Bison Bull on Niger Ridge at Sunrise

Thick dust hangs low across a wind-scoured ridge in Niger, illuminated by the first sharp rays of sunrise. A massive bison bull stands in profile, its shaggy brown coat matted with dry soil and pale dust. The animal's head is raised, ears pricked forward, eyes fixed on something beyond the frame. Sunlight catches the wet sheen on its wet nose and the coarse texture of its mane. Behind the bull, the horizon blurs into a haze of suspended particles, obscuring the distance. The ground is cracked earth, pale and dry, showing deep fissures between tufts of sparse, dead grass. The light casts long, hard shadows that stretch across the uneven terrain. The bull's hooves grip the dusty soil, leaving faint depressions in the hard-packed surface.