This touching picture of elephants fleeing fire wins best wildlife photography award

A heart-breaking photograph titled ‘Hell is Here’ showing an elephant and her calf on fire fleeing a mob in West Bengal– has bagged this year’s Photography Award by Sanctuary Asia. 

The picture clicked by a brick kiln owner Biplab Hazra in Bankura district shows what is “routine” in the area and other states like Assam, Odisha, Chhattisgarh  and Tamil  Nadu, the Mumbai-based Sanctuary Nature Foundation said in a social media post.

Mother elephant is seen crossing the road while braving flaming tar balls followed by the baby elephant. Both shocked and panicked. A mob is seen in the background of the picture.

The awards are instituted by the Sanctuary Nature Foundation, a Mumbai based non-governmental organisation (NGO) that works towards biodiversity conservation and community engagement.

Here are some other pictures from the contest: