This morning we set out to find a herd of elephant. We spotted some tracks and decided to follow up to see where it would lead us. After quite a bit of serious tracking we eventually ended up at the edge of quite a big block on the eastern sector of the reserve. Since we do not go off-road for elephants we circled the block a couple of times, and at last saw a big bull elephant all alone and feeding just a short distance from the road. We watched him for quite a wile, and it was fascinating to see him go down on all fours trying to dig up roots from the tree he was feeding on.
A short distance from there was a small puddle next to the road, and this is where our elephant decided to take a mud bath. This is always interesting to watch, as elephants really enjoy water and will frequently take mud baths to cool down and get rid off and repel pesky insects. Although their skin is as thick as 2 inches in some areas, it is sensitive enough to feel the bite of a mosquito. Hence the mud treatment in natures very own spa.
We left after a wile, and even though we did not manage to find a herd of elephants, this one individual more than made up for it, and we all left the area with smiles on our faces.
Jeffrey Mmadi – Main Lodge Ranger
