Skywatch Friday - Grey skies and grey bodies

A family group of elephants at the Addo Elephant National Park.

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In a forest of legs

It never ceases to amaze me how caring and protective elephants are of the new born calves.

It seems like being in the herd could be a dangerous place for these little guys, but somehow those big feet miss them and the little ones are able to move inside the herd quite safely.

World Elephant Day 2014

World Elephant Day has been going on for three years now and is a time when people come together to honor elephants, to spread awareness about the critical threats they are facing, and to support positive solutions that will help ensure their survival.

Click here to see the World Elephant Day Press Release.

Here are a few photos that show these magnificent animals in their natural environment.

Two elephant bulls greeting

The true kings of the bush

There are some things that are not shared.

Asserting his dominance at the waterhole

Who's the boss

At the Addo Elephant National Park you don't just see elephants you "experience" them.

This bull was one of a small herd that passed through a group of cars that had stopped to watch their approach. The photo is made dramatic by the foreshortening caused by my 120-500 mm lens, but even so the guy was close and it shows his size well, in relation to the car. When you have encounters like this it is awesome and you realise for just how long you are able to hold your breath.

The Addo elephants are generally very placid but that does not mean that we must be complacent and take them for granted. When we in the park we are in their space and we must respect them and not do anything to provoke them. If they show any sign of aggression back off.

When a bull happens to be in musth, which is very evident from the secretion coming from a gland between his eye and his ear, give him plenty of space, because during musth the testosterone levels increase and they become very aggresive.

So, who is the boss? You had better believe this guys is.

Birding in the RSA - African Spoonbill

I photographed this African Spoonbill near Jack's Picnic Place at Addo. Birding is such fun.

The march of the elephants

I never tire of the experience of meeting the elephants along the road at Addo. When you are sitting in your car and these giants of the bush come ambling past you, so close you could reach out and touch them, it is a humbling experience. And once they are gone you slowly let out your breath and then chuckle as you realise that you were holding your breath while they were passing.

This young cow was ambling by with real attitude and a proper swagger

This family group was heading for a nearby water hole and we sat quietly and watched, with the engine turned off as they ambled by. We did not feel threatened and neither did they, as they were coming into our space and then, all too soon it was over as they disappeared into the bush behind us.  

I just love the way this young bull is stirring up the dust, with his breath, through his trunk.

Whatever you do never take an elephant for granted or provoke them. If they display any of the warning signs, give them space - you are after all in their territory.

Baby elephant pile on

Living near to the Addo Elephant National Park has its advantages, because when I need my bush fix it is a mere 40 kms from my front door.

This year has been really special, with the arrival of a big crop of baby elephants and like all children they are playful,  mischievous and a joy to watch.

On this trip I spent a long time sitting in the middle of a small family group watching the antics of these two .

The game ultimately culminated in a pile on and you can see that they are really enjoying themselves.

World Elephant Day

The quote sums up the objectives of World Elephant Day very well:

"On August 12, 2012, the inaugural World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants. The elephant is loved, revered and respected by people and cultures around the world, yet we balance on the brink of seeing the last of this magnificent creature.

The escalation of poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict and mistreatment in captivity are just some of the threats to both African and Asian elephants. Working towards better protection for wild elephants, improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving elephant habitats, better treatment for captive elephants, and when appropriate reintroducing captive elephants into natural, protected sanctuaries are the goals that numerous elephant conservation organizations are focusing on around the world.

World Elephant Day asks you to experience elephants in non-exploitive and sustainable environments where elephants can thrive under care and protection. On World Elephant Day August 12, express your concern, share your knowledge and support solutions for the better care of captive and wild elephants alike.

Elephants are simply one more natural resource that is being caught up in human greed on the one hand and human need on the other. We somehow need people to become reacquainted with nature or they can have no clue as the interrelatedness of cause and effect.” - Dr. Stephen Blake, Mac Planck Institute for Ornithology

Of fools and elephants.

While standing at Zuurkop yesterday, which is one of the places at the Addo Elephant National Park where you are allowed to alight from your vehicle, I was not surprised to see this car in the distance, with a fellow sitting on the roof. It happens all the time.

He obviously saw noting wrong with what he was doing and happily continued to ride on the roof even though someone we met at Zuurkop, had earlier warned him not to do so.

 

As if riding on the roof was not stretching the boundaries the group decided to leave their vehicle and I am not sure if they were aware of the elephants in the bush alongside the car or not. I did not notice them when I was taking the pics, but I did notice the lass in the maroon top make a quick dash back to the car.

In the next shot the fellow is quite aware of the elephant and decides to have an up close and personal photo shoot. Fortunately for him and his pals the incident did not turn ugly, but if it had it would have been everyone's fault but their own.

The result of an elephant attack would have probably seen the elephant being hunted down and culled; Addo would have been given a bad name internationally, as a tourist destination; and tighter rules would be imposed, which would spoil the park experience for the law abiding visitors.

If these characters ever saw the aftermath of a car recently destroyed by an elephant at the Kruger National Park, I wonder if they would have still been so cavalier about climbing out of their car, to photograph the elephant.

One of the basic rules at all the South African national parks is to remain in your car....and that means being completely inside your car. The reasons for this are obvious....there are many animals that can be aggressive and dangerous, when provoked or given the opportunity, but this truth does not seem to penetrate the minds of some visitors to the national parks, who quite openly flaunt the rules.

Aside from remaining in your car common sense dictates that you show the animals some respect, especially the elephants, because if they decide to turn on you there are no prizes for guessing who will win. Google "elephant attacks kruger national park" and see what I mean.

The Addo elephants are generally very placid and I do not know of any incidents where they have up-ended a car or attacked a person, but that does not mean that we must become complacent, because there can always be a first time. Sue and I have come across some very aggressive males in musth, where we decided discretion is the better part of valour and respected their space. We are after all on their turf and the Park should not be treated as a petting zoo.

There is no excuse for this type of thoughtless behaviour, or should I say stupidity.

We did report the incident, including the cars registration number to the staff of duty, but I do not know if there was any follow-up action or not.

Skywatch Friday - A patch of sky

I had some difficulty this week finding a suitable Skywatch picture, but after some searching I came across one with a patch of clear blue sky showing.

This was about all I could capture of this elephant it was so close. I do so enjoy the intimacy of the Addo Elephant  National Park.

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New life - Elephant

There are a lot of new elephant calves in Addo at the moment. This one cannot be more than a few days old.

I always find it so amazing how protective the herd is of its calves - it is not only the mothers who takes care of the little ones, but there is always a group of willing helpers. They can often be seen protectively surrounding a little one in open spaces, or gently drawing one back when it tries to leave the safety of the herd.

The little guy

A new born elephant calf at the Addo Elephant National Park, He seems so small and fragile amongst the bigger guys.

Addo Trip #5 - Buzzards and Behemoths

I just love Africa. Where else can you capture a view like this one of a steppe buzzard and an elephant.

Skywatch Friday - The grey is not in the sky

A bright blue sky at Addo Elephant National Park and a few ellies

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Addo Trip #2 - The big and the small

When I head out into the bush I enjoy all the animals, from the smallest to the largest, whether it is striped field mouse or an elephant. They all have their own beauty, strange behaviours and appeal and I can spend hours watching them.

This striped field mouse was hanging around us at Jack's picnic spot, hoping for a handout. Of course being near the bottom of the food chain he also makes a nice meal for a raptor. We had in fact observed one of his relatives being devoured with great gusto a few minutes earlier, but never told him.

We got to know these young bulls over the two days of driving around. They were like naughty young boys, who were the best of friends, yet were constantly sparring, to see who was the strongest. They were quite amusing to watch and I will post more pictures of their antics one of these days.

Here they were enjoying a mud bath to cool of from the heat of the day, at the same water hole where the lions were reigning supreme the day before.

Rush hour traffic - Addo style

Sometimes when you get caught up in traffic, it is best to be patient and wait.

Spring is in the air

I was at Addo again this weekend and Spring is definitely in the air.......................I have never see the place so ablaze with flowers.

Mini vs Maxi Tour - The grey creatures

An elephant bull, with a missing tusk, nonchalantly munching away at the the grass, at the Addo Elephant National Park .

But one thing you must always bear in mind when visiting Addo. If you spend your time just looking at the big grey elephants you may just miss the little grey birds. I still need to identify this little fellow, which will happen one day.

The Mini vs Maxi Challenge - From the West to the East

Day three of the tour dawned bright and sunny in Tsistikamma. It is one of those paces that is full of charm and beauty, which makes it difficult to leave, especially after the wonderful hospitality of our hosts Chris and Irma.

To get the most of the atmosphere I took an early morning walk before breakfast, through the gardens and the picturesque village, which is set below the majestic mountains of the Tsitsikamma. Imagine waking up to this every morning.



A two and a half drive brought us to the Elephant House at Addo, where we were ushered into an establishment that was full character and old world charm, with its wide verandas and lush well kept gardens.



This is a place to stay if you are looking for peace and quite, good accommodation and excellent food. Our gourmet three course lunch with our host that was superb, to say the least.

The Elephant House is a stone's throw away from the Addo Elephant National Park, which was our next destination. As we were driving on to Stutterheim after the tour, we decided to  do a self drive in the MAXI teams VW Amarok. This vehicle is amazing. It is just as comfortable on the dirt roads as it is on the tar.

The Addo Elephant National Park is one of my favourite places in the Eastern Cape. Whenever I go there I am never disappointed. This time was no exception. I have never seen the Park looking so lush. The countryside is awash with a blaze of colour from all the flowers - it looks like spring has sprung early this year.

With all the vegetation and surface water the animals were not as concentrated as they were in the drier months, but we were not disappointed - here are three of my favourites, elephants, kudu and warthog.

From here our next stop was the Manderson Hotel at Stutterheim, but that is tomorrow's story.

Mini vs Maxi Tour - The Eastern Cape has it all

When I was looking at the plans for the Mini vs Maxi tour I was again reminded that the Eastern Cape is a really amazing tourist destination, but that is not always recognised as such.

Sue and I recently joined Couch Surfers and have had some fantastic people come and stay with us, but it always seems that they are just passing through. When I ask them if they are planning a trip to the Addo Elephant Park, they look at me blankly and say, "No, we are going to Kruger. I am sure we will see elephants there."

"Yes you will, but we have the big seven here," I say.

They also don't seem to realise that our elephant cows are much prettier, because they do not have their delicate facial features spoilt by large tusks.

And then, can you see whales and dolphins and sharks in Kruger?



We have the Wild Coast, the Sunshine Coast and the Garden Route.
We have lush green forests with amazing yellow woods and the wide open spaces of the Karoo. There are mountains and valleys and rivers, lakes and dams.

We have the most amazing fynbos and aloes. In fact there is always something flowering in the Eastern Cape, no matter what time of the year.

You can ski in the snow in winter and on the lakes and rivers in summer.

We have everything in the Eastern Cape and next week the Mini and Maxi teams will be experiencing the "adventure" activities the province has to offer. There will be many updates on what the province has to offer next week.

What don't we have? Malaria..............so, who cares. There is no need to go further North or South.