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.