In The Shadow Of Giants

I fell in love with African wildlife as a kid and my dream was to one day visit the continent and see all its animals. When I got a little older and learned just how large and diverse a continent Africa actually is, I figured I’d start with the Serengeti and go from there!

In 2008, my dream finally became reality and I embarked on a 28-day trip to the land of sun. There are many, many stories to share about this trip and the three countries I visited – Tanzania, South Africa and Madagascar – but today, this story is about elephants.

Being the largest land animal on the planet, it’s hard to imagine anyone not being impressed by an elephant. An average male African elephant weighs around 6, 364 Kg (14,000 pounds) and stands about 4 M (over 13 feet) tall. Seeing one at a zoo is impressive, but seeing one in the wild is a whole different experience. I’m not sure I can accurately describe what that was like for me. Whenever I see an animal in its natural habitat, especially for the first time, I feel both excited and at peace...and I’m usually a little teary-eyed to boot. And when it’s a large animal like an elephant, the wow factor is big!

On my very first day of safari, I couldn’t wait to finally see the animals I had been waiting to observe in the wild my whole life. And I wasn’t picky; I didn’t have a check list, I wanted to see it all! I was travelling with a friend who felt the same way and we were SO excited to get going. We arrived at the first place on our tour in Tanzania, Tarangire National Park. Our guide went to check us in and I decided to use the bathroom before our drive. While in there, I heard zebras in the distance through the open window and at first it was so surreal it was like I was hearing a recording playing on a PA system rather than actual wild zebras in the park beyond the bathroom. Oh my god...I was in Africa!

The first animal we saw was a giraffe, but it was far below us in a valley and although we were ecstatic, our guide promised we would see animals much closer then that as we drove on. We then came upon an African fish eagle sitting in a large tree and again were thrilled because we weren’t sure how many birds of prey we’d end up seeing during our visit. It wasn’t too long after we’d said goodbye to the eagle that it happened – we saw our first elephant!

Bull elephant in Tarangire National Park © Lenore N

 It was a male and he was alone walking through the tall grasses. He saw our jeep stop and he watched us calmly as we scrambled for our cameras all the while whispering excitedly. He was magnificent and beautiful and yes, I got a little teary. For such a large creature, he was amazingly quiet. The thing I find challenging when seeing a wild animal is the desire to capture as many pictures as I can while balancing that with just sitting and observing. But since this was my first wild elephant encounter ever, the camera won out and I snapped picture after picture – gotta love digital! Fortunately, we had many opportunities as the trip went on to sit and observe these amazing giants.

Mom and baby in Serengeti National Park © Lenore N

Over our planet’s history, there have been 252 identified species of proboscidea (the taxonomy order to which elephants belong) which includes the prehistoric woolly mammoth. Today, there are only 2 species of elephants left, African and Asian. As I’m sure you’re well aware, those 2 remaining species have been driven to the brink of extinction for their ivory tusks. And although the trade is illegal, it continues to thrive. Add habitat destruction and human-elephant competition for space to the mix and these animals have got huge odds stacked against them. They are large, far roaming species that need lots of space to survive. The elephant population in Africa is not as low as that in Asia, where they only number somewhere between 25,000 to 35,000 wild individuals. There are about 600,000 African elephants across 37 countries – and this number is largely due to vast conservation efforts over the past 30 years. But while they may be stable in certain areas where protected, they are far from being safe with all the pressures on them. 

One organization doing amazing work is the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/) in Kenya. They take in young orphaned elephants whose families have been killed by poachers or have ended up affected by some other human-elephant conflict that has left them alone. Regardless of the reason, these young elephants wouldn’t stand a chance without the help of the Trust. The individuals who work there are truly some of the most caring and compassionate people on the planet. They spend day and night with these orphans nursing them back to health with the goal of one day releasing them back in the wild. 60 Minutes and The Nature of Things have both run programs on this organization so if you think it sounds familiar, that could be why.  Please visit their website and learn more about their work. It’s very expensive to care for these animals and they have a great foster program you might be interested in. I fostered an elephant in the past and loved getting photos and updates; it was very rewarding to hear about her progress.

© David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust 

 Everyone has the power to help elephants whether by avoiding products made from ivory, donating to an organization working on elephant conservation and/or educating other people about the issues threatening these amazing animals.   

The experience of spending some time with wild elephants in Africa is one for which I am eternally grateful and one I will remember forever.