Elephant day! We rose at 06:00 again to be collected from the Drifters Inn at 07:00 to go into the National Park on the outskirts of town. After a short briefing, some information on African elephants and their populations throughout Africa and the loading of a rifle just in case we encountered the bull elephant (eek!) we climbed onto the elephant's back to begin our ride. Our elephant was a seventeen year old male orphan called Moka. He wasn't terribly keen on making progress but he was less keen on being last in the line so when he realised he wasn't in the correct place in the convoy he decided to pick up the pace and trot to a more suitable second to last place in front of his orphan sister. A little unsettling at first but it soon became a lot of fun. All of the elephants at this reserve were orphaned during a severe drought. It is illegal in Zimbabwe to remove an elephant from its family from the wild, but had they not been helped when their mothers died during the drought the young may well have died too.
We saw a dozen or so buffalo during our ride. As we approached them the whole herd rose to their feet and stood motionless watching us as we passed around them. The elephants don't stop eating all the time they are in the forest, snapping at trees and branches as they walk. We also had some sightings of impala, kudu antelope, baboon and warthog (which, incidentally, we later got to sample as 'game of the day' for dinner at Mama Africa!).
A wonderful morning, a fantastic experience. When we trekked back to reception three orphaned warthog followed the elephants to collect any molasses left behind as waste. These guys are comical characters and never wander to far from the reliable source of food.
Arriving back at reception we descended off of Moka's back and interacted with him. I gave him molasses by his trunk, fed him directly into his mouth,feeling his soft, squidgy tongue and smooth teeth. I patted and stroked his trunk and ears, the former felt like a wiry sponge and the latter like leather. His tusks were smooth, smooth ivory. He refused to sit down for us but did raise his hoof for me to feel the underside. It was a lot like the underside of a cats paw but firmer and very dry. I was told to stand between his tusks in front of him and feed him, which I did, but then he brought his trunk down onto my Tilley hat on my head almost knocking it off! There clearly is an attraction of an elephant to Tilley hats after all!
In the afternoon we watched yesterdays rafting video at Shearwater Adventures and broke out in tears at several incidences, including Catapulting Canadian as she left the raft on rapid number ten. It was extremely funny. Ian bought the video as a lasting memory.
Following on we took to the Victoria Falls for a walk around. They are incredible, even at low water. I hope the photographs do the falls some justice although I don't imagine they will give an appropriate indication of size. At the rainbow falls the depth was 108 metres. That's quite a depth and there's no fence to prevent you going over the edge! A little different to Lands End... Ian and I polished off the afternoon by wandering back to the Victoria Falls hotel which was very posh. On the way we spotted the lone buffalo who resides just outside the hotel garden and had to give way to a troop of baboons crossing our walkway. At the hotel we sat on the terrace and enjoyed a high tea, at the recommendation of Markus and Kerstin. It was very civilised indeed! Although I don't recall receiving such English service and hospitality back home! We did enjoy those cucumber sandwiches 'though. The hotel had many extremely appropriate English characutures framed on the walls in the lobby. A sighting of some playful mongoose in the garden as we left for the Drifters Inn.
Copyright 2002 Helen Fuller. All rights reserved.