On my recent trip to South Africa, I was lucky enough to walk alongside elephants. It was an amazing experience, that I highly recommend. Although wild elephants can be dangerous weighing up to six tons, these elephants were gentle giants.
The Location
The walk was at The Indalu Game Reserve on the Garden Route. The reserve is a haven for elephants rescued from cruelty. The elephants roam free across 2,000-acres.
The Experience
When I arrived at Indalu I boarded a large safari jeep along with several others. Once we got to a designated spot we got out of the jeep and were met by one of the experienced handlers. The second handler soon brought the elephants around the corner to us and introduced us to two young bull elephants named Moketse and Bakari. We were split into two groups to walk with the elephants for about 1/2 a mile. I walked with the elephant named Moketse. I stroked his rough, thick skin as we walked. He enjoyed my touch and would lean his head slightly towards me anytime I pet him.
Periodically the handlers would tell the elephants to stop so that we could take pictures with them.
Both Moketse and Bakari were rescued from an elephant culling operation when they were younger. The elephants at Indalu are trained using positive reinforcement, with food as a reward. They are never beat or chained up.
Moketse is twenty-five years old and Bakari is eighteen years old. Like us, elephants are not considered adults until around age 18. African elephants have an average life span of 70 years.
Our walk came to an end at a feeding station. Each person was given a bucket of chopped fruits and vegetables. We got to stand in front of the elephants and feed them by placing the food into the end of their trunks. At first, I only put a few pieces of food into Mekete’s trunk but he kept his trunk there waiting for more, so I gave him a handful and he swiftly brought his trunk to his mouth and sucked down the food. After a few final photographs, we said goodbye to the elephants and got back on the jeep.
This was an incredible experience that I will never forget.
Eye of the Wild Photography 