waterholes - unload the grass there - loosen up with a manure fork - enrich with a special syrup with minerals and vitamins and leave the animals to eat . By the fact that the animals could hardly find anything in the wilderness , they were waiting for our arrival every day and plunged into the food as soon as we arrived . Often they gave us little chance of loosening the grass or enriching it with the minerals and when the big ones arrived hungry , we quickly had to clear the field before they attacked us .
For me , this was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life , although it was extremely dangerous and a tiresome effort . Had it not been for my colleague , the ranger , I would be dead by now because the drought had increased the animal ’ s natural fear of humans and also the animals were in competition with each other . It was about naked survival and everyone fought for their share of the food .
We had to work at dangerous distances with buffaloes , rhinoceroses or elephants , at times as less than 10 meters . We had to get out of the car and carry the heavy grass balls to the water holes by hand . Our work almost always took place under the observation of these hungry animals .
One day I saw a rhinoceros with her baby about 100 meters from a waterhole . They were standing next to an acacia tree trunk and the mother animal did not seem particularly aggressive . I told my colleagues that I would like to take my camera to photograph these animals up close . He surely had a lot of confidence in me , so simply said , “ Try it !”.
I walked up alone and unarmed to this rhinoceros and her baby . A rhinoceros with a small calf is like a ticking bomb in the wilderness . She would do anything to protect her baby and her tolerance limit is much smaller than if she did not have a child to defend . I was aware of this ; yet I was confident that I could stalk a bit closer .
I somehow ran a few steps and took a photo . I stopped for a few seconds and watched the behavior of the mother animal . Then I came step by step up to about two meters close to these two animals . Meanwhile , the car was about 100 meters further away and there my colleague stood and watched the situation with astonishment . When I reached the two-meter limit , I knew that I should not risk any more with these animals . I took a moment to take a picture from a bit below . This makes the animals look even more spectacular and the perspective is more unusual , which is good for the picture . While clicking , the rhinoceros gave me the sign that it is now enough . It was a loud snort , accompanied by a kick on the ground , which also stirred up a lot of dust .
I got up and walked very confidently and slowly backwards . My colleague was totally surprised that I went so close to the rhinoceros without being attacked . So it came to this photo showing the rhinoceros with her baby . Two days later , a picture of another rhinoceros , which I recorded from less than a meter , was created . Here , too , I have continually observed the state of mind of the rhinoceros and approached him step by step . When I took the last picture of this rhinoceros , I could have touched the horn of the three-toned rhinoceros with my arm outstretched . The picture of the individual rhinoceros , which you see here , has been so developed .
The ranger , who was with me , said he had never seen or heard that a human being can stalk up to a few centimeters of wild rhinoceroses without the animals running away or attacking . I have my own explanation for this : by applying many years to the protection of rhinoceroses and emotionally loving these animals , I radiate a positive energy towards these creatures . This energy is perceived by the animals so that they do not conceive me as frightening or aggressive . That is why they have allowed me several times to approach them close to a few centimeters . I am convinced that this would never be possible if a person emanates fear or aggression ! When I see baby rhinos in the wilderness today , I am particularly happy because I feel that they are like my own children . Through this strong connection to the rhinoceroses I radiate a deep sympathy towards these wonderful creatures .
The poaching of the rhinoceroses unfortunately has been booming since about 2009 . Since the Chinese are doing well financially , they pay horrendous amounts for the horns of these animals , and wherever a lot of money is paid for something , there will also be unscrupulous people to cover this need . Several environmental protection organizations have also developed plans to solve the problem . Thus , we must take up the fight against the poachers and much more against the mafia in order to save the rhinos from extinction .
Prakhar Garg
prakhar @ chiiz . com
Prakhar is always engrossed in his books and his diary . He believes in the saying ‘ It Is What It Is .’ A wanderer by temperament , he wants to walk out on his story when the day comes .
Born in Iran and living in Germany ever since , Benny is one the most successful wildlife photographers of this century . Until now he has organized and carried out numerous film , photo , environmental protection , and adventure expeditions to several countries . He is famous for his extreme close-up portraits of dangerous wildlife of Africa by approaching within feet of the animals . Recently , PRAKHAR GARG from Chiiz chatted with Benny about his wildlife excursions and what all he has earned from the wild .
What gears do you use while shooting wildlife ? I have been using Sony ’ s Equipment for the past 8 years . I mainly shoot with Sony A7R II with lenses from 10mm up to 600mm .
Some survival tips when out there in the wild . Always take enough water with you . Study the behavior patterns of the animals that you want to photograph .
Most important lesson you ’ ve learned from your work ? Take your time and give your 100 % towards it .
Any one photograph of yours that inspires you the most ? There are many photos that inspire me in different ways .
According to you , how our world would look like in one photograph as a whole ? If you shoot a photo from a flying balloon , during the wildebeests ’ migration in Tanzania or Kenya , you will see , how beautiful and wonderful still our planet is and you will get the feeling that you are already living in paradise .