📸 Wildlife Photos: Kalpana's Picture-Perfect Moment!

 

Autumn Is In The Air! While many parts of the northern hemisphere are experiencing the change of seasons some of us call ‘fall’, on the Indian Subcontinent it’s the post-monsoon season called ‘Sharad’ in Hindi. India traditionally observes six seasons, called Ritu, based on the Hindu calendar: Spring (Vasanta), Summer (Grishma), Monsoon (Varsha), Autumn (Sharad), Pre-Winter (Hemanta), and Winter (Shishira). The scorching heat of summer gives way to torrential rains (an elephants’ favourite), then a mild winter sets in. December temperatures at our Elephant Conservation and Care Centre average around 23°C (74°F), and a low of about 7°C (45°F). The sunny days are ideal for long walks, and night can be cool for senior elephants who get special cold-weather pampering. The photo above is stunning elephant Kalpana as she walks in the wind-whisped fields near the Centre. Photo by Vineet Singh. READ ABOUT KALPANA Speaking of Kalpana (watch her rescue on NatGEO Wild), her best friend is senior elephant Holly. Sweet Holly is old, blind, and arthritic from decades of abuse before her rescue. Holy spends a lot of time floating weightlessly in her pool, relieving the strain on her aging limbs. When not in the pool with Holly, loyal friend Kalpana stands watch to make sure Holly is OK. The bond the two share is unbreakable. That’s Holly below floating with a bunch of her favourite bananas. Photos by Vineet Singh. We can never get enough photos of Bani. We thought she might outgrow her amazing hairdo when she got bigger, but it’s getting even more flamboyant! Can you guess her favourite treat? Photo by Vineet Singh. Your voice matters! We want to hear from you! Please share your thoughts about Wildlife SOS and help us improve our programs, communications, and impact. LET US KNOW! In just a few short years, we’ve watched wee Simba grow from a scared little blue-eyed fluff, into a strong, formidable mature leopard. The little cub was rescued back in 2021 when he became separated from his mother. Photos by Akash Dolas. Ginger looks spectacular! Ginger was rescued in 2021 after six decades as a ‘begging’ elephant. She’s completely blind, and was in deplorable condition when she first stepped off the Elephant Ambulance. Her health was so poor, we weren’t sure she would survive … but look at her now! After diligent care and kindness at the hands of our caregivers, even her once-neglected feet look amazing (photo below). Don’t forget to sign our begging elephant petition! Wild Fun For Animals Enrichments are critical to the wellbeing of wildlife that can’t be released back into the wild. Our caregivers are on the never-ending quest for the perfect entertainment. Engaging, mentally stimulating for the animals, our team’s creativity gets to shine! From glorious soft dirt beds and frozen treats that beat the heat, to intricate food puzzles that keep our residents occupied for hours, enrichments are a critical part of recovery. [READ MORE] Sneaking or sleeping? That’s Asha doing what leopards do best in her densely forested enclosure at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre in Maharashtra. Photo by Akash Dolas. Lakshmi’s healing journey is slow, but we can’t forget how far she’s come. At the time of her rescue, we were stunned to learn the ‘skinniest elephant’ was only about 30 years old. Her compromised gait, protruding spine and chronic abscesses made her look decades older. Under the care of the experts at our Elephant Hospital Campus, the frail elephant gets the most tender care and consideration. Photo by Vineet Singh. The rare hangul, or Kashmir stag, is critically endangered. So it’s extraordinary to realize Wildlife SOS photographer Akash Dolas captured an image of roughly 2% of the world’s remaining population in just one shot. Read more about the hangul. That’s a saw-scaled viper basking in the sun. We bet you’d never guess that a bulk of our wildlifesos.org website traffic comes from people searching for information about snakes. Now that you know that statistic, we suspect you wouldn’t be surprised that most of those searches come from South Asia. Snakes are both alarming and beautiful, and a critical part of a strong and balanced ecosystem. Except for a few of our diehard reptile rescue staff, most of us would rather avoid our slithery wild cousins. We always save the snake photos for last. 🐍😂 Photo by Akash Dolas. See a photo you love? Buy one! Did you know you can order these Wildlife SOS images and have them sent to your home? From small prints, to huge wall art, proceeds purchase photo equipment for our visual media team. ORDER PHOTO PRINTS SUPPORT WILDLIFE SOS  ©2025 WILDLIFE SOS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED D-210, Defence Colony, New Delhi, India 110024. Registration No. S-32542 483 Green Lanes, London N13 4BS, United Kingdom. Charity No. 1126511 406 East 300 South #302, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA 84111. 501c(3) 20-3274638 CONTACT US | GIVE