When pictures speak louder than words
Deepika Gurdev

Vanishing Giants: Elephants of Asia
by Jason Gagliardi. Photos by Palani Mohan. Didier Millet. Pages 120. US$26.40

the statistics in Asia are alarming—only about 40,000 survive today. Previously, Thailand alone was home to 1,00,000 of them. We are taking about the trials, travails and the sheer survival of the Asian elephant. The picture remains grim as human population grows, forest cover is lost, elephants are taken out of their habitat, their trails blocked, their tusks hunted, their life reduced to that of a ‘working animal’.

It’s a story that has earlier been explored through articles, television news and documentaries. Now, there is another worthy addition to an issue that has been literally crying for attention. This time through a compelling picture book by award-winning photographer Palani Mohan.

In the foreword to the book, Jason Gagliardi rightly sums up the story as he points out: "It’s a love story, and a war story, a history of animosity and attraction, a study of shattered symbiosis. For all through Asia, it seems, a love-hate relationship thrives where elephants and humans co-exist. Even as we venerate this mighty beast, we also abase him. These pages will lead you on a voyage of discovery: the elephant as pan-Asian icon, as faithful companion, as beast of burden, as free spirit, as deity, as protector of the herd, and as lonely nomad. Enjoy the book as a bravura display of the photographer’s art."

As you flip through each evocative image after the other, you realise this isn’t something that will don your coffee table. It’s bound to stir a debate as the pictures end up speaking louder than any of our words can.

Palani Mohan shot his third book, Vanishing Giants (2001-2006), in the streets and jungles of 12 countries. The series received the second prize in the nature category at the World Press Photo in 2006. He was born in Chennai and moved to Australia as a child. His photographic career began 20 years ago at the Sydney Morning Herald and since then he has been based in London, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and now Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His work has been featured in many of the world’s leading magazines and newspapers.

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