SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI, GAME DRIVE WITH ELEPHANTS PART 2

After an amazing evening with new friends, exchanging life stories, photographs of the animals made earlier, cracking few bottles of wine and examining the spiders and geckos on the walls, we were ready to head back to our ‘tent’ for a short night of sleep.

Small Friend

Our ranger said specifically that no one should wander after dark alone, so he accompanied us even the road to our beds.
He walked us to the tent, holding the rifle ready to be used. The trip was not so long but it was necessary to have the protection of course. The reserve was fenced but you can never be too cautious. On the way, we had a chance to see some scorpions, what added some adrenaline to the night experiences.

Curious night hunter

Anyway the night was full of various noises of the bush, at the beginning it was difficult to fall asleep. Every sound was enhanced, every little ant outside, walking on the surface of the canvas, every mosquito buzzing above our net, all seemed of an enormous magnitude. Frogs, at the side of the pool croaking like hammers, cycads piercing the ears etc.

Then, the bigger animals started saying goodnight, or maybe even good morning, I couldn’t really tell, cause in all this excitement I’ve lost the track of time. Now being aware, that this thin piece of fabric is the only protection from the outside world, it was a bit tricky to keep calm.

What is in the bushes

And again, 5 am wake up call, and the same procedure, meeting at the front desk, coffee and rusks, hop onto the Landie and we were again sporting our next game drive. Dressed appropriately to the occasion- bundled up in blankets, we were fighting off the sleepiness and the morning cold.

There was a distinct mixture of scents in the air. Fires occurring before, made the smoke still recognisable. Also smells of the animals marking their territory. The morning light was incredible.

Springbocks

Euphorbias

We have encounter the first so called spoor on the road, our tracker sporadically got out of the car to ‘read the bush’. We on the other hand were not even allowed to lean out of it. As we drove through dried out riverbed, searching for the tracks on the soft sand and looking out in between the branches of the trees at the river banks, we got a chance to track a leopard with a cub.

The riverbed

Shongololo

Then, we came upon a mass of broken trees and branches scattered chaotically on the ground, there was a group of elephants passing and that's what they have left behind. Hearing the messages coming through the radio and confirming their current location our ranger made a decision to meet them as fast as possible. We have braced ourselves soon to discover the great skills of our driver.

Always in the neighbourhood

This seemed to be the spot, one could smell the same scent but much stronger, the neighbourhood was devastated. We have noticed moving parts of grey matter between the trees. The elephants started appearing one after another and we have realised that the group was much bigger than we have expected. They were just surrounding us, we were in the middle of the road as they started appearing like from a warp hole, from both sides.

Whats that

Slowly emerging

The whole situation got a bit tense when the elephants started crossing the road. A big bull approached head to head with the car, one specimen from behind and we were in a gridlock. As I was sitting in the very back of the vehicle I could almost touch them passing near me, but I honestly got paralysed at this stage. Observing our tracker and ranger’s behaviour and knowing that there is a rifle ready to be used, was somehow comforting. The guys were chilled, even though the weapon would only scare the beasts, or irritate. we had no wish to use it.

The ranger started the engine and drove backwards to a safe position, out of the way, letting the animals easily cross the road. It was their land and we were only visitors. Observing them from a distance as they have turned into unidentifiable mass again, almost immediately disappearing between the trees, made my heart rate calm down.

What an adrenaline rush this was. Being so close to these seemingly harmless animals, and feeling their calmness but also their power, how they were moving slowly, and with an enormous force ripping the trees with roots and cracking their branches. It might have ben just fun for the elephants but for us it could turn into life threatening situation, especially when the big bull approached us from the front. Luckily the elephant was not in the musth-a periodic rise of hormones- and didn't follow as we have backed out the car.

Already on the other side

We were all awe-inspired. this whole event took so much time that we haven't even had a chance to stop for a morning tea break. We drove directly to the camp for breakfast, during which we had a lot to share with the staff and each other.

Young Kudu

We have skipped the midday game drive only to be able to do the night one. A completely new experience and new animals to explore. The ones that come out at night...

To be continued…

*All photographs and video taken by @highonthehog
*Source: Own article previously published on my blog-site. visit my blog