02/07/2025
What it takes to click a great photo!
I spent a long time approaching this white rhino, carefully and patiently. I took slow, deliberate steps forward, sometimes stepping back to avoid stressing him, all the while speaking softly to him. Rhinos have very poor vision, but when he heard my voice, he was able to sense where I was and gradually became accustomed to my presence.
During our time together, I would sit down occasionally and continue talking, maintaining a calm and non-threatening demeanor. Sometimes, I would turn my back to him, using body language to signal that I was not aggressive.
For the final approach, I lowered myself and crawled closer, doing everything I could to make him feel in control. Eventually, I found myself only about one meter away from him. So close that I could touch his ancient, dinosaur-like skin. He looked at me with curious, calm eyes. At one point, he bumped my camera lens with his horn, probably intrigued by the shiny metal object in my hands.
Suddenly, another rhino appeared out of nowhere, walking right up to me and getting just as close. I felt a twinge of concern since this second rhino hadn’t yet become accustomed to my presence, but I trusted that the approach was on his terms. I was lying there on the ground, completely still and non-threatening.
After a while, the second rhino moved away. I slowly rolled myself away, adopting a military-style crawl rather than standing up and walking away, which might have startled him.
It was an incredible moment, an experience of deep, unspoken connection. I felt as though we were communicating without words, and I was more alive in that moment than I have ever been.