Sand Trapped

摘要

A desert within a desert, the Tenere is a mid-Saharan expanse of shifting dunes in northern Niger. The unstable sand, punctuated sparingly by rocks, tufts of grass, or on its more hospitable edges by small bushes, is home to die-hard desert dwellers. The Toubou nomads who traverse the Tenere are among the few to witness the little life-and-death dramas played out by the creatures of the sand. Photographer Alain Dragesco-Joffe had spent thirteen years in the Sahara, and more than two traveling through its heart with nomad guides, before he set eyes on a sand cat. With big ears set low on its head, this sand-colored solitary hunter, softly shod with long hair on its soles, is five pounds of pure stealth. The nomads say that vipers are one of its favorite prey.