Elephant calf builds confidence: Video

So many elephants, so many photographs and so much footage.

Mandlovu’s herd had been joined by the rest of the breeding herd and all were in the northeast.
With so many elephant around there was something happening all the time. Some were feeding while others wallowing and the bulls just being their normal nuisance testing all the females. They really don’t have any manners. They just sidle up to any cow and take a sniff. It all just seems so rude. Typical male chauvinists.

The herd, about 80 elephants, moved into a clearing and were grazing for about an hour. All these elephants out in the open was truly awesome and it gave me a much better idea of all the little herds within the bigger herd.

Then suddenly there was trumpeting to the north. A big tuskless female took off in that direction. I followed. She met up with a trumpeting youngster. They stood around heads held high. Then the cow ran off towards some other elephants screaming. A younger cow turned her back on her and reversed into her. The screaming continued from animals all around. But it was mostly this big cow that was agitated. She kept running off in different directions wherever there was an elephant screaming.
And as suddenly as it all started it all calmed down.

I haven’t a clue what that was all about. And the amazing thing was that in all this commotion and tension the elephants ignored me. Which was of course a good thing, because usually in situations like this they get really up tight with intruders.
Soon after this activity the herd headed south, but again Mandlovu took her herd north. Another unanswerable move.
Earlier this morning the Banyini pride were on Banyini lazing around. And close to them were these zebra. The one foal had this big injury on its side. It didn’t look that fresh and probably not caused by the same lions. The injury was superficial, only the skin had been ripped aside, so it should heal fine.

Just before sunset I found the Nduna pride a long way south on a buffalo carcass. They had probably killed it earlier this morning. All were scattered away from the carcass well well fed and the vultures weren’t daring it to come down for a nibble. After waiting all day they’ve now got all night waiting too. And maybe even another day of waiting.