It was another hot day and between open vehicle safari game drives for our guests we sometimes needed a snooze and some rest. The hours are long, and we would work 6 weeks on and 2 weeks off. I always remember that in the last two weeks our tanks were low, and we would be running on fumes due to being so exhausted. This most probably was that our jobs were so enjoyable, we always gave it all we had to make our guests Safari experience a memorable one. These days I look back very fondly on and remember sharing moments with my colleagues that few humans get to experience. The bonds between game rangers or field guides are so strong that you can meet years later and reminisce for days, sharing stories over a beer and a braai. (Just not with this Corona virus and lock down!)
Today we focus on Elephants and these amazing creatures which roam our grasslands and Acacia thornveld in the African bush.
One day after an amazing safari with our guests we headed back to our Khaya’s (rooms) for a mid-morning rest. A good friend and I over the past few weeks had been cleaning the old swimming pool that was now a haven for Mosquitos. There was a small amount of water, more like sludge in the bottom of the pool which was not the home of several frog species. After removing the last of the Platannas(frogs) we cleaned out the last of the sludge. We decided during our leave from work to get a pool cleaner, some chemicals and returned to refill the swimming pool.
You can imagine this was a great hang out in the middle of the day for staff members, but it also became a frequent visitation spot for two bull Elephants. They obviously would much prefer the fresh water of the swimming pool than the last of the muddy waters in the river systems.
Truth be told we would not have minded their frequent visits if they at least drank all the water they sucked up out of the swimming pool. Sadly, they would splash it outside the swimming pool and every two days we would have to refill the pool using an old hosepipe one of us swiped from our parents’ home in the city.