhanu is based in Pollachi, Coimbatore, India. He’s been involved in wildlife photography and filming for the past 14 years, starting when he was 10 years old. Dhanu has an immense interest in observing and capturing the lives of animals, in particular their minute details.
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