Elephants on Parade

Pausing to drink

First we spotted them in ones and twos, below us in the river. Then there were more and more coming down the hill towards the river and having to cross the road that we, and a few other cars, had pulled up on to watch the spectacle. Finally, there were dozens of them in the water drinking and in the case of the youngsters playing. It was difficult to know where to look first as they emerged from the scrub on one side of us – elephants of all sizes in family groups - and we peered through the trees on the other side to the ‘holiday-scene’ in the river below.

Crossing the road seemed to worry them and a few cars ahead of us one vehicle had pulled up too close to a crossing family and the large matriarch, ears flapping and trunk flailing advanced upon it. She trumpeted. The car rapidly backed up and swerved around the car behind it bumping its trailer. Seemingly satisfied with the results of her warning, the matriarch saw the rest of her family across the road and proceeded awkwardly on her great flat feet down the steep slope towards the river.

Another group crossed the road behind us. It included a very young calf and it paused - right in the middle of the tarmac - legs comically spread to pee (perhaps the excitement was too much), the others standing patiently waiting for the little one to finish. Then they moved on down the slope.

There was an occasional distant trumpeting – a remarkable, unearthly and primitive sound that was maybe a rallying call - and two young bulls could be seen squaring off to each other on the far bank. There was some pushing and shoving between them and then one broke away, running swiftly, followed halfheartedly by the other.

There was also playful sparring among the younger elephants down in the water. Most of the calves became thoroughly wet – distinctly dark alongside their dusty elders - and there was some mischievous pushing and shoving between them too. The river was only moving slowly, little risk here, so they were wallowing and splashing each other. Among the photos below you will see one youngster blows an explosive trunk-load of water in the face of another.

The smallest babies stood in the river under care (and literally under) their mothers, more quietly exploring and enjoying the water. The older elephants seemed mostly content with a drink and a quiet promenade through the water and finally away up the bank and into the scrub on the far side. In the end I think we counted about sixty but there may have been more. It was a remarkable spectacle: elephants doing what elephants have done for hundreds of thousands of years in their natural habotat and to all extents and purposes - having a good time.

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A family crosses the road

The baby pauses to pee in the middle of the road and everyone else waits patiently

Many drink and paddle whilst in the backgrund to the right a couple of what I think are probably young males play-fight.

close-up on the sparring males

and again

there is a lot going on

on the far bank a mother walks with her little calf

who decides to have a quick lay down (he soon gets up after this) - maybe a tantrum?

some friendly 'wrestling'  by the younger (mainly very wet) elephnats

Watch this one - trunk coiled....

Whoosh .... a facefull of water for his playmate.

Another mother and her big-eared and very wet offspring 

A very young calf passes by.

Later the same day - a view from Oliphants Rest Camp looking down on the same river system

Elephants are still crossing.

A family group  by the road.

And finally here is a great photo donated to the blog by my friend and colleague Claire Bass of a different encounter that we had on the same trip with a different group and in which she has nicely caught the young calf standing below the protective might of her mum.