From the streets of Bangkok to the logging camps of India's remote offshore islands, photographer Palani Mohan has traveled to eleven countries over the last six years to document the plight of the Asian elephant, and the people who look after them.

At a time when its close relative in Africa is flourishing, the Asian elephant is highly endangered. The pressures of urbanization, logging, and industry have diminished its habitat to the extent that Asia's wild elephant population has been reduced from 100,000 at the start of the last century to fewer than 35,000 today. The World Wildlife Fund also estimates that roughly 16,000 more are held in captivity, and often harshly treated.

Two photographs from Vanishing Giants by Palani Mohan, courtesy of Fovea Editions and Reportage by Getty Images.

Among the fascinating stories Palani discovered during his travels is that of Sangduen Chailert, a woman who operates a healing and rehabilitation center for the king of the jungle. At the Elephant Nature Park, in northeast Thailand, her staff of elephant handlers, veterinarians and volunteers tend to animals who have been injured in the wild or abused by their owners. Once they have recovered, she moves them to the 2,000-acre Elephant Haven, a resort where they live out their lives free from harm.

This Saturday, March 8th, Fovea Exhibitions | Beacon Gallery opens an exhibition of photographs from Vanishing Giants: Elephants of Asia, with a reception and book signing from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, free and open to the public. The exhibition runs until May 4, 2008; the gallery is open Friday through Sunday, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, and by appointment. To inquire about educational programs, please call 845 765 2199 or e-mail: info@FoveaEditions.org

On Tuesday, March 11^th, Palani will be at New York's Asia Society for a discussion and book signing from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the website. Selected photographs from Fovea's exhibition of Vanishing Giants will be on display in the Asia Society's lobby through the end of March, accompanied by an interactive web presentation.

Palani Mohan was born in Chennai, India, and moved to Australia as a child. His photographic career began 20 years ago at the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper and since then he has been based in London, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and now in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Palani currently shoots for Reportage by Getty Images; his work is regularly featured in many of the world's leading magazines and newspapers, and he has published three photographic books to date.