India’s vast forest cover has not only made the country a hotspot for wildlife tourism but also lead to the rise of man-animal conflict. Because of this, not only the migratory and movement patterns of animals are affected, sometimes they also bear the brunt of mob hysteria from surrounding human habitations.

Pictures are powerful and in a way that depicts the said issue, photographer Biplab Hazra has captured a harrowing and moving image of an adult elephant and its calf being attacked with flame balls. Tehpicture which was captioned ‘Hell is Here’ has been selected as the winner for the prestigious ‘Sanctuary Wildlife Photography Awards 2017’.

The incident which happened in West Bengal’s Bankura district has created disappointment among activisists, wildlife enthusiasts and the general public. India has about 70 % of the total elephant population and pray that necessary precautions are taken to safeguard these magnificent and gentle animals of nature.