Interview with an Elephant - Caprivi Namibia
Rain, Rain and Rain again..... That is the way Katima Mulilo and the Caprivi find these present days. Finally the big soft rain has come, that will make sure the people's crops will wave in the wind soon. Not a lot has been planted so far.... And with the Zambezi river now a meter higher than last year, 2011 will be in for Zambezi floods again. But not so bad as 2009 I think, might be worse that 2010 though.
Drove to Kasane again to pick up rental cars, and the way there is lush green, with soft grass forming a carpet underneath the bright greens of the trees. The Silver Terminalia and Mopanies glistens when the sun catch them in the few glimpses as the big cotton ball clouds move to and fro. This is the most beautiful time of the year for me, but not good tourism wise. Also not good people wise....
School started after the long summer holidays, and the road is full of little children in their blue shirts. Unfortunately it is a very unsafe time to travel, as the children take the road as a walkway, and doesn't watch out for cars coming, jumping around in front of oncoming traffic, while the adults have more fun laughing at the frustration on the driver's faces than worry about the children. Mostly the adults join the fun to see if they can get a driver to leave the road while swerving to avoid the people... Even though there are good footpaths well away from, but parallel to the road, they find the road best to walk on, they do not want to pass through the damp grass. And the grass next to the road is quite high, so dogs come flying out of there with no warning, adding to the frustrations of the driver. At least the cattle and goats is a bit less now, feeding on the fresh, sweet, green grass under the trees. But tourists and travelers, please be ever careful!
The Chobe park is also lush and green, it had really looked bad through the last couple of months. There was quite a drought there, even though the Caprivi is so close, we had a lot more grass and vegetation to present to animals. During the extreme hotness of October and November last year, huge herds of elephant gathered under the only green trees in the park, next to the road. The smell of the first rains had most trunks in the air as they stormed through the dry grass toward know watering holes.
Then, when rain started in earnest, they all moved around a lot more, although their "evidence" is ever present on the road, big 'bombs' for which small cars have to swerve out, but you see the elephants themselves a lot less. Yesterday was one of the few times in the rainy season where a huge herd passed over the road in the time I was driving. There is a lot of very small ones, hobbling along over the tar, while the young bulls practice flopping their ears around for the cars.
The elephants and other animals of the Park are quite well trained - they actually look before crossing (which is more then I can say for the humans and children). But it is their park, and they have right of way, so the moment they see the cars stopping for them, they will start crossing. They can cross calmly right in front of you, about 2 meters away from the car. Some are more skittish of the cars and will go a bit further and faster. While I waited at the crossing, a very young bull decided he will flop his ears for me just off to the left side, throwing them around, waving his trunk, stomping his front feet and shaking his body around with dust flying off it from a sandbath taken only a few minutes before.
The matriarch (the leading female) appeared from the vegetation to cross the road, and gave him a quick trumpeter, causing him to quickly behave and follow suit. I recognized her and was so happy to see the Old Lady again!
As the formidably big elephant cow passed in front of me and looked at me, I wished I could have an interview with her. I saw her many times now, I always know her by the notch in the ear and the stiff left back hip. She has a scar just above the hip, like the remiscence of a big cut.
I would like to know... Where she came from, how many times she crossed this road (must be so many!). How many kilometers she walked, and which places she visited. How she got the hip and the notch in her ear. How many children she had, what battles she had in keeping the herd safe. Were teenage bulls like our boys, rebellious and mischievous; it might well be from the display of the young one she gave a trumpeting to when he flapped his ears for me... Did most drivers treat them with respect? I have seen plenty that hoot at them or drive through inbetween them - and I saw how upset she, and other herds' matriarchs got. Are they tired of all the photos? Do humans irritate them very much? Are they better off now then a few years back?
Botswana had too much elephant a while back, and with an open garbage dump at Kasane, we were so unfortunate to see them feasting together with the Marabou Storks in the garbage. Just after that Botswana fenced the dump and did a cull to get the numbers down to where the Park could be a sustainable habitat for the elephants again. Its very sad, but very necessary. That was in 2007. Then all the elephant was extremely thin with their backbones sticking out in ridges above their backs. Now they are in a much better condition.
The Old Lady is the second elephant I feel a connection with in my life. Even though I haven't spoken to her. But I am sure she can read my mind, she is always looking at me when passing, as if she can feel I am talking to her inside the car. The car on the other side will not get even a glance after she made sure it stopped. I saw her once, about 2½ years back, and she didn't look very good: her mouth hung open, the head was hanging very low, the ears bent, I just recognized her by the notch in the ear, the stiff hip and her size - she's standing taller than most elephants - and I worried a lot when I didn't see her with for about 4 months after that. But I didn't see the herd as well, which was good, telling me that they stayed with her, out of sight. But one day she came out, passing in front of me again and looking at me as to say: "missed me, didn't you!" , looking healthy again, and healthy ever since. I wish I could ask her what was wrong... The photo here, when she was ill, and the one at the top is showing the same calf, 2 ½ years difference. I don't know if it is her calf, to be honest, but he's always walking just a tad in front of her.
Yesterday was really special, seeing her again, the first time for 2011. I think she had another herd merge with hers in the last couple of months. For nearly 2 years they were just 28, with about 12 kids, now there is over 40 large elephants and about 26 kids - as far as I could count.
Sometimes I wonder how many other people that travel the road very often like I do recognize the same elephant, or herd, or other animal, or if they even care.... For me its like seeing good friends again.
The story of my first elephant friend and the special bond we had, ended tragically, and I will keep it for another day. For now, I really appreciate seeing the Old Lady every now and then. It is a huge privilege to be able to see her after over 3 years, crossing the same paths. Maybe, one day, I will sit down and have the interview with her - in the afterlife. Untill then....... Walk on!
Rain, Rain and Rain again..... That is the way Katima Mulilo and the Caprivi find these present days. Finally the big soft rain has come, that will make sure the people's crops will wave in the wind soon. Not a lot has been planted so far.... And with the Zambezi river now a meter higher than last year, 2011 will be in for Zambezi floods again. But not so bad as 2009 I think, might be worse that 2010 though.
Drove to Kasane again to pick up rental cars, and the way there is lush green, with soft grass forming a carpet underneath the bright greens of the trees. The Silver Terminalia and Mopanies glistens when the sun catch them in the few glimpses as the big cotton ball clouds move to and fro. This is the most beautiful time of the year for me, but not good tourism wise. Also not good people wise....
School started after the long summer holidays, and the road is full of little children in their blue shirts. Unfortunately it is a very unsafe time to travel, as the children take the road as a walkway, and doesn't watch out for cars coming, jumping around in front of oncoming traffic, while the adults have more fun laughing at the frustration on the driver's faces than worry about the children. Mostly the adults join the fun to see if they can get a driver to leave the road while swerving to avoid the people... Even though there are good footpaths well away from, but parallel to the road, they find the road best to walk on, they do not want to pass through the damp grass. And the grass next to the road is quite high, so dogs come flying out of there with no warning, adding to the frustrations of the driver. At least the cattle and goats is a bit less now, feeding on the fresh, sweet, green grass under the trees. But tourists and travelers, please be ever careful!
The Chobe park is also lush and green, it had really looked bad through the last couple of months. There was quite a drought there, even though the Caprivi is so close, we had a lot more grass and vegetation to present to animals. During the extreme hotness of October and November last year, huge herds of elephant gathered under the only green trees in the park, next to the road. The smell of the first rains had most trunks in the air as they stormed through the dry grass toward know watering holes.
The elephants and other animals of the Park are quite well trained - they actually look before crossing (which is more then I can say for the humans and children). But it is their park, and they have right of way, so the moment they see the cars stopping for them, they will start crossing. They can cross calmly right in front of you, about 2 meters away from the car. Some are more skittish of the cars and will go a bit further and faster. While I waited at the crossing, a very young bull decided he will flop his ears for me just off to the left side, throwing them around, waving his trunk, stomping his front feet and shaking his body around with dust flying off it from a sandbath taken only a few minutes before.
The matriarch (the leading female) appeared from the vegetation to cross the road, and gave him a quick trumpeter, causing him to quickly behave and follow suit. I recognized her and was so happy to see the Old Lady again!
As the formidably big elephant cow passed in front of me and looked at me, I wished I could have an interview with her. I saw her many times now, I always know her by the notch in the ear and the stiff left back hip. She has a scar just above the hip, like the remiscence of a big cut.
I would like to know... Where she came from, how many times she crossed this road (must be so many!). How many kilometers she walked, and which places she visited. How she got the hip and the notch in her ear. How many children she had, what battles she had in keeping the herd safe. Were teenage bulls like our boys, rebellious and mischievous; it might well be from the display of the young one she gave a trumpeting to when he flapped his ears for me... Did most drivers treat them with respect? I have seen plenty that hoot at them or drive through inbetween them - and I saw how upset she, and other herds' matriarchs got. Are they tired of all the photos? Do humans irritate them very much? Are they better off now then a few years back?
Botswana had too much elephant a while back, and with an open garbage dump at Kasane, we were so unfortunate to see them feasting together with the Marabou Storks in the garbage. Just after that Botswana fenced the dump and did a cull to get the numbers down to where the Park could be a sustainable habitat for the elephants again. Its very sad, but very necessary. That was in 2007. Then all the elephant was extremely thin with their backbones sticking out in ridges above their backs. Now they are in a much better condition.
The Old Lady is the second elephant I feel a connection with in my life. Even though I haven't spoken to her. But I am sure she can read my mind, she is always looking at me when passing, as if she can feel I am talking to her inside the car. The car on the other side will not get even a glance after she made sure it stopped. I saw her once, about 2½ years back, and she didn't look very good: her mouth hung open, the head was hanging very low, the ears bent, I just recognized her by the notch in the ear, the stiff hip and her size - she's standing taller than most elephants - and I worried a lot when I didn't see her with for about 4 months after that. But I didn't see the herd as well, which was good, telling me that they stayed with her, out of sight. But one day she came out, passing in front of me again and looking at me as to say: "missed me, didn't you!" , looking healthy again, and healthy ever since. I wish I could ask her what was wrong... The photo here, when she was ill, and the one at the top is showing the same calf, 2 ½ years difference. I don't know if it is her calf, to be honest, but he's always walking just a tad in front of her.
Yesterday was really special, seeing her again, the first time for 2011. I think she had another herd merge with hers in the last couple of months. For nearly 2 years they were just 28, with about 12 kids, now there is over 40 large elephants and about 26 kids - as far as I could count.
Sometimes I wonder how many other people that travel the road very often like I do recognize the same elephant, or herd, or other animal, or if they even care.... For me its like seeing good friends again.
The story of my first elephant friend and the special bond we had, ended tragically, and I will keep it for another day. For now, I really appreciate seeing the Old Lady every now and then. It is a huge privilege to be able to see her after over 3 years, crossing the same paths. Maybe, one day, I will sit down and have the interview with her - in the afterlife. Untill then....... Walk on!
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