Toxic Tip is among the highly commended entries to the 61st Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Photo: Lakshitha Karunarathna
A compelling photo of an elephant wading through a sea of junk has been described as a “call to conscience”.
The shot by Lakshitha Karunarathna, entitled “Toxic Tip”, is among the highly commended entries in the 61st Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
Mr Karunarathna is a wildlife photographer from Sri Lanka, and his image captures an elephant scavenging at a waste site in Ampara, a town in the east of the country.
Toxic Tip is among the highly commended entries to the 61st Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Photo: Lakshitha Karunarathna
Today’s News in 90 Seconds, Wednesday, August 27
Although the photo at first appears a beautiful, colourful collage, once the viewer realises it is an elephant making its way through rubbish to find food, it takes on a new meaning.
On Mr Karunarathna’s Instagram, a statement read: “This haunting image isn’t just a photograph, it’s a call to conscience.”
It was highly commended in the photojournalism category. The photographer has, the judges noted, “documented human–elephant conflict in Sri Lanka”.
It added: “This image is the result of months of meticulous observation at two open rubbish tips, where herds regularly forage.
“Around 20 elephants died over an eight-year period at a single site in Ampara after consuming indigestible food wrappers and other plastic waste.
“Alongside global efforts to reduce plastic use, conservationists stress the urgent need to secure landfills and prevent wildlife from accessing harmful materials.”