No photographer works as closely to animals as Kunkel does. His photographs are testament to a quite exceptional gift for being close to animals in the wild and for earning their respect. For 30 years he has stalked elephants with his camera, establishing with them a near-mystical rapport. He has followed them on narrow trails to watering holes and mud wallows. He has watched the combat of rival bulls. He has captured the drama of a mating and once even dared accompany a herd swimming in a river. Alongside the captivating images in this book, Kunkel explores and cannot optimistically answer the ultimate question of whether the species will survive. Even those in national parks and game reserves are no longer safe from the poaching which has dramatically reduced the elephant population. The sombre analysis of Kunkel s text makes even more precious the wild beauty of his images.