Travel photo: South African elephant up close

Gary Arndt / everything-everywhere.com

Hartbeespoort Dam Elephant Sanctuary, South Africa

By Gary Arndt, everything-everywhere.com

In 2010 I had the pleasure of traveling to South Africa. During that trip I visited the Hartbeespoort Dam Elephant Sanctuary which serves as a halfway house for adolescent African elephants. Here orphaned elephants are raised until they can be more independent later in life.?

I felt this photo captured the size and temperament of the elephants I met at the sanctuary.?

The sanctuary is located about an hour north of Johannesburg. They are open to tourists and visiting can be a powerful experience.

Gary Arndt is a travel blogger who has been traveling the world since 2007.

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Source: http://todaytravel.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/17/10435325-travel-photo-of-the-day-south-african-elephant-up-close

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