Captured in the fading light of late afternoon in Tanzania’s Mkomazi Game Reserve, The Departed is a powerful and haunting image of a black rhino—a species on the brink of extinction. David Yarrow’s approach was anything but conventional. Using a wide-angle lens with a remote-controlled camera strategically placed on the rhino’s predicted path, he aimed to create an image that conveyed the sheer power and prehistoric presence of this magnificent animal. “Not only is the image pin sharp, but also the rhino is totally uninfluenced by the camera on the ground – he is being a rhino, not a model for a photoshoot.”

This technique, while high-risk, was years in the making. “Remote control work is an art in itself and over the years I have learnt a great deal. It is a cognitive process that leans mostly on analysis of previous misjudgements.” The gamble paid off, resulting in an extraordinary perspective that makes the rhino’s head dominate the frame, bringing viewers face-to-face with a creature that has been relentlessly hunted to near extinction.

The title The Departed serves as a sad reminder of the rhino population’s tragic decline in Tanzania, where numbers have fallen from 3,000 in the 1970s to just 90 today. Yarrow acknowledges the vital role of conservationist Tony Fitzjohn in making this image possible, noting, “Without him, I had no chance of taking this image and I am so grateful for his advice and support.” This rare and deeply moving photograph honours not just the rhino itself, but the 99% of its kind that have been lost—leaving behind only a few to tell their story.