As northern Cameroon heats up, elephants are migrating in search of food and water and increasingly finding themselves in face-to-face to humans.

On 24 May, a flutter of excitement spread through the sun-scorched city of Maroua in northern Cameroon. Earlier in the day, four elephants had become separated from their herd as they migrated from Waza National Park and ended up wandering through the town’s asphalt roads.

Despite being relative neighbours in the country’s semi-arid Far North region, many residents had never seen these huge creatures in the flesh. The phenomenon of elephants venturing into the outskirts of Maroua is a relatively recent occurrence. Curious onlookers took to the streets to follow the wayward visitors.

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