WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE BELOW

A devastating image captured by a South African photographer shows a mutilated elephant dead on the ground moments after poachers massacred the endangered mammal for its ivory tusks.

Justin Sullivan, 28, used a drone to capture the image, which shows its trunk several feet away from its head. It is not known what the poachers used to cut the trunk off, but it is believed they used a chainsaw, The Sun reports.

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“They said an elephant had just been poached and I asked to be taken to the site," Sullivan said in comments obtained by Magners News Agency. "On arrival, I used a drone to capture the image."

Known as "Disconnection," Sullivan said the high angle of the image "shows isolation and highlights not only the physical disconnection of the animal, but our disconnection from the situation."

“People have obviously reacted with mixed feelings of anger and sadness, especially with the recent lift on the hunting ban in Botswana, but this photo has driven some constructive dialogue around how we can promote more sustainable elephant conversation and solve our current ecological crisis,” Sullivan added.

The image gained attention after it was nominated for the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest.

There has been outrage since the government in Botswana lifted the ban on elephant hunting in May, citing conflicts between humans and the gentle giants.

After consulting with stakeholders, the government said it would lift the ban, which was implemented in 2014, adding that hunting would resume "in an orderly and ethical manner," but gave no indication of how it would be regulated.

Botswana is home to the largest amount of elephants in the world, with an estimated population of 130,000.

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The Associated Press and Fox News' Nicole Darrah contributed to this report.