Not Such a Dumbo; or How One 60-Year-Old Elephant Has Nurtured Her Herd through Droughts and Famines,births and Deaths

Byline: VICTORIA MOORE

BENEATH the dramatic African skies of the Ambesoli National Park, a man brings his Land Rover to a halt on the dry, dusty earth and begins to talk gently to the creature standing before him.

As he speaks, the elephant moves nearer, gives a low rumble and discreetly flaps her ears.

'It's very subtle,' says awardwinning wildlife photographer Martyn Colbeck. 'And she doesn't do it every time, but I think she recognises my sound and my smell because this is the greeting elephants usually give to other family members. It feels pretty special to be included in that.'

Colbeck has been visiting Echo, 60-year-old matriarch, in …

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Publication information: Article title: Not Such a Dumbo; or How One 60-Year-Old Elephant Has Nurtured Her Herd through Droughts and Famines,births and Deaths. Contributors: Not available. Newspaper title: Daily Mail (London). Publication date: August 4, 2006. Page number: 22. © 2007 Daily Mail. COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group.

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