Face to Face With Bull in A Desert

Examine My Camera

The sun was merciless, the ground beneath my feet cracked and thirsty, a land that looked like it hadn’t felt rain in years. This was Amboseli—a place where life seems to fight against extremes. I had placed my Sony A7RV flat on the dry lakebed, adjusted the frame, and stepped back. A bull elephant was walking straight toward it.

My instinct told me to run—and I did. Yet, as I moved away, my heart pounded not only from fear but also from excitement. I was about to witness something extraordinary: an elephant towering over my camera in the middle of this vast desert-like landscape.

Earlier, I had seen an entire herd cross right in front of my lens without so much as brushing against it. That felt surreal enough. But this time, the lone bull approached with deliberate, powerful strides. He wasn’t just passing by—he was curious.

From a safe distance, I watched him pause. His trunk dropped low, brushing over the strange black box resting on the earth. For a few tense seconds, he examined it, almost as if he were checking whether I was using the correct focal length. My camera, and my nerves, held steady. Finally, with the wisdom and calm of a true giant, he moved on, leaving both my gear and me intact.

When I retrieved the camera, the shot was there: an intimate perspective of an elephant, from ground level, against the barren expanse of Amboseli’s dry lake. It wasn’t just a photograph. It was an emotion captured—a story of trust, chance, and survival.

Why Elephants Visit Amboseli’s Dry Lake

At first glance, it seems strange. Why would elephants walk across a desert-like, lifeless land where there’s no vegetation, no food, and hardly any water? But Amboseli’s dry lakebed, part of what was once a vast Pleistocene lake, still holds a hidden purpose for these giants.

1. Mineral-rich soil – The cracked, alkaline surface may not look inviting, but it contains salts and minerals like sodium. Elephants are known to seek out mineral licks to balance their diet, especially in dry months. They may even dig into the ground to access these nutrients.

2. Ancient movement routes – Elephants have long memories and follow ancestral migration paths. The dry lake is part of their traditional corridor, connecting grazing areas and water sources.

3. Cooling & comfort – Even when it’s dry, fine alkaline dust covers the surface. Elephants often use this dust to spray over themselves, acting as a natural sunscreen and insect repellent.

4. Social & exploratory behavior – Bulls, especially lone ones, often wander into open spaces like these for exploration, dominance displays, or simple curiosity.

The Science Behind the Scene

Elephants in Amboseli live in one of the harshest environments on Earth, where water is both life and power. While the park is famous for its swamps fed by underground water from Mount Kilimanjaro, the surrounding lakebed is the opposite—barren and unforgiving. Yet, it creates a unique contrast: the lush green swamps and the desert-like plains.

This stark backdrop is what makes Amboseli iconic for photography. Scientifically, it also reveals how elephants adapt. Despite their massive size and need for 150–200 liters of water a day, they thrive here because of their ability to walk long distances, dig into dry soils, and remember every hidden water source for decades.

The Emotional Connection

When I look at this photograph, I don’t just see an elephant’s legs towering over the cracked earth. I see the tension of the moment, the vulnerability of my camera left exposed, and my own racing heart as I prayed for its safety. But beyond that, I see something deeper.

I see trust. The elephant chose curiosity over aggression. He examined, acknowledged, and then moved on. There’s a silent dialogue between humans and wildlife in such moments—an understanding that we are guests in their world.

This image speaks of scale: how small we are compared to nature, and yet how close we can come if we respect it. It also speaks of survival: how these animals walk across land that seems impossible to endure, guided by memory, instinct, and resilience.

Every crack in that lakebed tells a story of drought and endurance. Every step of the elephant reminds us of patience and power. And this frame, for me, is a reminder of why I photograph wildlife—not just to document, but to feel, to connect, and to tell stories that go beyond the shutter click.

Closing Thoughts

Amboseli’s dry lake may look like nothing but dust and desolation, yet it is a stage where giants walk and stories unfold. My photograph is just one frozen instant in that timeless drama. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most barren places hold the richest lessons—not in resources, but in resilience.

And as I looked at that elephant disappearing into the shimmering horizon, I smiled. Somewhere in his stride, I felt he had left me a message:

“Respect the land. Respect the giants. And next time, maybe bring a longer lens.”