Kenya is home to a ‘big tusker’ affectionately dubbed ‘The Elephant Queen”.

The elephant is one of only 30 in the world with extraordinarily long tusks.

This particular grand old lady lives in the Tsavo National Park and was captured on film by British photographer Will Burrard-Lucas, as part of a partnership with the Tsavo Trust to raise awareness about the animals.

CNN spoke to Burrard-Lucas about his photography:

“It was just incredible,” Burrard-Lucas tells CNN Travel. “Especially in this day and age where these elephants with long tusks are so rare.”

He took the images of the elephant with a contraption known as the “Beetlecam” which allows him to get close-up photographs of wildlife in its natural habitat.

“Over the years I’ve used it on various projects, and for this project, it’s really to show and emphasize the size of these animals,” he adds.

“I hope people are inspired to care about the natural world and, if they want to, to support organizations like the Tsavo Trust who are working so well to keep these animals protected.”

The photos will form part of an upcoming book called Land of Giants, featuring 150 shots of the elephants of Tsavo. The proceeds from sales will go towards conservation.

Sorry, but here’s the sad part.

The Elephant Queen (also known as F_MU1) was quite old. Shortly after Burrard-Lucas took his final shot, she died of natural causes.

In a post on his blog, the photographer says F_MU1 had experienced periods of poaching and it’s a miracle she lived through these traumatic experiences.

Still, Burrard-Lucas hopes the photographs carry an uplifting message.

“I find [the photos] inspiring to look at because it’s just very positive and inspiring to think that elephants like this are still out there — they haven’t been hunted or poached,” he says.

The Tsavo Trust works together with the Kenya Wildlife Service to provide support in conservation efforts, including anti-poaching patrols.

Look out for the upcoming book.

While you’re here, check out some of Burrard-Lucas’ other extraordinary work, including these rare pictures of an African black leopard.

[source:cnn]