Guarding sleeping calves

Gallery: WildlifePosted February 22, 2010363 views16 comments

Indian Elephants guarding the sleeping calves.
The calves are very playful, they get tired very quickly and when they get tired, they sleep-off. Bigger Elephants have to wait for them to wake up before resuming the journey. Incidently this was the only time, when I observed calves sleeping in the open grassland. Here two mothers are guarding the sleeping young ones, where as standing calves are waiting for their friends to wake up, so that they can resume the play.
Thankyou so much for your kind attention & views !
Canon 40D, 500mm, ISO 200, 1/200 at F 4.5
Jagdeep Rajput

Comments

16 comments

Comment posted by Carol Nichols on February 22, 2010 at 11:52 AM

Jagdeep, thanks so much for explaining your photo to us. It is very interesting to learn the behavior of different animals. You have captured this just wonderfully!

Registered on November 7, 2007, 161 Posts, 1420 Comments

Comment posted by mark cillo on February 22, 2010 at 2:49 PM

Great insight and cool image!

Registered on July 27, 2008, 143 Posts, 1483 Comments

Comment posted by Anand Narayanan on February 22, 2010 at 3:07 PM

Such an adorable pic ! the one showing her back actually makes it more interesting to me.

Registered on October 25, 2009, 110 Posts, 835 Comments

Comment posted by Kumar Patel on February 22, 2010 at 6:30 PM

Jagdeep
Elephants are amazing animals.
Your photograph is excellent, and your comments informative. Thank you.
Kumar

Registered on February 16, 2010, 27 Posts, 36 Comments

Comment posted by kiran khanzode on February 22, 2010 at 7:46 PM

What a nice image, very interesting things going on. Nicely captured. The sleeping babies are just too good and make the image symmetric.

Registered on February 21, 2009, 83 Posts, 428 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on February 22, 2010 at 10:55 PM

Absolutely adorable Jagdeep and to me a characteristic Jagdeep Rajput image. There is so much to look at and compositionally this is striking. It has a sort of harmony created by the symmetrical arrangement of the calves and the front and rear facing adults on the sides. Moreover it tells a story, especially combined with your explanation.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Jorne de Bruin on February 23, 2010 at 7:38 AM

Hi Jagdeep,

Great interaction image, and your explenation really adds to the image here. Image wise I really like the compositon and the faintly visible background.

Registered on June 26, 2008, 178 Posts, 2136 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on February 23, 2010 at 9:33 AM

HI Jagdeep,

Very intriguing composition - this is one image where the visuals do all the talking necessary (I don't mind your commentary at all, but just find the symmetry and pattern here very visually interesting). I suppose in a perfect world it would be nice if the left-most elephant in the frame was facing directly at you and fully within in the frame (to be the exact "foil" for the one on the right), but that's asking an awful lot! I am left wondering if a very slight and selective bump in contrast (primarily on the outer two adult elephants) might increase the visual appeal of this image even more).

Cheers..thanks for sharing this...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on February 23, 2010 at 8:48 PM

Great comp! I love how the calves are framed between the adults.

Registered on October 30, 2005, 405 Posts, 3693 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Yeoh on February 26, 2010 at 2:54 AM

Great image and looks to look at in the composition as others has commented and informative commentary on the animal behavior. Thanks for sharing

Registered on September 1, 2009, 588 Posts, 8184 Comments

Comment posted by Luca Mussato on February 28, 2010 at 8:50 AM

as usual your shots and related explanations are great.

Registered on November 14, 2006, 118 Posts, 855 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on March 3, 2010 at 12:44 AM

Congrats on the excellent EP!
Sandy r

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Angela Classen on March 3, 2010 at 5:46 PM

Very cool shot. The calves that are awake look a little impatient to get back to playing. Congrats on the EP!

Registered on June 13, 2007, 434 Posts, 2742 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on March 3, 2010 at 6:48 PM

Appealing composition, and a delightful view into the behaviour of these creatures. Thanks for sharing the observations, as well as the photograph. Contratulations on the EP.

Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on March 4, 2010 at 5:57 AM

Great story and image. Love the moms-- one watching this way, the other one watching that way-- they've got it all in sight! Those two youngsters look like they just fell over, again, one this way, the other that way. The other two calves look like they are doting over them a bit, too, along with the moms. Wonderful moment that speaks to the benefit of positive social bonds and mutual care and affection. Darn cool. Very worthy of EP-- many congrats, Jagdeep!

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on March 4, 2010 at 9:09 AM

Thanks alot friends !
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments