National Geographic 2009 People Winner

This is my favorite from this year’s National Geographic International Photography Contest.

Photo taken and captioned by Cesare Naldi

 Nazroo, a mahout (elephant driver), poses for a portrait while taking his elephant, Rajan, out for a swim in front of Radha Nagar Beach in Havelock, Andaman Islands. Rajan is one of the few elephants in Havelock that can swim, so when he is not dragging timber in the forest he is used as a tourist attraction. The relationship between the mahout and his elephant usually lasts for their entire lives, creating an extremely strong tie between the animal and the human being.

Links:
Cesare Naldi
National Geographic International Photography Contest