Harmony in the Wild

14 October 2026, 7:03 pm

By Odota Adubango Moureen and Boniface Otim Ogwal

This photograph taken from Murchison Falls Game Park, shows an elephant carrying birds on its back, explaining the connection and relationship shared between different wildlife species.

The elephant and the birds describe an ecological relationship between smaller animals and larger ones.

It shows a symbiotic association where the birds benefit from food through parasites and insects found on the body of the elephant and other large animal species.  On the other hand, the elephant gets relief from pests and an air borne warning system against approaching danger.

This means both the birds, elephant and other animals are dependent on each other in a shared environment.

Also as the elephant and other animals move across the wild, feeding grass trees and shrubs, they disperse seeds that grow to provide food, open up vegetation to offer light for smaller plants and other species to equally thrive.

Meanwhile, the trees, grass, and shrubs provide food, shade, shelter as well as camouflage for animals.

This relationship further expands to the soil as the dung from the elephant and other animals provide nutrients to support soil fertility and plant growth, showing a complete cycle of mutual dependence.

This photograph tells a conservation message that, preserving particular animal or plant species require protection of the entire ecosystem in which they exist.