23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Tusker Destruction Averted

A glimpse of what it takes to clear a road for a 6.5-ton crane—a flurry of chainsaws, machetes, blood, and sweat, all done as quickly as possible to avoid the elephant being sedated longer than necessary. Captured during an elephant rescue and translocation in KwaZulu-Natal.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: tembe, South Africa
Copyright: © Wiktoria West