The thought ‘WHAT AM I DOING?’ crossed my mind as I stood
in silence, with one of Africa’s giants towering over me.
in silence, with one of Africa’s giants towering over me.
Besides lions, elephants are one of the main reasons tourists flock to Africa each year, and I was certainly no different. To be in the presence of these magnificent animals is magical. As big and powerful as they are, they can also instil a great sense of calmness in you.
Another Favourite Book
Before I ventured into Africa in search of wildlife there was one book that inspired me to want to spend time with elephants, as well as find out more about them for myself. That book was The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony. Lawrence Anthony is a conservationist who owns a game reserve in South Africa. He was given a herd of rouge elephants to look after which is definitely easier said than done.
His trials and tribulations raising this heard of elephants tells a fascinating
story and can inspire anyone to want to experience it for themselves.
story and can inspire anyone to want to experience it for themselves.
Poaching
Whilst wild elephants continue to roam across much of Africa, they still remain at risk from poaching, habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict. According to TUSK, an anti-poaching charity (of whom the Duke of Cambridge Prince William is a Patron) up to 30,000 elephants are killed every year for their tusks.
30,000 elephants killed every
year for their tusks is unsustainable -
they will become extinct if we don’t
do something about it.
year for their tusks is unsustainable -
they will become extinct if we don’t
do something about it.
Into the wild
In the wild, Elephants can form huge herds that roam the land in a constant search for food. Their appetite is enormous and during the dry season they can push over trees effortlessly just to reach the green tips at the top that are usually unreachable. Their immense power combined with their huge appetite is what makes elephants such a problem in rural areas where local farmers grow crops.
A further problem is that we can't always predict elephant behaviour and migration patterns: Being approached in the dark by a 7 ton bull elephant can be quite scary!
Solutions?
ALERT - the African Lion & Environmental Research Trust is developing a study to understand these immigration patterns specifically between the Zambezi National Park in Zimbabwe and the Mosi-ao-Tunya National Park in Zambia.
There is a slight issue - separating these two great wilderness areas is the mighty Zambezi River. The river itself is teeming with crocs and hippos, not to mention the white water rapids that end up cascading into the Victoria Falls - more on this majestic waterfall in a future blog.
Wow, absolutely amazing.
wow cool I love and really amazed at the sight of your work
I love this story, thanks! You might enjoy hearing about Katy Payne's work, she is truly an amazing thinker and expresses her research beautifully.
http://www.onbeing.org/program/katy-payne-in-the-presence-of-elephants-and-whales/241
Very interesting post and such magnificent creatures!
Beautiful photos and absolutely agree, this is not sustainable and is heart-breaking. We recently lost the black rhino and clearly didn't learn much from that tragedy if we don't do something these beautiful creatures will be next. ( ._.)
great post and wonderfull photo , i'm very interesting :)
thanks @dannystravels
@dannystravels I love Elephants and enjoyed your pictures and story. I despise poaching or the senseless killing of any animal. Thanks man for posting.
Elephants are gorgeous, must have been amazing to see them in there own habitat. What a fantastic experience
@dannystravels
Beautifull.
We love elephants.
Amazing pictures and awesome blog!
amazing article. i enjoy reading. upvoted man
The most beautiful creatures on this planet - I love them and support them when ever possible.
Here is a post a did regarding a great charity ( i support) that has found a great solution to the poaching problem AND IT WORKS!
https://steemit.com/life/@ladypenelope1/give-elephants-wings-and-let-them-fly-a-proven-solution-to-the-illegal-ivory-trade
Love the pictures , its all in their eyes....
Hunting animals for tusks or skins belongs to the Stone Age. Shame on people who do it, but, most of all, shame on people who BUY this crap and sponsor murders.
This is absolutely incredible. Thank you for sharing your experience and for bringing attention to an extremely important issue that more people need to focus on.