Moonlight elephant
Category: Uncategorized | Date: Nov 14 2008 | By: elephantsofbotswana
Last night I went over to Abu Camp, the neighbouring camp, for supper and on my way back I had the most amazing sighting of a male elephant feeding in the water by the bridge. It was a moonlit light so I had a great view of him (although I could not see him well enough to ID him) - I was on the bridge about 10 m away from him and could hear the water drop of the vegetation he was eating. A buffalo was grazing in the background - I could have stayed there forever, and was kicking myself for not having my camera!!!
The bridge is the only connection between the two camp and is made out of mopane trees (a hardy tree here in the delta) - it is a rickity old thing - but that only adds to its carm.
Mafunyane, Nandipa, Ntongeni and Pula are all back in the area of camp. Nandipa, Pula and Ntongeni were in thick bush most of the day yesterday so we only caught glimpses of their backs, tusks and collars - which was a little frustrating. Mafunyane joined the ‘B’ herd; a herd that is very calm and so we have been able to get to know quite well - the females are mostly have a name beginning with B. I say mostly as one is a tuskless female which I named Churchills Wife, as she was the first tuskless female I came across and I had an old tuskless males called Churchill, as I thought he looked like the famous man, bar the cigar!! Anyway we were with the B herd when Mafunyane turned up, and I was loving spending time with the herd as Churchill’s Wife has the newest of babies which could not be older than a couple of days - there were also three other newborns in the herd and they were all playing together, a mass of trunks, legs and ears = very cute.
Today we are hoping to actually see Nandipa, Pula and Ntongeni. We are having problems with are tracking equipment, I had had to send one box in to get fixed and the other is not picking up Pula very well. So that is all rather frustrating.
Will up date soon with more news of the elephants.
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Hi, I am Kate Evans, or more commonly known as Elephant Kate. I am a zoologist whose great love is elephants. Since 2002 I have been living my dream by researching elephants in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. I decided I was going to be an elephant researcher when I was seven. I was living in Asia at the time and visited the elephant orphanage in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It was there that I made up my mind I was going to work for these majestic and intelligent animals. I made a promise to an elephant and we all know an elephant never forgets!!!! It took me 20 years to finally realise my dream and start my life as an elephant researcher. It was 20 years well spent and now I have to pinch myself most days to make sure it is true and I am living my dream.
I now head up a team who are researching the elephants and trying to work out the social and ecological needs of the largest remaining population of the African elephant. From time to time, other team members will add their thoughts and experiences. I love sharing my experiences - so I hope that this blog is a medium through which you will be able to join the elephants and I on our adventures in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. -
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One Response to “Moonlight elephant”
Anna M, on 14 Nov 2008
Beautiful !!
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