Bamako, Mali

Nestled among larger wooden boats, a young man fishes from his canoe in the Niger River near Bamako, Mali. I was on assignment following the migration of desert elephants through the Sahel. The Niger River brings life to these dry lands in the landlocked country and connects the southern capital city of Bamako up to Timbuktu, Mali’s gateway to the Sahara and the historic trade routes through the desert.