Elephants at the Hide
Georgina Ellis, Destination Expert
On my first full day in Botswana I had one of the most magical experiences I have ever had in Africa. Meno a Kwena camp is situated on the very high banks of the Boteti River which is now been dry for 17 years. They have the only water hole for miles around so animals are continually coming to drink. They have a wonderful hide situated halfway up the bank where you can sit for hours watching the game.
Jeff Gush who helped build the camp trusted us to obey him properly so when 15 elephants came down to drink he quickly told us to run down to the hide area. He then took us further down the bank to a large rock jutting out the edge, just a few metres above from where the elephants were coming down to drink. Under Jeff’s instructions to ‘not move a muscle’ we sat very still (I think I even forgot to breath for the first minute!) as the elephants came to the watering hole.
The direction the breeze was going in meant that they couldn’t smell us, so we were able to sit for about 5 minutes while 15 male elephants drank, played and washed at the water hole. The low rumbling noise made by the elephants to communicate to each other made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. To watch them interacting so closely without the noise of a vehicle was completely mesmerizing and overwhelming. Luckily however, we were missed by the mud that they were spraying everywhere from their trunks!! The pictures here really say it all..
