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  • Indian Forest rangers take a man accused of murder and illegal logging back to the murder scene in Sonitpur district in Assam, eastern India  December 29,2003.   India and its elephants are threatened by deforestation because of encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants030.jpg
  • Wildlife graze inside the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, eastern India where thousands of tourists visit each year January 6, 2004. India and its sacred elephants are threatened by deforestation and encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants026.jpg
  • Wildlife graze inside the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, eastern India where thousands of tourists visit each year January 6, 2004. India and its sacred elephants are threatened by deforestation and encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants025.jpg
  • Near his home in Bandytown, West Virginia, Leo Cook visits the Webb Cemetery, where several of his relatives are buried. Bandytown is in the heart of America, where mountaintop-removal mines are abundant. Mining firms must maintain a 100-foot protective zone around such burial grounds. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. The mountaintop-removal mine near Blair caused the population to fall from 700 in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. "I saw Lindytown disappear," Leo Cook said. "Three people up there that died, and I believe in my soul -- I'll go to my grave believin' this?that aggravation's what caused it." © Ami Vitale
    DSC_7907.jpg
  • Near his home in Bandytown, West Virginia, Leo Cook visits the Webb Cemetery, where several of his relatives are buried. Bandytown is in the heart of America, where mountaintop-removal mines are abundant. Mining firms must maintain a 100-foot protective zone around such burial grounds. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. The mountaintop-removal mine near Blair caused the population to fall from 700 in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. "I saw Lindytown disappear," Leo Cook said. "Three people up there that died, and I believe in my soul -- I'll go to my grave believin' this?that aggravation's what caused it." © Ami Vitale
    DSC_7889.jpg
  • Near his home in Bandytown, West Virginia, Leo Cook visits the Webb Cemetery, where several of his relatives are buried. Bandytown is in the heart of America, where mountaintop-removal mines are abundant. Mining firms must maintain a 100-foot protective zone around such burial grounds. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. The mountaintop-removal mine near Blair caused the population to fall from 700 in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. "I saw Lindytown disappear," Leo Cook said. "Three people up there that died, and I believe in my soul -- I'll go to my grave believin' this?that aggravation's what caused it." © Ami Vitale
    TAN_5964.jpg
  • Hundreds, perhaps thousands of villagers, forest rangers, police and wildlife experts attempt to drive a herd of elephants from a village on the outskirts of Tezpur, Assam in Eastern India December 22, 2003.  India and its sacred elephants are threatened by poaching, deforestation and encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result of the loss of land, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. During this drive, a baby elephant, only days old was seperating from his mother and faces probable death without her. He is now at a rescue center in Kaziranga. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants041.jpg
  • Hundreds, perhaps thousands of villagers, forest rangers, police and wildlife experts attempt to drive a herd of elephants from a village on the outskirts of Tezpur, Assam in Eastern India December 22, 2003.  India and its sacred elephants are threatened by poaching, deforestation and encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result of the loss of land, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. During this drive, a baby elephant, only days old was seperating from his mother and faces probable death without her. He is now at a rescue center in Kaziranga. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants037.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman walks through the tall grass with her child near sunset in the village of Simana. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking fo prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC_0101.jpg
  • A Tanzanian villager watches as lion researchers examine lion prints near the village of Navanga, Tanzania. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking fo prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC_0073.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman walks through the tall grass near sunset in the village of Simana. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking fo prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC_0041.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman walks home near sunset in the village of Usuru. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC0101.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman walks home near sunset in the village of Usuru. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC0066.jpg
  • A Tanzanian walks from his field near sunset in the village of Simana. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0337.jpg
  • A Tanzanian walks from his field near sunset in the village of Simana. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0336.jpg
  • Villagers watch as lion researcher Dennis Ikanda and trapper Dairen Simpson look for lion prints in Navanga, Tanzania. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0112.jpg
  • A Tanzanian walks from her field near sunset in the village of Mnolela. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0101b.jpg
  • Dairen Simpson examines a lion print outside a hut in the village of Navanga, Tanzania. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0080.jpg
  • Dairen Simpson examines a lion print outside a hut in the village of Navanga, Tanzania. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0078.jpg
  • A Tanzanian rides their bike home near sunset in the village of Mnolela. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0117.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman walks from her field near sunset in the village of Mnolela. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0097.jpg
  • Mwanahamisi Hatibu works in her rice field near sunset in the village of Usuru near Lindi, Tanzania. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0041.jpg
  • Hundreds, perhaps thousands of villagers, forest rangers, police and wildlife experts attempt to drive a herd of elephants from a village on the outskirts of Tezpur, Assam in Eastern India December 22, 2003.  India and its sacred elephants are threatened by poaching, deforestation and encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result of the loss of land, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. During this drive, a baby elephant, only days old was seperating from his mother and faces probable death without her. He is now at a rescue center in Kaziranga. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants039.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman walks through the tall grass with her child near sunset in the village of Simana. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking fo prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC_0101.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman walks through the tall grass near sunset in the village of Simana. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking fo prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC_0120.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman walks through the tall grass with her child near sunset in the village of Simana. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking fo prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC_0103.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman walks through the rains near sunset in the village of Simana. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking fo prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC_0069b.jpg
  • A child sits next to a field with a tool that women use to pound maize into flour  near sunset in the village of Navanga. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC_0014b.jpg
  • A Tanzanian childwalks home near sunset in the village of Usuru. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC0109b.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman walks from her field near sunset. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC0032.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman walks from her field near sunset. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    DSC0026.jpg
  • Tanzanianleave their field near sunset in the village of Usuru. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _SC0037.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman carries firewood home near sunset in the village of Mnolela. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0271.jpg
  • Villagers watch as lion researcher Dennis Ikanda and trapper Dairen Simpson look for lion prints in Navanga, Tanzania. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0109.jpg
  • A Tanzanian walks from his field near sunset in the village of Mnolela. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0092.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman walks from her field near sunset. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    _DSC0029.jpg
  • Tanzanianleave their field near sunset in the village of Usuru. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey.  Ami Vitale
    \DSC0109.jpg
  • A Tanzanian woman carries a huge pot to make rice for her village. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking fo prey.  Ami Vitale
    SC0029.jpg
  • A Tanzanian rides their bike home near sunset in the village of Mnolela. The dense forest and tall grasses make villagers vulnerable to lion attacks. They have to stay late in the evening in their fields to protect their crops from rampaging monkeys who like to eat the rice and corn, forcing them to walk at sunset, the time of day when lions are out looking for prey. Ami Vitale
    2006_Tanzania_Lion_014.jpg
  • Naitemu Letur pushes a jug of water back to her manyatta. "Before, we would walk for hours every day just to get water. Sometimes it was not safe but now we have plenty of water near our homes and this has made our lives more secure. " The Northern Rangelands Trust in Northern Kenya  is a group of conservanices that make conservation a self-sustaining proposition—financially and socially—by providing water, health care, education and jobs for the local community through responsible tourism and complementary agro-pastoralism. Ths makes the community deeply invested in the effort’s success. In earlier conservation efforts, threatened forests and endangered species were protected by uniformed guards. In the NRT, they are protected by women and school children, who have a vested interest in a healthy environment because they benefit directly. Rather than something that has to be guarded from local communities, the environment becomes a source of sustainable economic activity for those communities.
    KEN_1280.JPG
  • Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8459.jpg
  • A bird's-eye view of the mountaintop-removal mine that emptied Lindytown, West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map.
    DSC_9354.jpg
  • A bird's-eye view of the mountaintop-removal mine that emptied Lindytown, West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map.
    DSC_9308.jpg
  • A bird's-eye view of the mountaintop-removal mine that emptied Lindytown, West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map.
    DSC_9281.jpg
  • A bird's-eye view of the mountaintop-removal mine that emptied Lindytown, West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map.
    DSC_9141.jpg
  • A bird's-eye view of the mountaintop-removal mine that emptied Lindytown, West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map.
    DSC_9128.jpg
  • A bird's-eye view of the mountaintop-removal mine that emptied Lindytown, West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map.
    DSC_9120.jpg
  • A bird's-eye view of the mountaintop-removal mine that emptied Lindytown, West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map.
    DSC_9093.jpg
  • A bird's-eye view of the mountaintop-removal mine that emptied Lindytown, West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map.
    DSC_9013.jpg
  • A bird's-eye view of the mountaintop-removal mine that emptied Lindytown, West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map.
    DSC_8966.jpg
  • A bird's-eye view of the mountaintop-removal mine that emptied Lindytown, West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map.
    DSC_8871.jpg
  • The landscape is beautiful outside Hobet Mining's mountaintop mine in southern West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map.
    DSC_8773.jpg
  • Trains carry coal from Williamson, West Virginia, where mountaintop mines are abundant. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8539.jpg
  • An home sits abandoned in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8513.jpg
  • Quinnie Richmond walks around inside her home in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8384.jpg
  • Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • Quinnie Richmond poses inside her home in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • Roger Richmond and his mother, Quinnie, pose outside their home in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, Roger and Quinnie Richmond are the only original residents that remain. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • Roger Richmond and his mother, Quinnie, pose outside their home in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, Roger and Quinnie Richmond are the only original residents that remain. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • Charlie Branham, a former coal miner, poses with his wife Donna outside their home in Lenore, West Virginia. Donna Branham shaved her head on the steps of the West Virginia Capitol with a group of women in protest to mountaintop-removal mining. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "People don't know how hard it is on the Appalachian people," Branham said of mountaintop-removal mining. "They have no idea. And they don't want to know. As long as they don't have to look at it, they can ignore it." © Ami Vitale
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  • Just down the road from Lindytown, West Virginia, Leo Cook looks out a window of the now-vandalized building that once served as the meeting hall for members of Local 8377 of the United Mine Workers of America. Back when the building was in use, Cook sometimes polished its wooden floors. Mountaintop-removal mines are now abundant in the area. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. The mountaintop-removal mine near Blair caused the population to fall from 700 in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. "I saw Lindytown disappear," Leo Cook said. "Three people up there that died, and I believe in my soul -- I'll go to my grave believin' this?that aggravation's what caused it." © Ami Vitale
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  • Supporters of a protest against coal mining on the steps of the West Virginia Capitol sit and watch as people shave their heads. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • On the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol, Paula Swearengin shaves the head of Tori Wong of Virginia. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "Watch out, King Coal," Swearengin said, "because here come the Queens of Appalachia." © Ami Vitale
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  • A woman protests mountaintop-removal mining in West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_7143.jpg
  • On the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol, Paula Swearengin shaves the head of Tori Wong of Virginia. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "Watch out, King Coal," Swearengin said, "because here come the Queens of Appalachia." © Ami Vitale
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 15, 2004:  Nepalese cross a bridge controlled by Maoists in Rukum district April 15, 2004. The infrastructure of Western Nepal is nonexistant and government troops have a hard time manoevering through the difficult terrain to combat the growing Maoist insurgency. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Maoist insurgents celebrate in Rukum district April 22, 2004 weeks after their attack on government troops in Beni when they overran the district headquarters, looting a bank, destroying the jail and torching government office buildings. The government said that 32 security personnel died in the clash and 37 were kidnapped. The clash was one of the deadliest since 1996 when fighting began to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 17, 2004:  Nepalese villagers carry wheat back to their homes in Rukum District April 17, 2004. Most families in the Western part of the country must give a percentage of their crops to the Maoists as tax and Ill-equipped security forces in politically unstable Nepal are unable to control  the rebels. The insurgents have captured most of the Western part of Nepal in their attempt to make it a Communist State. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 18, 2004:  A Nepalese child helps his grandmother cook next to a fire in Rukum District April 18, 2004. Most of Nepal has no electricity, plumbing or infrastructure and ill-equipped security forces in the politically unstable country are unable to control  Maoist rebels, who continue to abduct thousands of villagers for forcible indoctrination and military training.  The Maoists mainly target students, teachers and youths. The victims are usually released after a few days of indoctrination, unless they actively resist the "training attempts," in which case the rebels torture or sometimes kill them. Maoist insurgents have capture most of the Western part of Nepal in their attempt to make it a Communist State. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 15, 2004:  Children carry their siblings in a small village in Rukum District April 15, 2004. Ill-equipped security forces in politically unstable Nepal are unable to control  Maoist rebels, who continue to abduct thousands of villagers for forcible indoctrination and military training.  The Maoists mainly target students, teachers and youths. The victims are usually released after a few days of indoctrination, unless they actively resist the "training attempts," in which case the rebels torture or sometimes kill them. Maoist insurgents have capture most of the Western part of Nepal in their attempt to make it a Communist State. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 19, 2004:  Dilmaya, 23 years-old picks berries in Gipu village in Rukum District April 19, 2004. Her husband, a former Communist Party member has been missing since he was kidnapped 13 days earlier  because he quit the Party.  Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Maoist insurgents celebrate in Rukum district April 22, 2004 weeks after their attack on government troops in Beni when they overran the district headquarters, looting a bank, destroying the jail and torching government office buildings. The government said that 32 security personnel died in the clash and 37 were kidnapped. The clash was one of the deadliest since 1996 when fighting began to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 19, 2004:  Nepalese farmers harvest wheat in Rukum District April 19, 2004.  All of the people in this region have declared themselves Maoists and those who are not, have left the area. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Maoist insurgents celebrate in Rukum district April 22, 2004 weeks after their attack on government troops in Beni when they overran the district headquarters, looting a bank, destroying the jail and torching government office buildings. The government said that 32 security personnel died in the clash and 37 were kidnapped. The clash was one of the deadliest since 1996 when fighting began to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 21, 2004:  Maoist insurgents walk through the mountains to a mobile training camp in Rukum district April 21, 2004.    Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many children and women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Maoist insurgents play a board game in Rukum district April 22, 2004.The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 20, 2004:  Maoist insurgents take a group of children for a cultural education program  in Rukum district April 20, 2004   Maoist rebels continue to abduct thousands of villagers for forcible indoctrination and military training.  The Maoists mainly target students, teachers and youths. The victims are usually released after a few days of indoctrination. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Maoist insurgents celebrate in Rukum district April 22, 2004 weeks after their attack on government troops in Beni when they overran the district headquarters, looting a bank, destroying the jail and torching government office buildings. The government said that 32 security personnel died in the clash and 37 were kidnapped. The clash was one of the deadliest since 1996 when fighting began to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 24, 2004:  A child works in a tea stall in a small village in Rukum District April 24, 2004. Nepal is one of the poorest countries and most children are forced to be a part of the labor work force.  Ill-equipped security forces in politically unstable Nepal are unable to control  Maoist rebels, who continue to abduct thousands of villagers for forcible indoctrination and military training.  The Maoists mainly target students, teachers and youths. The victims are usually released after a few days of indoctrination, unless they actively resist the "training attempts," in which case the rebels torture or sometimes kill them. Maoist insurgents have capture most of the Western part of Nepal in their attempt to make it a Communist State. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 20, 2004:  Nepalese children stan in a government school yard in Rukum  district April 20, 2004. Ill-equipped security forces in politically unstable Nepal are unable to control  Maoist rebels, who continue to abduct thousands of villagers for forcible indoctrination and military training.  The Maoists mainly target students, teachers and youths. The victims are usually released after a few days of indoctrination, unless they actively resist the "training attempts," in which case the rebels torture or sometimes kill them. Maoist insurgents have capture most of the Western part of Nepal in their attempt to make it a Communist State. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 17, 2004:  A child sits insie a wheat mill in Rukum District April 17, 2004.  Many children are regulalry kidnapped by Maoists in order to eucate them about the movement. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 21, 2004:  Maoist insurgents take a break while walking through the mountains to a mobile training camp in Rukum district April 21, 2004.    Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many children and women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 16, 2004:  Maoist teachers sits in a government school underneath posters of the Royal Nepalese family in Rukum District April 16, 2004. The Maoists intend to close the government schools and establish their own educational system. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 20, 2004:  A Maoist  insurgent holds a baby at a village in Rukum district April 20, 2004. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000  fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  Though the movement uses violence to acheive theri goals, many say that the positive effects in the areas that are dominated by them are that there is there is less abuse because people are not allowed to drink alcohol or have mulitple wives.  they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Maoist insurgents play a board game in Rukum district April 22, 2004.The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • SOLAN DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 24, 2004: Royal Nepalese Army soldiers sit in a village in Solan  district April 24, 2004.The soldiers are fighting Maoist guerrillas who are trying to make Nepal a communist state. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 24, 2004:  A Nepali woman carries a basket back to her village in Rukum District April 24 2004.  Most of this district that has no roads, cars, bicycles or any mode of tranport other than donkeys an mules is completely under the control of Maoists who require farmers to make donations for their efforts to create a Communist state. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • SALYAN DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 23, 2004: An Army hospital and barracks destroyed by Maoists two years ago in Bagchaur village in Salyan district sits empty April 23, 2004. Maoist insurgents have been looting banks, barracks, destroying health facilities, jails and torching government office buildings as they attempt to build their own autonomous state, to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Maoist insurgents gather in Rukum district April 22, 2004 weeks after their attack on government troops in Beni when they overran the district headquarters, looting a bank, destroying the jail and torching government office buildings. The government said that 32 security personnel died in the clash and 37 were kidnapped. The clash was one of the deadliest since 1996 when fighting began to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Radna Bahadur Rana, right, who murdered a relative works inside a mill in an "open prison"  established by Maoists who have created an autonomous state with their own judicial sysytem in a village in Rukum District April 22, 2004. The prison was once a farm owned by a relative of the King but was taken over by Maoists. The Maoists believe that criminals can be reformed through labor and cannot be be corrected confined within a jail with bars. They beleive that crime is a social evil and the main cause is a class system.   Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Maoist insurgents meet in Rukum district April 22, 2004 weeks after their attack on government troops in Beni when they overran the district headquarters, looting a bank, destroying the jail and torching government office buildings. The government said that 32 security personnel died in the clash and 37 were kidnapped. The clash was one of the deadliest since 1996 when fighting began to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  A battalion of Maoist insurgents gather in Rukum district April 22, 2004 weeks after their attack on government troops in Beni when they overran the district headquarters, looting a bank, destroying the jail and torching government office buildings. The government said that 32 security personnel died in the clash and 37 were kidnapped. The clash was one of the deadliest since 1996 when fighting began to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Maoist insurgents celebrate in Rukum district April 22, 2004 weeks after their attack on government troops in Beni when they overran the district headquarters, looting a bank, destroying the jail and torching government office buildings. The government said that 32 security personnel died in the clash and 37 were kidnapped. The clash was one of the deadliest since 1996 when fighting began to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Maoist insurgents celebrate in Rukum district April 22, 2004 weeks after their attack on government troops in Beni when they overran the district headquarters, looting a bank, destroying the jail and torching government office buildings. The government said that 32 security personnel died in the clash and 37 were kidnapped. The clash was one of the deadliest since 1996 when fighting began to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • Elephants roam inside the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, eastern India where thousands of tourists visit each year January 4, 2004. India and its sacred elephants are threatened by deforestation and encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. (Ami Vitale)
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  • Elephants roam inside the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, eastern India where thousands of tourists visit each year January 4, 2004. India and its sacred elephants are threatened by deforestation and encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. (Ami Vitale)
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  • Villagers, many of whom lost their homes, crops, and even a man who was killed by elephants perform a "puja" or holy ceremony to the Hindu God Lord Ganesha who is half human and half elephant to ask him to protect the village from real elephants coming back and causing more destruction  near Tezpur in Assam, eastern India January 6, 2004.  Villagers have been forced to stay up lighting fires, banging tin cans, throwing firecrackers to keep elephants from destroying their crops, homes and somtimes killing people. India and its sacred elephants are threatened by the deforestation caused by encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. (Ami Vitale)

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  • Wildlife graze inside the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, eastern India where thousands of tourists visit each year January 6, 2004. India and its sacred elephants are threatened by deforestation and encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants032.jpg
  • Elephants roam inside the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, eastern India where thousands of tourists visit each year. India and its sacred elephants are threatened by deforestation and encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. They are often atttracted by the rice farms and in one night can destroy an entire villages' crop. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants020.tif
  • Elephants roam inside the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, eastern India where thousands of tourists visit each year. India and its sacred elephants are threatened by deforestation and encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. They are often atttracted by the rice farms and in one night can destroy an entire villages' crop. (Ami Vitale)
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