Sometimes we see elephant…..sometimes we don’t….. By Mphoeng
Category: Uncategorized | Date: Mar 10 2009 | By: elephantsofbotswana
On the 22nd February I headed to Seba West. Seba West is an area that is not drivable during the flood season as it is mainly composed of flood plains and so in some areas the substrate is clay soils which make the terrain very difficult to get around. With floods not having arrived yet, it is a good area to look for the big male elephants. Although no elephants were sighted on this trip I saw a baboon which caught my attention. Baboons are highly social animals which live in troops. The male in the photos was tasked with the chore of being the eye for the troop, looking out for danger. Baboons are preyed upon by leopards and so the role of look out is an important one to save other troop members. Even when he was having a good scratch he kept an open eye for predators.
What amazes me, is how they decided who should guard on a daily basis? Do they have a timetable or some sort of a shift? Nature is amazing; the quest to comprehend animal behaviour is challenging as everyday present new challenges and this is what keeps me interested.
Tags: animal bahaviour, baboons, botswana, elephants, okavango delta
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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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