23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Path of a Rare Giant

A lone Sri Lankan tusker leaves a waterhole, carving ripples through the marsh below. Seen from above, his path becomes a living pattern—an intimate glimpse of a rare giant whose kind makes up only 3% of Sri Lanka’s elephants.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 03.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Galgamuwa, Sri Lanka
Camera: FC4382
Copyright: © Lakshitha Karunarathna