About me

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The latest version of this website has been available for a year now so I think the time has come to tell you something about me. Some things are already within the home page of the website but I just want to give you a little background on my history with elephants so you can understand my passion. I also want to state that this web site is all about elephants. I prefer to stand behind the camera and deliver you my view on the elephant world and work on this global data base. Elephants have been a part of my life since the very beginning. I was born in ‘The City of Elephants’ -Berlin - and spent much of my time in Berlin Zoo. When my photographic interest started I developed an eye for detail and every time I put my eye to the camera I discover a new perspective on the world. All my hobbies – photography, database development and nature – are combined in creating this website. I get huge enjoyment out of this project and find it very relaxing. Of course I sometimes get frustrated when I am not able to find the correct data. Often there are conflicting facts about some elephants but bear with me; it’s an evolving project. The most important goal is to get elephants out of anonymity and show people the variety and characteristics of each and every elephant with these photographs. So far I have had the privilege of visiting 409 elephants in different zoos. I have many happy memories, and some sad ones too. Some of the young elephants I met years ago are passed away , are now parents themselves and scattered to the four corners of the earth. I burst with pride when I see how these wonderfully sensitive creatures ae dealing with their lives in zoo’s. At the bottom of this page I have put some photographic memories of my time with the elephants. I hope they capture the essence of the elephants and deliver you a sense of connection too. I have one story I would like to share; Kariba (who is the elephant in my website logo) was the very first elephant calf I was allowed to get close to. We first met when she was only 12 hours old. I was in such awe I forgot to release the shutter of my camera as she looked at me with those huge blue eyes through long curling eyelashes. I hope I get the opportunity to watch her develop in the years ahead. Maybe she will have the chance to have her own family in years to come. Petra Prager

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