Elephants at dawn

Today we went exploring with a group of African elephants.  I booked us on a small group tour with Shearwater Adventures. Our day began with an early morning pick-up from our hotel.  We were then driven out to the company's 4,000-hectare private game reserve where five elephants were waiting for our group. 

I was pleased to learn that our tour wasn't exploiting adult animals born and raised in the wild. The elephants we rode were conditioned to humans from a young age after being rescued by the tour company. Sadly, their mothers were either killed by poachers or culled by rangers (a practice that's since been discontinued). The reserve also runs a Black Rhino Breeding Programme that's working to rebuild and sustain this endangered species. However, we didn't see any Rhinos during our visit.

Climbing aboard these enormous creatures was an adventure in itself.  Our "Induna" or driver, got the animal to crouch down on the ground. We then clambered aboard using a small step ladder. As the elephant stands to its full height you suddenly appreciate how big it really is. It felt a very long way down. We rode sitting on a padded canvas saddle with simple stirrups for your feet.  This rustic saddle leaves you feeling far more connected to the animal than the platform-based ride I enjoyed in India.

Our 45-minute ride took us on a circuit through the bush down into a shallow river bed which we crossed before circling back and returning to base. We were then given an opportunity to feed the animals and take plenty of one-in-a-lifetime close-up photos with them. It was a genuinely moving experience.

To quote the tour company, "Sitting on a knee of these gigantic animals being able to stare into those big blinking eyes, feel the velvety softness of the ears and the rough hue of their skin, and to have them feed right for your hand with their incredible trunks – is deeply bonding and a visceral feeling for many."  I couldn't have said it better myself!

Perhaps one of the excursion's coolest highlights was something completely unplanned.  As we drove into the reserve we encountered a pack of Painted Dogs chasing a forlong little antelope.  It was fascinating to watch these animals on the hunt. The drama that unfolded couldn't have been scripted better by David Attenborough himself.