In a country where the illegal trade of animals is big business, one woman is risking it all to ensure the survival of the largest land mammals on earth: the African elephant. Co-founder of Elephants Alive, Dr. Michelle Henley monitors elephant movements and their social interactions within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which straddles South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. “I have seen landscapes emptied by greed for ivory, which has sadly become the human’s measure of prestige,” Michelle told Culture Trip, her passion unbridled. “There are no words to describe that kind of loneliness once you have experienced the close social ties, the compassion, the intelligence and the social intrigue which all comes naturally to these pachyderms.” It goes without saying that working so closely with these sought-after animals coincides with many dark obstacles. Wayne Lotter, conservationist and Elephants Alive’s partner, whose main mission was to dismantle the illegal ivory market, was tragically murdered in August 2017. Despite the challenges, Dr. Henley is making waves in conserving these gentle giants and, since the start of her program, over 70 elephants have been humanely collared and tracked.