A small tiff...with a powerful blow!

While out tracking the one afternoon we came across these two having a small tiff. I say small because fighting giraffes never looks all that aggressive. However, we turned off the engine and watched for a few minutes and the thuds that followed each swing of their massive necks did sound quite painful. It was amazing to see how they push against each other. Trying to push the other into a bush or off balance so that they can get in a quick but powerful blow.

Priya and her 2 cubs posing on an anthill. It started raining soon after this, making the cubs look like miserable little drowned rats, but cute rats none the less.

My first flight over the Okavango Delta!

A "bump" in the night...and quite a large bump it was indeed!!!

Its 9:30pm and I’m sitting in my bed, watching a massive bull elephant browse on the other side of my deck railing. If you think I am exaggerating see the photo below. I can honestly say that I have never been so close to a wild elephant. He even decided to scratch himself on the tree about a meter from my deck! Talk about sanding down the tree. The noise was unbelievable. In fact at one point he even bumped against the deck that my tent stands on and man did we have a shake up! As I type this I can hear him munching away and flapping his ears as he rummages around in the bush about 4m from my bed. My family would not believe how calm I am right now, sitting here watching him in the light of the moon. Strangely enough I feel very safe. They really are special animals. I never tire of seeing them around camp and it almost feels like you have a special guest in camp. From my past experiences, being close to elephants has always felt quite hairy, as though I’m not supposed to be there. Here, he knows I’m here and I know he is there and we are both quite happy. This is what I imagined for living here, being with the animals, not just watching them, as visitors or passersby but living in amongst them. The only regret I feel right now is that my mom is no longer here to experience this. The elephants seem to have moved into camp the last few days, with hunting season having commenced they have retreated from their usual haunts to move to safer ground it seems. For this big guy safer ground appears to be the ground in between my tent and the dining room. Oh and apparently elephants don’t have any manners either according to the massive burp he just let rip!

Spiders, scorpions and mice...some of the creatures I find in my tent! This one was busy having its dinner.