The Nature of Elephants

Is there anything cuter than a baby elephant?  We were surprised and thrilled to see so many herds of African Elephants in Botswana and Zambia during the month of May.  May is not generally considered a peak month for tourism in these countries, but we saw every animal you could wish for - and virtually every species we saw had babies in tow!

African elephants are the world's largest land animals, and the baby's are born weighing about 250  pounds.  A baby elephant is born into an extended family of adult female elephants, all of whom help to raise and protect the vulnerable youngsters. Male elephants are part of the herd until they are about fourteen years old.  At that time the teen-aged male elephant is kicked out of the family group and will either live on it's own or hook up with other young males.  Evidently, humans are not the only species who can expect trouble whenever young adult males are around!

For the first months of their lives, baby elephants will walk underneath their mothers whenever the family group travels.  We were astounded to see this tiny one crossing the road in Chobe National Park in Botswana.  It turned out that the elephants are headed for the river to drink and bathe.

Elephants love the water.  They drink it in massive quantities (adults consume thirty to fifty gallons per day!), and they love to cool off in the water and take mud baths as well.  Elephants cover themselves with mud to protect their skin from insects and from the often brutal African sun.  

I still have a lot to learn about elephants, but I can't believe anyone could possibly resist falling in love with elephant babies and elephant moms!  

The Nature of Africa

This is an African Grey Hornbill; one of the dozens of new bird and animal species I saw in Botswana and Zambia last month.  The trip was life-changing and awe-inspiring.  I know i'm home from Africa because I am siting at my computer writing a blog post, but in my heart and soul I am in Zambia still. It is not simply because the country is beautiful or because the birds and animals are so thrilling to see - although both are true.  It's not just that everyone we met was kind, courteous, and unbelievably happy, despite the desperate poverty and the scourge of AIDS everywhere we were. It's not even that I miss the truly joyful and fulfilled young man that my son Peter has become since he moved to Africa.  Not one of those things make it hard for me to settle down to life back in Massachusetts - but all of those experiences combined have kept me in Zambia inside my mind!

This is the first in a series of posts featuring the nature of Southern Africa.  It was no problem identifying the African Elephants shown above, but without having Pete around, most of the birds and some of the mammals and insects will be very difficult to ID.  On the up side, we'll all learn something new with each blog post!

Every moment of our trip was so exciting and such a shock to the senses that it almost seemed unreal. I was certainly hoping to see Giraffes, for instance, but totally unprepared for whole families of Giraffes and simply irresistible Giraffe babies everywhere!  Our excellent guide at Muchenje Lodge in Botswana, KB, knows everything there is to know about every bird, animal, and insect we saw; and every one has a fascinating story to tell.  Too bad KB isn't here to help me write up these blog posts for you!

This magnificent and massive beast is a Greater Kudu.  The Greater Kudu is a game animal elsewhere in Africa, but in Chobe national Park, where Muchenje Lodge is located, the animals are protected from hunters and are thriving.  The Kudu was one of many ungulates we got to see up close and personally!

The African Fish Eagle is the national bird of Zambia, and was one of the birds I was very much hoping to see.  They look very much like the American Bald Eagle, don't they?  Well, we saw a great many African Fish Eagles, and they are much more like the American Eagle than you could imagine.  Tom even managed to capture images of the spectacular mating dance of the Fish Eagles, where the pair clasp on to each other and drop from the sky in a terrifying spin that must be seen to be believed.  It just happens that I have seen the same deadly-looking drop right here in Framingham, Massachusetts a few years back.  In that case, it was an American Bald Eagle practicing his moves in preparation for mating season.  I never would have believed I'd see such a fabulous sight again in my lifetime - especially half a world away!

I hope all my Nature of Framingham readers enjoyed these images from the Nature of Africa.  The trip changed my life in many ways, and I hope to share the wonder of it all with each of you, too!