Botswana, Animals

Elephant

We saw elephants every day. Sometimes a solitary elephant among the trees, but more often family groups with a big matriarch, other adults and juveniles. Of course, we most enjoyed seeing the little ones!

In Chobe National Park, our guide Justice took us out on the boat. There we found this family at the edge of the Chobe River. Soon, a bull elephant went out into the water and swam to the other side. Then other males followed the first one.

Above is one of the younger adult males. He's still walking on the river bottom, but soon after this point they all sank lower into the water. Eventually, not much more than his eyes and his trunk were showing!

Above, a young one. Not a baby but still a child. Below, a fully grown adult.

Elephants came into two of our camps. That was always exciting!

At Selinda, Dom and Amelia were walking to lunch on the path from their tent. Dom recorded the video at right. Watch for the surprise at the end!

I took pictures of babies, but they were always protected by their mothers or other elephants. There's a baby in the background of the shot below, but I was under close scrutiny while shooting.

At bottom, the Chobe River at sunset.

A dead elephant attracted attention from scavengers at Selinda, but the scene was quite gruesome. If you want to see those photos, click here.