“Meet the kids”
Expect the Unexpected
If you have spent a lot of time in the bush of Africa, you will eventually, inevitably hear someone say some variation of “expect the unexpected” when referring to spending time in true wilderness. This holds especially true when that time is spent on foot, when you step off the vehicle to walk down a game trail or start tracking an animal away from the beaten trail.
It was a hot summer afternoon and the recent bursts of heavy rains had started to turn the lowveld from a dusty brown to a lush green. We were on our way back to camp after a fantastic 3 or 4 hour loop through fever tree and ana tree forests, mainly looking for some nice birds to set our eyes and lenses on.
We were less than a kilometer from camp, most of the guests were walking with their heads down and sweaty brows when our head guide spotted the small group of elephant bulls on the far side of the clearing. We had already had the privilege of observing a breeding herd of elephants during our walk, the group was downwind from the elephants and they hadn’t noticed us yet. We pointed them out to the group and made the call to try to avoid them as many looked ready for their pre-dinner nap.
The Wind Changed
As we made our way around them, careful to give them a wide berth and stay as out of sight as we could; the wind changed. Then one trunk went up like a periscope, followed by the others. They had caught our scent, and what came next… well, I didn’t expect it. Most of the time, animals acknowledge you are there and go on to do their own thing. But elephants can be curious, and this group was led by an old male with whom we were very familiar: he had come to our camp many times to feed off of the massive Nyala-berry trees there.
We saw him turn and start walking towards us at a decent pace, with the other two in tow. Seeing intent in his gait, we quickly found a spot near a big tree, instructed the group to take a knee and waited for them to approach. The old bull came within a few meters of us, goading the other younger two closer as if to introduce us. In these moments, time seems to slow but also speed up simultaneously.
It’s Always a Privilege
Having the group’s safety as a main priority in mind, we four guides stood while the group was crouched behind us, all wide-eyed with wonder. It is always a privilege when an elephant chooses to spend time with you. Up close we could feel the gentle curiosity, see the rugged thick skin, hear the huff of air getting sucked into the trunk as they took in our smells, and be in awe of the size of them towering over us.
And just like that the moment vanishes: with introductions done, the old bull turned away slowly and led the two younger ones back towards the fever tree forest, where they disappeared out of sight.