Elephant Rampage

Our guide, Alan, is very, very knowledgeable about animal behavior. A notebook would be a great asset to write down the information he shared about so many aspects of the life of the wild here.

The biggest thrill came about two hours before sunset when we found three elephants near a dam -- two sisters and a young one they are raising together.

Alan drove us in for a closer look. One member of our group leaned out of the vehicle to get a picture. This frightened the matriarch and she turned quickly and charged us. Alan, a great “reader” of the elephants, threw it into reverse and we zipped back to a safe distance. Not to be outdone, she snuck up from behind us at one point and charged again. Hearts pounding and feeling more than a bit like Jeff Goldblum in the back of the Jurrasic Park jeep when the T-rex aimed for a quick snack, we hightailed it a bit further away. It is so impressive how quickly elephants vanish into the trees and shrubs with just a couple of strides. Showing them the respect they deserved, we stayed put (after Alan planned yet another emergency exit strategy) and watched them try to have a face off with two sibling rhinos who were less than impressed with them.

We can’t imagine that tomorrow can top today. We are in awe. Wish us luck tomorrow!