Educating the young. A herd of elephants barred our path as we headed out in our Landrover from our campsite for wildlife viewing, We didn't have to go far. The elephants were foraging the shrubs and acacia trees, eating whole branches, while keeping a wary eye on us. Meanwhile, our guide and driver patiently waited for the elephants to give us a signal that we may pass. While waiting about 15 minutes or so, I had a remarkable opportunity to photograph up close the social interaction of these amazing creatures as they literally tore down a chunk of forest to sate their appetite. That included the amazing experience of witnessing this large adult elephant "teaching" this youngster how to warn intruders to stay away or risk attack. The communication of this little guy was clear, if not somewhat comical. He did have his backup standing right behind him, though, in case of trouble. It made me think about the amazing fragility of ecological balance in Africa and other wild places of the world. Elephant overpopulation is no good for the forest and its other inhabitants. While full-grown, healthy elephants have no real predators. Their young are vulnerable to large predators that do help keep the population in check. Of course, illegal poaching threatens the entire species and must be kept in check by conservation groups and wilderness rangers. Like I said, a fragile balance.