Zambia: Elephant Riding

What better way to send off 2010 than to spend the day riding elephants and swimming perilously close to the edge of a waterfall??

I'm not sure one exists.

This post is, of course, not about the dangerous waterfall (that comes next!) but about the incredible beauty of the family elephants that we got to spend the day with on December 31st. 

Our day started early. Reeeeallllyyyy early. We were up and on our way by 6:30am!

But it was so, so very worth it. 

The main lodge where we were welcomed with smiles and coffee

After drowsily piling into an awaiting van at the hotel (and a few stops to pick up other tourists), it was a quick 15 minute drive to the lodge in the Mosi-ao Tunya National Park where all the elephant magical began. 

By the grace of God, they had coffee and tea waiting for us as we took our seats on the lawn. Leah made conversation with another mother in the group and they quickly discovered we all share Canadian passports! They were from Quebec on a month-long family vacation. It was neat to connect with other Canadians and swap thoughts on the African experience. 

Jason, Me, Sarah, and Aaron slurping back some much-needed java

As the lodge's small Labrador puppy took nippy jabs at our ankles, we were given a quick run-down of what to expect: an hour's ride on a family of six Zimbabwean elephants. We were also warned that a herd of wild elephants or baboons may drop by our caravan for a visit. Which, conveniently enough, is the reason why the guides carry shotguns. 

From our semi-circle of chairs we were led down the driveway and off to a small clearing of grass set alongside the Zambezi River. From behind us, a gate opened and elephants began lumbering out towards where we were standing. 

Their massive size and the grace of their slow, calculated gate was stunning. 

Then, from in between the legs of giants stumbled out the tiniest little creature with unwieldy, floppy ears and feet to match. So. Freaking. Cute!!

The guides sat atop the elephants with cushioned seats and lined up in a row. The baby, of course, was left to roam as he pleased. It was so sweet to see him scurry excitedly about but take care not to stray too far from his family.  

Interestingly enough, the little tyke was an orphan who was found by the guides and offered a home with their herd. It is rare to find a baby elephant abandoned as they are very family-orientated, maternal animals. 

The seats were surprisingly comfy (also: look how tiny the baby is!)

 Aaron and Kern claimed dibs on the largest of group: a 50-something year old male named Bop with tusks the size of my legs. 

That elephant preferred loading his riders by kneeling on the ground, whereas the rest of us climbed atop a platform in order to side into our seat. 

Sarah and Jason were together on a mid-sized male while I rode with Leah on a smaller female named Liwa. She may have been the slowpoke of the bunch but it was a pleasure just to be in her company! 

Leah and I waving "sawubona!"

Once everyone was loaded up and on their elephant, we set off for the bush. The animals fell into a natural line and I truly felt like one of the family. 

As we trampled through the bush, we were privledged enough to see a griaffe head peaking out at us from behind a clump of tall trees. He stayed perfectly still the whole time we passed by, the only moving part was his lower jaw as it see-sawed back and forth, munching leaves and twigs. 

The elephants themselves snacked as we walked. They would grab large branches, rip them from the tree trunk, and then balance it on their tusks. This worked as a make-shift shelf, allowing them to use their trunk to stuff their mouths with leaves as they pleased. 

The coolest part of the trip for me was when my guide pointed to a river and said that we'd be crossing it. I WAS SO PUMPED. The only thing cooler than riding elephants in the bush would be riding them through water!

Family picture in the shallow part of the river, right before we crossed together!

Sarah and I kept a close eye on the little baby the larger elephants trudged through the water. At some points, it was as deep as our feet tucked into the stirrups! The little guy was a trouper, dropping completely under water with only of the tip his squirming little trunk showing above the water's surface. 

See the dark color separation on the elephant's side? That marks how high the water was at the deepest part of our crossing!  

How sweet is that little fella?!

Jason and Sarah in the ultimate "couples pic" haha :) 

The group heads back into the jungle after a quick dip in the river

Our group had two cameras and two full-time cameramen: Aaron and Kern :) 

Us heading back to base camp after a thrilling morning 

Following the leader, the leader, the leader...

This pic gives you a good idea of the size of the animals as well as the beautiful scenery we were treated to.

Leah and I getting ready to take a dip!

Once we got back to the lodge, the elephants lined up as before and we took turns climbing off and onto the platform. I must admit -- I was so sad to dismount. The hour's ride flew by and I wanted more! 

Aaron and Kern's elephant preferred loading his passengers by kneeling down rather than using the platform

After everyone had their feet back on solid ground, we were all given bags of alfalfa pellets to feed our elephant.

We were a tad hesitant at first, but soon we were all laughing and loving the experience. You should've seen how fast these guys gobbled up the food! They were so quick with their trunk, our arms and hands struggled to keep up! 

It felt good to treat the animal who had just worked so hard in giving us the ride of a lifetime!

Yum yum - Leah gets ready to feed our girl. She preferred eating treats by catching them in her mouth while we threw them in.

You can see two of her four massive teeth in this pic!

Other elephants preferred eating this way, by dropping the treats directly into their trunk

Sarah and Jason's elephant, Danny, welcomed cuddles whilst feasting on treats!

Isn't he stunning?! ... the elephant, that is ;)

Once the bags of pellets were empty, we stood back and the guides lined up the animals and had them salute us a beautiful 'goodbye'.

I don't think any of us wanted to go, but we will surely all remember the morning as being special beyond belief.

Goodbye!

Saying goodbye to Liwa and my guide (who was more than patient and informative in answering all the questions Leah and I fired off!)

Family portrait with Bop!