Elephants in Heaven

Despite their famously thick skin, elephants live anything but quiet, safe lives. Hunted for their ivory tusks since antiquity, these magnificent creatures often leave behind traumatized, fearful calves who must survive as orphans. Wildlife photographer Joachim Schmeisser made it his mission to document the stories of these abandoned baby elephants.

Through his sponsorship work, Schmeisser came into contact with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi—the world's largest and most successful rescue and rehabilitation operation for orphaned elephants. Here, professional veterinary technicians bottle feed the calves until they can locate their own food, while older elephants teach them the social rules governing herds. After this nurturing phase, the elephants are taken to rehabilitation stockades before finally being released back into the wild.

Schmeisser followed numerous elephants through the entire process, capturing fascinating images from their arrival at the nursery all the way to their return to freedom. Elephants in Heaven provides a compelling behind-the-scenes look at how these traumatized animals are raised in a place that is truly heavenly for them. The touching portraits also convey the devastating consequences of poaching, exploring themes of "beauty, fragility, transience, mindfulness, and about dignity and the equal standing of each individual." Text in English, German and French.