EmotionsofAfrica

Living and working in a remote wilderness area in the African wild of the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa, gives me and my wife the daily opportunity to live among, see and sometimes interact with a multitude of animal species found in the wild. This video shows a great example of our local resident baboons making use of our self-build bush swimming pool on a hot summer day with some hilarious behavior to go with it all. Being fortunate enough to live so close to a large variety of animal species, we often get to see some amazing and unexpected events that mostly put a big smile on our faces. Living in the African wild also means living along with the extreme heat of the summer months. So over time I decided we needed a swimming pool just big enough for two people to help us cool down on those long and very hot summer days. With a help of few fellow workers, we managed to use rock from the local environment to build this bush-style swimming pool. It doesn’t look like much but it works extremely well. It was during one of those scorching hot days where temperatures rose beyond 40 degree Celsius. My wife and I had a quick cool down in our bush-style swimming pool during lunch time and after we headed out again back to work. It was just past five in the afternoon and the temperature outside was still unbearable. When I walked into the house, I saw through the window that someone was actually in our swimming pool. My confusion to who might be in my pool right now was quickly replaced by the realization that it was actually a small group of baboons. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I went outside and the baboons jumped out and ran off not too far, sitting in the shade while staring at me. My wife was not home yet so I thought I would capture these baboons swimming for her to see later on. The baboons were having the time of their lives, totally loving the water. It was like watching a couple of kids play in the swimming pool. The video shows the highlight and most hilarious part of the whole event. I watched all the baboons climbing into the water fairly gently but one specific baboon decided it was time to show off. While the one baboon was in the water, the other suddenly appeared. The baboon analyzed the situation for a short while before running to the other side of the pool, looking extremely excited. The baboon then pulled itself up from the swimming pool wall and jumped into the air to perform the most hilarious looking acrobatic style dive into the water. It all happened so quick, I had to add the little slow-motion bit at the end to really appreciate the unbelievable excitement and freedom the dive was performed with. To date this was definitely still one of my top highlight experiences and sightings while living and working in the African bush.

African elephants are the world’s largest land mammals. The video shows that you need nerves of steel when meeting a giant elephant bull face to face. With no tourists around at the moment, I decided to head out on a self-drive safari, exploring a remote wilderness part of the Kruger National Park. Going out in the wild is always an exciting experience as you never know what you will encounter around the next corner. Even though a safari can be filled with excitement and great sightings, one of the first and foremost things to keep in mind is that the animals you encounter on any African safari are wild, can be very dangerous and even lethal. These wild creatures demand the utmost respect at all times. As a safari guide that mostly lead groups of tourists that has never been in the African bush, it is our responsibility to always keep safety in mind and show respect for wild animals at all times. Different animals react in different ways and as a safari guide, you are trained on how to deal with various situations that involves dangerous animals. The one blanket rule in the African bush is to always keep a safe distance between you and the wild animals. There are times when things can actually take an unexpected turn. While I was driving around in the wild, I came across a large watering hole. In the distance I saw one lone bull elephant enjoying a drink of water before splashing himself with mud in order to cool himself down. I scanned the surroundings and didn’t see any other wildlife nearby. I decided to spend time watching the large bull elephant going about his daily business. Once the elephant bull was done at the water, he slowly started walking in the direction of my vehicle. Originally there was a safe distance between me and the male elephant but with him slowly walking towards me, that distance very quickly shrunk. It would have been suicidal to start the vehicle and make an attempt to get away while the male elephant was approaching. Any sudden behaviour or noise can possibly aggravate the bull elephant, which is something I definitely did not want to do. I had to fall back on my experience and did my best to remain calm and stay very still. This is easier said than done as your natural instinct tells you to get away immediately. The bull elephant ended up right in front of me, towering over my vehicle. It was extremely intimidating to have the bull elephant’s face right in front of me, while sniffing at me with his trunk. With over five tonnes standing right in front of me, not knowing what the animal’s next move will be, it became an absolute heart racing experience for me. The bull elephant then slowly moved to left front of the vehicle. On the front of the vehicle is a seat normally occupied by a scout that helps with spotting and tracking wild animals during a safari. Luckily on this day I was alone. The bull elephant then proceeded to use that seat as a rubbing post, slowly scratching off the mud still stuck on his trunk. After scratching his trunk against the vehicle, it looked like he was moving away to my relief. The relief inside of me quickly disappeared when the massive elephant decided to turn around and have a go at the vehicle with his tusks. The elephant bull bumped the vehicle slightly with his tusks before giving the vehicle a slight lift. The bull elephant was clearly very curious to test his abilities against that of the safari vehicle. This elephant’s behaviour was totally unpredictable and I knew that he could very easily flip my vehicle over. With all of that going through my mind, I used a steady and firm tone of voice to mumble my disapproval of what he was about to do. Luckily my mumbling worked as the elephant stopped banging the vehicle with his tusks and finally pulled away. The elephant bull remained close to the vehicle for another few minutes before he eventually moved on, leaving me in peace. A huge sense of relief fell over me while my heart rate was still going through the roof.

Baby elephants are just adorable and make for entertaining viewing. Watch this excited baby elephant’s hilarious behaviour while playing in the water. During a recent safari in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, we came across a large herd of elephants. We decided to switch off the vehicle and spend some time with these amazing creatures. The African elephant makes part of Africa’s big five list, the top five most dangerous and wanted to see animals, together with rhino, buffalo, leopard and lion. Not only are elephants the largest land mammals on earth but they also rate amongst the most intelligent. With all of these facts in mind, it makes sense to spend time with these fascinating animals. What made this sighting even better was the fact that the elephant herd was around a watering hole. Whenever elephants are near water, they always look at their happiest and can become very playful. Elephants are partial to bathing, swimming and mud-wallowing. An interesting fact about elephants is that they have sweat gland-free skins. Elephants have various forms of thermoregulatory exercises and the use of water is a very important way to cool themselves down during the extreme summers in the African bush. Applying a layer of moisture to the sweat gland-free skin traps a layer of cooler air close to the skin and also prevents excessive exposure of the skin to the harsh African sun. While we enjoyed watching the herd of elephants, drinking and cooling down in the water, my attention was drawn to one particular baby elephant the entered the water. Next to the baby elephant was its mother, busy spraying the underparts of her body with muddy water. It was an absolute scorcher of a day and the baby elephant looked very excited to be in the water. The baby elephant was slapping the water with its trunk in an attempt to imitate its mother’s way of getting a cool down. The baby elephant suddenly decided that there is a much better way to get the job done and dropped on its side into the muddy water. With most of its body covered by the muddy water, the baby elephant took it one step further and proceeded to dunk its whole head and face into the muddy water. This was so funny to watch. The baby elephant slowly returned to its feet, totally covered in mud. Once on its feet, the adorable baby elephant rapidly shook its head and trunk around in circles a few times, looking very playful and excited at the same time. The head shaking of this baby elephant was just hilarious to watch. Knowing how far these elephants had to travel in the severe heat to get a drink and cool down, we could only imagine the satisfaction and relief the baby elephant felt after being in the water. Looking at the baby elephant’s behaviour, it surely looked like it enjoyed every minute in the water. It was not long before the herd headed off, walking back into the very hot and dry bush. Even though elephants love spending time in and around the water, they cannot waste too much time playing around. Due to their size, elephants need to eat a lot of food and constantly need to be on the move in their search for food.

Leopards are normally dangerous and deadly predators, making this male leopard’s hopeless attempts to catch a few annoying flies just adorable to watch. Going on a safari in Africa gives people the unique opportunity to see the continent’s most fascinating creatures living and behaving in their natural environment. The most wanted animals to see while on safari is known as the big five animals and consists of elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard and lion. The one animal that is by far the most difficult to find is the leopard, a big cat closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars. The leopard is the most secretive and elusive of the large carnivores and finding one while on safari is a memorable experience. During a recent self-drive safari in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, I was lucky enough to find a male leopard lying on an old wall from a time gone by. It was late afternoon and the beautiful golden light added the perfect opportunity for taking pictures and video. Besides its formidable abilities as a predator, the leopard is admired by humans for its mesmerizing and beautiful appearance. Animal prints such as that of the leopard has fascinated humans for centuries. Leopards have intricate patterning all over their bodies. This pattern is unique to each animal. Majority of the leopard’s body is covered by black spots that are arranged together to form rosettes. The back and flanks of the body are a golden colour and the underside almost pure white. In combination, these disruptive markings and colours provide the leopard with highly effective camouflage. The patterning breaks up the shape of the body and allows the leopard to almost melt invisibly into any habitat. This is critical to facilitate hunting and to remain elusive from its own enemies. An interesting fact is that black leopards or black panthers are in fact simple genetic variations of the normal spotted leopard. The black colouring is known as melanistic form as it is caused by an excess of black pigment called melanin. I was in awe by this stunningly beautiful big cat lying in the golden afternoon sun. The male leopard looked totally relaxed for a while before I suddenly noticed something grabbing his attention. I could not make out what it was and saw the leopard slowly wiggling his tail, looking totally amused by it. The next moment the male leopard lifted his head, snapping with his mouth in the air. The leopard’s large razor-sharp canines were snapping repeatedly in the air. This looked so adorable and I realised the male leopard became annoyed with tiny flies buzzing around his head. It was so funny and cute at the same time to see such a formidable hunter attempting to catch something so small that we and maybe the leopard himself couldn’t even see. This comical behaviour by the leopard is not something one usually see and I was totally pleased to have seen a leopard behaving in such an entertaining manner, right in its own natural environment. When the leopard means business and goes out to do serious hunting, its technique is to either ambush its prey or to stalk it. Leopards rely on the element of surprise and their powerful bodies to capture prey, which is grappled with the fore-claws and then bitten on the back of the head or around the throat. When these killing machines are out hunting, it is hard to believe that there is also a cute and comical side to these wonderful creatures.

Hyenas are mostly perceived as scary, ugly looking creatures that are made for nightmares, but this video actually shows how incredibly cute they can be. The spotted hyena is arguably the most successful large carnivore in Africa. This formidable creature is both a proficient hunter and scavenger, exhibiting resourcefulness and stamina in its foraging pursuits. Throughout history and across cultures, the hyena has been condemned as a scary, evil and ugly villain with a demonic laugh. With such a bad reputation, the hyena is always seen as the bad guys in traditional folklore and even today in movies such as The Lion King. Once you get to know more about the hyena, you realize that these complex creatures are like none other on earth and that the stereotype reputation is far from the truth. Not only are hyenas extremely intelligent but they also fulfill the vital ecological function of eliminating sick and old animals from populations while their scavenging behavior keeps the African bush clean from rotten carcasses and the possible spread of disease. Many people will also claim that the hyena is not a very attractive animal to look at. While this might be the case, their offspring at a young age is a totally different story. Hyena cubs are some of the most adorable baby animals in the African bush. When going on safari, it is always one of the highlights to see cute hyena cubs in their natural environment, if you are lucky enough. One of the best ways to find hyena cubs is to find a hyena den during the winter months of the year. The focus of a hyena clan centers on a communal den where all the females keep their young. During a recent self-drive safari in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, I did just that. I decided to go to an old hyena den I got to know about over the past few years. Hyena dens are usually located in disused termite mounds, large sand structures that are easy to recognize. On my arrival at the den, I was happy to find the den active with two cubs and one female adult. Hyena cubs are in general very playful and make for entertaining viewing. On this occasion things turned out to be the total opposite. I noticed the two cubs lying against each other while basking in the early morning sun. They looked very tired and sleepy, struggling to keep their eyes open. Hyenas are creatures of the night and are mostly active during this time. It was clear that these two cubs had a long night out. Both cubs attempted to keep their heads up but it seemed to be a tough task. It was adorable to watch how the hyena cubs started nodding off while their heads would tilt to the one side as gravity took over. The hyena cubs would suddenly wake up, only for their eyes to close again and their heads falling over again. It was really funny to watch actually how tired these cubs were. Eventually the one cub found itself in a more comfortable position. The second cub finally fell over, fast asleep, with its head hitting the ground. The two cubs did not move again for quite some time. Even though the cubs were not their normal playful self, I was still totally amused by the cute behavior of these two sleepy hyena cubs. With a smile on my face I decided to leave them to sleep in peace and continued with my safari.

The giraffe is not only the tallest land mammal on earth but also one of the most beloved iconic symbols of Africa. These majestic creatures are known to be peaceful in manner with an elegant and graceful appearance. With such a great reputation, I have never met anyone that do not love giraffes and seeing them during a safari is always a great highlight. While these facts are true majority of the time, there are still those rare instances and moments when Mother Nature suddenly reveals a whole different side to these creatures that most people have not seen before. I was leading a safari in the Kruger National Park when we came across a large herd of giraffes that gathered on an open plains area. Seeing many giraffes together always attracts a lot of attention. I decided to switch of the vehicle and spend some time watching these fascinating creatures going about their day. I scanned the area and to my one side I saw two males standing closely together in a side on position. While they were just standing there, I realized that these two male giraffes were locked into what is called a necking battle. Giraffes are not territorial and a local status hierarchy develops according to age and size. This is established through the ritual necking encounters among bachelors from an early age. Majority of the time these duels are not violent and seem like a well synchronized elegant dance and the ultimate intention is for one bull to thrust his neck sideways, making well-placed blows with his horns and knobby head on the opponent’s body while the two animals stand head-to-rump. These fights usually end with the youngest or smallest of the two contenders walking away in order to prevent any serious injuries. When two equally matched bulls are contending for an oestrus cow, it becomes a totally different story and things can become seriously violent. When one of the male giraffes started shoving the other male giraffe into a very thorny tree, I realized that this fight was serious and there was nothing elegant or graceful about it. I grabbed my camera and started filming the event. The one bull managed to realize himself from being shoved into the thorns with a neck swing, hitting his opponent on the body with a serious blow. The two giraffes then stood firmly against each other, sizing each other up with a few mocking attempts. I noticed that the fight was intensifying with the dominant bull starting to use a much more dangerous approach than the usual neck sweeping. The dominant bull used short and very quick backward bursts of the head, hitting his opponent between the junction of his skull and spine with his powerful horns. The dominant bull managed to repeatedly hit his opponent on the same spot, causing a serious open wound. The sound of the blows falling was just unbelievable. A few more blows were exchanged when suddenly, one giraffe fell straight to the ground like a bag of potatoes. I was totally stunned by what I saw and realized the fallen giraffe was knocked out clean. What amazed me even more was the behaviour of the dominant bull afterwards. With his opponent lying ‘lights out ‘on the ground, the winning male surprisingly went and stood on his opponents’ body with one foot. It looked like the dominant giraffe took some sort of a victorious stance, celebrating the victory over his opponent. I was totally speechless by what I saw. With all my years living in the African bush, this was the very first time I have ever saw something like this and will remember it forever.

The Hippopotamus is rated as the animal that kills the most humans every year in Africa. These unique aquatic creatures can weigh up to three tons and are the third largest land mammals in the African bush. The hippo is notorious for its aggressive behavior. Male hippos are very territorial and especially grumpy. Male hippos do not tolerate one another and usually stay away from each other. Only the most serious opponents will engage in combat as this can lead to death. The lower canines of a hippo are modified into huge tusks that grow continuously and may reach thirty to fifty centimetres long in males. These tusks are formidable instruments of defence and not for feeding. I was driving alone in a wilderness area of the Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa. It was late afternoon when I decided to stop at a large natural water body and take a break while watching the sunset. While getting my camera ready to film a magical sunset, I suddenly noticed the two heads of a male and female hippo appearing slowly from below the water. With only the top part of the heads above water, the two hippos watched my every move attentively. Knowing and understanding the danger of these creatures, I kept a good distance and remained silent. After sunset, the water became glazed by the colors of dusk while the surrounding nature sounds added to a stunning and very peaceful ambiance. I decided to focus my camera on the two hippos that were still staring at me from a distance. Due to their aggressive territorial behavior, male hippos have various ways of displaying their dominant status. When these warning signs are ignored repeatedly, the situation will usually turn fatal for the intruder. One way for a male hippo to instantly show you that he is in charge and very dangerous is through a wide-mouth yawn that exhibits his formidable tusks. I just started filming the beautiful scenery at dusk with the two hippos in it, when the male hippo decided it was time that he sends me a warning. The next moment the male hippo slowly opened his mouth wide open, lifting and shaking his head in the air, showing off his intimidatingly dangerous tusks. Straight after the male hippo slapped his mouth closed, he uttered a loud honking sound. That exact sound serves to advertise territory and ward off would-be intruders. I was totally stunned by the amazing footage I managed to get right on that moment. At the same time, I realized that this hippo bull now showed me how dangerous he can be as well as letting me know that this territory belonged to him. With that message being clear, I slowly packed up and continued with my journey. I left with a much greater appreciation and sense of respect for these dangerous animals of Africa. If you listen to their warnings and act in an appropriate manner, us humans and these dangerous creatures can all live peacefully together.

The African elephant is the largest and heaviest terrestrial mammal in the world. They are extremely intelligent and incredibly powerful animals that alter their surroundings to the benefit and sometimes to the detriment of whole ecosystems. Due to their size, elephants have to feed constantly, even through the night, consuming up to three hundred kilograms of food per day. With such a big appetite comes a great thirst. Elephants must drink daily to facilitate the digestion of the large quantities of coarse plant material that they eat. Elephants will take in over a hundred litres of water per day. Elephants do love water a lot, not only for drinking but also for bathing and swimming and finding elephants near water in their natural habitat is always a very entertaining and amusing experience. With this in mind, elephants also become very protective about the water they claim belongs to them and are known to chase off animals like buffalo, warthogs and zebra, especially when water sources are dwindling during the dry months. It was during the middle of a hot day in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, when I came across a large herd of elephants standing around a man-made waterhole that are pumped twenty-four hours a day. This waterhole is one of only a few places in a vast area where elephants can find water. Due to this fact, things can become a little overcrowded and sometimes tense, leading to some very amusing behavior. I was busy filming the herd of elephant standing around and drinking from a trough where the first fresh water was coming from. I suddenly saw a huge splash of water flying through the air and decided to focus on what was going on. Confused at first by what I saw, I quickly realized that a large bull elephant was actually swinging his trunk around in circles like a hosepipe before releasing a big spray of water in to the air. In front of the bull elephant was a baby elephant and the water smashed straight into it. The baby elephant looked flustered and slowly turned around to start moving away. The young elephant hardly had time to move away when the bull elephant swung his trunk through the air, splashing the baby elephant full of water again for the second time. This now started looking like more than just a coincidence. The young elephant moved away and went to stand next to its mother, looking to hide from the shooting water coming its way the whole time. Being thirsty and rudely interrupted by this elephant bull, the elephant mother slowly moved forward to the water for a drink, but the bull elephant was having none of it and for a third time swung his trunk in the same direction, spraying both the mother and her baby. It was clear that the cheeky elephant was not prepared to share the water with too many other family members and made it clear not everyone was welcome at the water while he was there. It was so funny to watch how cheeky this bull elephant actually was and the manner he used his trunk as a hosepipe to spray those he did not want near the water. I also felt sorry for the young elephant and its mother but it was not long before the cheeky bull elephant stopped with his nonsense and actually allowed the mother elephant and her youngster to have a drink. Once again, watching elephants near water turned out to be a very entertaining experience.

One of the advantages of been locked down in a wilderness area of the Greater Kruger National Park, is that you have a lot more time on your hands to spend out in nature practicing photography and shooting videos. With all the extra time on my hands I decided to become a little more creative with my video filming techniques, hoping to get different shots of wildlife from unusually different angles and point of views, showcasing them in a totally different and unique way. I decided to turn my GoPro camera into more of a ‘spy cam’ by hiding it in various places such as on the ground below the brush, between rocks or even in a pile of elephant dung. One late afternoon I ventured out on a safari by myself, armed with my usual gear and a GoPro added to the kit. I was in the hope of getting some close-up footage of elephants that afternoon. I went straight to a nearby waterhole where elephants usually gather for a drink during the late afternoons. When I arrived, there were two big elephant bulls at the water busy drinking. I watched them for a little while and saw the two elephant bulls were slowly turning around and heading away from the water. This is where the trick comes in. You have to anticipate which direction or path the elephants will follow in order to go and place the camera a few hundred meters ahead, hoping they will stay on the anticipated course and walk past the ‘hidden camera’. Most of the time this approach does not yield results as animals quickly stop and change direction long before they even can get to the ‘spy cam’. It can take days or even weeks for all the variables to line up in order to get a successful close up shot. On this occasion I took my chances and drove ahead to a crossing in the road where I believed the two bull elephants will come walking past. There was a pile of dry elephant dung and I decided to hide my camera in the pile of dung. I drove away another hundred meters and sat there waiting with great anticipation. This was attempt number six for the week, so I had mixed feelings about when my luck was going to change. I watched the two elephant bulls walking in the direction of the pile of dung where my camera was hidden. The one elephant then suddenly stopped next to a tree and started feeding. The other elephant was slowly making his way, straight to where my camera was. I got extremely excited when the elephant eventually walked straight up to my camera and suddenly stopped. I realized that my ‘hidden camera’ was not so hidden anymore and that I could not fool a big elephant bull. The male elephant looked very curious and stuck out his trunk to investigate the foreign object a little closer. The video shows how the bull elephant uses his trunk to sniff all around the camera. The elephant even gave the camera a little nudge with his trunk. After a few more sniffs, the elephant slowly started moving on. What amazed me even more was the elephant’s awareness of the camera, carefully walking past without stepping on it. When the elephant bull disappeared, I quickly returned to the spot and collected my camera. I was extremely excited with the results of the footage afterwards, showing an elephant bull in a totally different perspective that would otherwise not be possible to capture.

As nature lovers and conservationists, my wife and I are fortunate enough to live in a remote wilderness area of the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa. While living in the wild, you get to see nature in its full glory on a daily basis with all its amazing sights and sounds. Being keen gardeners, we have established an indigenous garden around our house over the years. One of the benefits of living in such a wild area is the many wild bird species that visit our garden during the day. I was in the house one afternoon during a weekend, when I suddenly heard my wife calling me to come outside to the garden. When I got outside, I was confused and amused at the same time, watching my wife spraying a Grey Go-away-bird with her water spraying bottle. I ran back inside to get my camera. Not only does the Grey Go-away-bird have a name that surprise most people, it is also one of the most common and easy recognizable birds in the African bush. This dull looking grey bird, with its funky upright crest, is actually one of the most reliable birds to call out an alarm when any sort of danger such as predators, snakes or raptors are spotted in the area. When this bird sounds an alarm, all animals usually respond by getting away from the danger area. Hence the name. My wife explained that she was out in the garden, using her small watering spray bottle to water some of the plants with a fine water mist. While busy watering her plants, my wife noticed a Grey Go-away-bird coming to land in a bush right next to her. While it is common having these birds visiting our garden, none of us have ever experienced the birds to be been keen on interacting with us. The bird sat and looked at my wife spraying the plants. My wife looked at the bird and the bird intimately stared back at her and the water bottle. During this little stare down session, my wife then decided to spray a little water at the bird, seeing that it was fairly dry and warm that afternoon. What followed was the hilarious interaction between my wife and the Grey Go-away-bird which I managed to capture in this video. It seemed like the bird absolutely loved having the water sprayed on its body. My wife turned up the tempo with more repetitive sprays. The bird amazingly reacted by starting to lift its wings, ‘asking’ to get sprayed all over the lower body and areas covered by the wings. At the same time, the bird would turn from the one side to the other side, ‘guiding’ my wife where to spray, making sure majority of its body got covered with the water. The bird never stopped enjoying it and I was totally fascinated by this bird’s behavior as we have never interacted with these birds before. If we had a larger watering spray bottle, it would have carried on for much longer. Once the water was finished, the bird gave us one last look and disappeared back into the wild. We were totally amazed by this bird pulling in for a cool down body spray on demand.

With the Wildlife and Safari Tourism industry still on its knees, self-drive safaris in South Africa have recently been allowed again. We took the opportunity and headed straight to the Kruger National Park to explore the great African wilderness. Majority of visitors to the park are normally in search of the ever popular ‘big five’ animals that include buffalo, elephant, rhino, leopard and lion. Out of all the ‘big five’ animals, the African lion is at the top of the list for most. Finding the biggest cat in Africa can be relatively easy on some days, where on other times they will disappear for days or even weeks. Finding a pride of lions in the wild is already a memorable experience on its own. Finding a whole pride with a lioness suckling her cubs in the wild is a once in a lifetime experience. We couldn’t believe our luck when we found the large pride of lions sleeping in the shade next to a deserted road. We were totally stunned when we realized there were also six lion cubs present. We decided to switch off the vehicle and spend time with the lion pride and their cubs. Majority of the pride were fast asleep besides three specific lion cubs that decided it was time for a drink of mommy’s milk, all at once. The tired lioness was still half asleep but allowed her youngsters to start drinking. Initially things were a little cramped and unorganized for the lion cubs. It was adorable to watch the three cubs moaning about finding space to get their fair share of mommy’s milk. The cute little growling, snarling and moaning sounds made by the cubs was just incredible to hear while witnessing this precious moment. The lioness eventually responded to the moans and growls by lifting her one leg up in the air, opening up more space for the cubs to get comfortable and to stop moaning. It was such an amazing moment to see each cub happy with its own place to drink. When each lion cub had a mammary gland in its mouth, everything became peaceful again and remained like that for quite some time. We left the pride in peace and moved on. We had a big smile on our faces while feeling overwhelmed by our rarely seen moment in the African wild.

With self-drive safaris now allowed again in Kruger National Park after seven weeks of lockdown in South Africa, I didn’t waste any time and took the opportunity to visit the Park for a day. It did not take too long before I came across a small herd of elephants standing around a mud wallow. It was a hot morning in the African bush and the elephants took the opportunity to cool down, splashing mud all over their bodies. While keeping their bodies cool with the mud, the elephants also get the opportunity later on to clean their rugged skins by scratching of the dry mud, using a tree or rock to scratch against. In the process the elephants get rid of ticks and parasites trapped in the dry caked mud on their bodies. Majority of the herd finished their mud bath and slowly moved on. At the mud wallow remained a male baby elephant and his mother. The mother elephant casually continued splashing herself with mud while her calf was already covered in mud. The calf caught my attention when he stopped splashing mud over himself and started leaning forward slowly. It looked like the baby elephant was attempting to rub his forehead in the mud. That idea did not go so well for the baby elephant. While leaning forward to get his forehead in the mud, the elephant calf suddenly slipped and fell, face first into the mud. Like lightning the baby elephant got back onto his legs, looking a little flustered and embarrassed at the same time. The elephant calf immediately turned around, slowly climbed up the bank and went to hide in the nearby bushes. Again, this behavior gave me the impression that the elephant calf felt a little embarrassed by his face plant into the mud. I felt sorry for the little one but at the same time found the whole incident funny. Immediately I could relate the incident back to the scenario when you fall flat on your face in public, quickly jump with the hope that no one saw you, then slowly making an effort to disappear while acting as if nothing happened. I left the scene with a smile on my face and I was filled with the greatest admiration for how much of the behavior of the baby elephant could be related back to our own human behavior.

During the lock down period in South Africa, I am fortunate enough to be working and living in an isolated wilderness area of the Kruger National Park. While all safaris have come to a standstill, I now have ample time to explore the bush for days on end. Mother nature continues as normal. Wildlife go about their daily routine, not having a worry about what is happening out in the world. While driving around alone, I stopped at a nearby watering hole. It was a hot day and there were a number of various wildlife species congregating at the water. Elephants outnumbered all other species of wildlife at the watering hole. At the same time, elephants are renowned for their temperament when it comes to sharing ‘their’ water with any other species of animals living in the same bush. Bull elephants especially become arrogant, cheeky or just plain aggressive with other animals around the same watering hole. Elephants are reluctant to share their space while on many occasions this type of behavior may even seem hilariously pointless, like the incident in this video. A large number of elephants were standing in and around the water hole. There was a small herd of zebra standing at the same water, enjoying a late morning drink. One zebra stood separated from the small herd while having a drink of water. My attention was drawn to a young male elephant, casually walking along the edge of the water hole, looking rather relaxed and peaceful. Suddenly the lone zebra standing at the water grabbed the attention of the bull elephant. He stopped, looked at the zebra and in split seconds the bull elephant decided he does not like the lone zebra standing at the water trying to get a drink. With a sudden burst of aggression, the bull elephant charged towards the lone zebra while letting out his scary sounding growling screams. The zebra got such a fright that it jumped straight into the water to get away from the angry bull elephant. I could not identify any particular reason why the elephant just suddenly went for the lone zebra, though it seemed to me it might just have been cheekiness while showing off his size or just having a bit of fun because he can. The incident was over very quickly and both the elephant and the zebra continued as if nothing ever happened. I packed my stuff and continued my journey with a big smile on my face.

Going on a safari in the African wild gives people the opportunity to observe and come close to wild animals in their natural environment. Among all the species of wildlife found in the African bush, the chacma baboon is probably one of the most entertaining animals to watch. The chacma baboon is one of the largest of all monkeys. It’s not very hard to spot the various similarities in behavior between that of a baboon and a human. For this reason, our closest relatives can make for entertaining viewing and it is always worth spending a little longer to observe the entertaining behavior of these primates. It was during a late afternoon safari in the Kruger National Park when we stopped in a dry riverbed. In the distance we noticed a small troop of baboons. The baboons were busy walking in our direction, but they were in no hurry. As the baboons came closer, we could see that many of them had enough of the long hot day and decided to stop and relax in the sand not too far away from us. We sat and watched the antics of the baboon family. After a while the baboons were scattered all along the riverbed. I suddenly noticed all the different body positions many of the baboons were in. It was awkward looking at first but soon I could identify with a few of the body positions in which many of the baboons were lying in. It was really funny to watch as it made me think of myself stretching out and being lazy on a Sunday afternoon. I started filming the various hilarious looking positions many of the baboons were lying in. Some of the baboons were lying on their sides, looking like they are chilling on the beach. My attention was drawn to a large male baboon, getting some attention from his lady while lying with his legs open, not having a care in the world. Another baboon had its face down and bum in the air while getting groomed by a caring family member. Other baboons were lying on their backs with one arm and one leg up in the air. It was like watching people lying on the beach and we could not stop laughing. One particular baboon was lying on its back, doing what seemed like a hamstring stretch, looking very comfortable in that position. It looked like none of these baboons had a care in the world and couldn’t be more relaxed. They were wild and free in their natural environment where they belong. It was such a pleasure to witness our close relatives going about their strikingly similar behavior of relaxing. After leaving the baboons in peace we came to the conclusion the most of us have lied down in one or more of the awkward but funny looking positions seen among the baboons. The only difference is that we usually will lie like that when no one is watching.

Hwange National Park, situated in the northwest of Zimbabwe, is the county’s largest park and one of the top national parks in Africa. The vast wilderness areas of Hwange host the Big five and a multitude of animal species. The park is rated as one of the national parks with the biggest diversity of mammal species in the world. Hwange is even more world renowned among safari goers for its elephant population. The park is one of the world’s last elephant sanctuaries and home to some fifty thousand elephants, perhaps Africa's single largest concentration of elephant. With all these elephants around, there is naturally a heavy demand for water. Elephants are large and very thirsty creatures and need to drink daily. Water remains the single most important management factor in Hwange's continued existence. Having water is absolutely vital to the survival of all elephants in the park. The constant maintenance of the artificial but natural looking water pans, complete with resident hippo's and crocodile, has been a major factor sustaining this ecological treasury. Without these waterholes, Hwange National Park would return to the empty wasteland it once was while animals would die in their thousands. Game viewing in Hwange is superb during the dry period of the year. The park has no permanent natural water sources, so once the rains have stopped and the landscape starts to dry out, animals such as the elephants have to rely on the man made pumped waterholes for water. Animal sightings of African wild dog, lion, leopard, cheetah, giraffe and zebra are many of the highlights, but by far the mammals that Hwange is most famous for are its elephants. We visited Hwange National Park during the late dry season. We decided to spend one whole afternoon at one of the man made waterholes in the park. We sat in a shaded structure called a hide, overlooking a waterhole with a great vista of the surroundings. We could not have imagined what we were about to see over the next five hours. On our arrival at the waterhole, there were many elephants already at the water. For the whole five hours that we were there, herds and herds of elephants were coming and going from all directions. The movement of elephants in front of us was nonstop and absolutely mind blowing. With all the elephants gathering, we could clearly hear the many noises made by them, ranging from rumbling, screaming and trumpeting sounds, echoing across the open savanna. The nonstop variety of many strange noises added immensely to the whole experience. Never in my life have I seen so many elephants in one place and there are very few places in the world where you would be lucky enough to see something like this. I started filming right through the whole afternoon. The video shows a collection of some of the many elephant moments around the waterhole during that one afternoon. We counted an estimated six hundred and fifty elephants that visited the waterhole during our five-hour stay that afternoon. At the end of the afternoon there was a dramatic sunset and the elephants kept coming and going. After sunset we had to leave but the elephants just kept coming and coming. This was by far one of my greatest experiences while on safari in a very long time. I could gladly leave and say that we have witnessed a great natural spectacle, not really to be found anywhere else in the world.

Few animals in the African wild can be more entertaining than baby elephants. During an African safari it is always a great pleasure to spend time with elephants when you do find them. If there are baby elephants in the herd, it is a real bonus and definitely worth spending a little longer watching and admiring these fascinating creatures. To see the largest land mammal on earth in baby form, out in the wild, is one of the great highlights of many safaris. Baby elephants are just plain adorable looking, while their clumsy behavior always provide for entertaining viewing. If baby elephants are found during safari, you can be sure there will be many smiles and heart-warming moments for safari goers. It was a hot summer afternoon when we headed out on safari in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. The best places to find animals during the heat of the afternoon are near and around the watering holes. Animals gather around a few remaining watering holes to quench their thirst during the heat of the day. One species most likely to dominate these watering holes are elephants. It did not take long for us to arrive at the first watering hole. There was a small herd of elephants standing around the water while drinking. We immediately noticed two young elephants in the herd, one which was still a baby. The elephant herd was about to leave the watering hole. The mother elephant took the lead and started walking. The baby elephant was right behind its mother and quickly started following her. After a few steps the mother elephant suddenly just stopped, with her left front foot in the air, looking like she wanted to turn around. In the process, the baby elephant walked slap bang face first into its mother’s big front foot. The baby elephant looked a little bewildered afterwards while the mother elephant looked like she was rather annoyed with both young elephants right behind her. She turned around while making it clear to both little elephants that they now need to start behaving and to get out from under her feet. Once the mother elephant gave each young elephant a push with her trunk, she turned around and led the herd onto their next destination. The whole incident happened so fast and after slowing down the video, we could get a better look and feel for the whole situation. Even though it was pretty funny to see, we still wonder who was really in the wrong here? The mother elephant suddenly just stopping without any warning? Or the baby elephant being clumsy and not watching where it was going? Either way, we all had a big smile on our faces after watching elephant family life unfolding right in front of us.

One of the great thrills of going on a safari in the African wild is the searching and finding of wild animals in their natural environment. This is a great opportunity for anyone to come face to face with some of the continent’s most unique wildlife species. There are also many great photographic opportunities to create those lifetime memories. Once photos are taken, most people would rush off in search of the next sighting. The experience of a safari can be enhanced even more when people are prepared to spend a little more time with the animals they find. When spending extra time watching the animals, you will start to notice the <a href="https://rumble.com/v8fcxy-baby-elephant-adorably-attempts-to-sit-on-womans-lap.html" target="_blank">different types of behaviors</a> of the animals roaming their natural habitats. It is usually during this time that one might see some animals behaving in the most fascinating, funny or bizarre ways. One species of wildlife that almost never fail to entertain safari goers with their behavior is the African <a href="https://rumble.com/v681lh-baby-elephant-play-with-his-father.html" target="_blank">elephant</a>. Not only are they the largest land mammals on this planet, elephants are also among the most intelligent. This is evident in the great variety of intriguing behaviors displayed by these large creatures. On a recent safari in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, we decided to spend time with a small herd of elephants. Among the adult elephants was one baby elephant that quickly got everyone’s attention. Suddenly we were confused for a few seconds by the baby elephant’s awkward looking behavior and body movements. Soon we realized what was going on. This baby elephant had an itchy body that needed a decent scratch. The little elephant cleverly found a rock at just the right height and started off with his stomach. Standing with its front legs stretched out over the rock, the baby elephant moved back and forth, scratching its itchy belly on the rock. This was really funny to watch. We then noticed that the baby elephant had more than just an itchy belly. There were other body parts that also needed a good scratch. The baby elephant looked determined to get the job done and pushed its mother out the way before sitting down on the rock. The next moment the baby elephant adamantly started moving its backside from side to side, vigorously scratching its itchy bum. This was even more hilarious to watch and we could see this baby elephant was determined to get rid of its great itch. Finally, there was relief and the little elephant continued the journey with the rest of the herd. In the end it paid off to spend a little more time with the elephants, getting to see this baby elephant finding an amusing but effective manner to get rid of the itch on his body parts.

Do you consider that elephants are animals capable of possessing a dominant attitude? Watch this video and see how this elephant scares all the animals around it! In some African countries water is very scarce, so many elephants often fight for water, since in many cases water is not enough for everyone. In this case, this elephant tries to get all the animals out of the water, since he considers that he needs more water than they do, so the elephant begins to chase the animals and shouts at them with great force to scare them. This elephant is very brave! Elephants can adapt to a wide variety of habitats and conditions. They can almost always be seen in African grasslands, although it is not uncommon to see them also in savannas, forests and areas with a nearby water source. At the same time, elephants also like to wallow in the mud or apply a much needed "rain of dust" to mitigate the effect of sunrays and insect bites. The vast majority of African specimens that exist today are in protected parks, although many of them prefer to migrate throughout the year, especially when the destruction of their habitat at the hands of man becomes imminent. As for the Asian elephant, these animals have populations in some Asian tropical forests of China and India. Elephants are animals of a herbivorous nature, so their diet consists mainly of herbs, tree bark, small shrubs, plants and fruits. In most cases, an adult can eat up to 250 kilograms of food per day. When they are born, young people only receive breast milk, but after two years they supplement their diet with fruits, branches and fallen leaves, small tree barks, etc. Obviously, the large size of these animals and the capacity of their beautiful trunk allows them to reach food in the highest and most inaccessible areas of the trees. In general, an adult specimen envelops the branch or trunk of the tree with its trunk, and violently shakes it so that the fruits fall to the ground and their young feed. As part of the ecosystem, <a href="https://rumble.com/v73gz6-grumpy-elephant-chases-thirsty-warthogs-away-from-watering-hole.html" target="_blank">elephants</a> play an essential role in the balance and maintenance of the environment. For example, when they consume fruits with seeds and travel great distances, they can disperse the seeds in other areas, even up to 60 kilometers from the origin. This is of great importance to enrich the habitat and contribute to the maintenance of other animal species. At the same time, elephant dung acts as a highly effective natural fertilizer for vegetation, providing minerals and nutrients that contribute to soil health and crop development. All animals are important to conserve the environment and the ecosystem!For some species, the dung of these animals is an important source of food, and even for some insects and frogs it represents a small ecosystem to develop. Elephants are also excellent water trackers, since they can travel great distances in search of this liquid and, with it, help other species, including humans. Elephants are fantastic <a href="https://rumble.com/v834a1-helpless-bird-caught-on-fish-bait-gets-saved-by-heroic-bystander.html" target="_blank">animals</a>!

During a recent safari in the Kruger National Park we came across a small herd of elephants standing around at a watering hole. It was early afternoon and the heat was relentless. The majority of the elephant herd was drinking water while some members of the herd used the opportunity to enjoy a mud bath at the same time. After quenching their thirst on a hot day, elephants love splashing themselves with mud. The layers of mud on their skin help the elephants to cool down their bodies. At the same time the mud helps the elephants to get rid of insects and parasites stuck to their rough skins. When the elephants were done at the watering hole, they slowly started walking away. This was when the funny behavior of two elephants caught our attention. The elephant herd made their way past a long stretch of flat rock just below the watering hole. Two specific elephants in the herd amazingly identified these rocks as a great place to stop and relief themselves with a quick butt scratch. First it was an adult female elephant that grabbed the opportunity to get rid of an itch in the hard to reach places of her body. The elephant cow casually sat down on the rock and started scratching her bum vigorously, moving her backside from side to side. It was hilarious to watch, and we found this behavior very fascinating at the same time. While the female got rid of her itch in such a comical manner, we noticed about at the same time, there was a young male elephant that followed the example of the female and got into the action himself. We could not believe that we were watching two elephants scratching their bums in this awkward but funny looking manner. After covering themselves in mud, elephants will normally stand or lean against a tree trunk, scratching off the hard-baked mud which encrusted all the insects and parasites on their skins. To see the largest land mammals on earth actually sitting down to scratch their bums is not something you see everyday on safari. It was definitely a sight to remember and the highlight of our safari.

The African bush is an unforgiving and hostile place, hosting a unique collection of fauna and flora that has the ability to survive and even thrive under the harsh conditions. Wildlife found in the Kruger National Park must face a daily struggle to find food and water, be on the watch out for constant looming danger and move across difficult and dangerous terrain to get to the next meal. The life of a baby elephant is no different. Elephants are nomadic, travelling great distances in herds to find food and water. Baby elephants have to keep up with the pace of the rest of the herd and they have to face daily struggles while growing up, learning all the necessary life skills needed to survive in the African bush. While on safari in the Kruger National Park, we came across a herd of elephants, busy crossing a river. The majority of the herd consisted of adult elephants and among them there was one baby elephant. The adult elephants were crossing the river with real ease and it didn’t seem like a difficult crossing at all. The baby elephant’s mother was right in front of it and she entered the river. The baby elephant had no choice but to follow and stay close with its mother. Right from the very first step we realized that this clumsy baby elephant was not going to have it easy. After the first step, the baby elephant fell forward, face first into the water. While the mother elephant was walking through with real ease, her baby right behind her was taking nose dive after nose dive while struggling to stay on its feet due to the uneven and muddy bottom of the river. The baby elephant knew it had to keep up with its mother and showed real determination through the whole crossing. We felt sorry for the baby elephant falling face first into the water every few meters but we were also impressed by its determination to keep up. It all looked very tiring for the baby elephant but to our surprise, the little elephant was actually still full of energy after reaching the other side. The baby elephant turned from being clumsy to being cheeky when it became aware of a dark blue bird sitting on the bank of the river. The cheeky baby elephant decided to show the bird who’s the boss. The baby elephant stalked the bird for a little and then exploded forward. The baby elephant did everything to be as intimidating as possible. This was so hilarious to watch and we found this behavior very entertaining and funny at the same time. With ears flapping, the baby elephant chased the bird up the river bank, while letting out an attempted trumpet sound which turned out to be more like a little squeaking sound. The bird flew off in a rush and the young elephant clearly felt on top of the world with its efforts. The elephant herd continued with their journey and slowly disappeared into the bush. We were totally amused by the whole sighting and it was by far the biggest highlight of the safari.

Together with the Ethiopian wolf, the African wild dog is the rarest carnivore on the African continent. These fascinating creatures live a nomadic lifestyle, covering massive distances on a daily basis while hunting together as a pack. This makes it incredibly difficult to find them and you will be very lucky to spot any African wild dogs while on safari in the African wild. During a recent safari in the Kruger National Park, we were treated to a once in a life time sighting when we came across a den where a pack of African wild dogs were breeding. Finding these animals in the wild is an incredible experience but we were totally stunned when we came across their breeding den sight. The pack of dogs were resting in the nearby shade while the mother was nearby the den. These den sights are usually located in old burrows inside termite mounds. We stopped at a safe distance and waited, hoping that the puppies would show themselves. After waiting with great anticipation for a good twenty minutes, the mother wild dog suddenly got up and walked straight to the entrance of the den. We could hear she was calling softly and the next moment a whole bunch of the most adorable puppies came bursting out of the burrow. They were super excited to get out and very energetic at the same time. There were sixteen puppies and they were about 3 weeks old. During their first few weeks of their lives, wild dog pups are only allowed out of the den around three times a day during which they get fed and have time to play, getting some exercise at the same time. This limited time out of the den is for their own protection as their play time outside is usually chaotic and noisy, potentially drawing the attention of other dangerous predators such as hyenas which will kill the pups without hesitation. Once the puppies were let out the den, serious play time ensued. There were puppies everywhere and it was chaotic. Some were running up and down, many were chewing on something, be it a branch or their brother’s tale. One pup even fell down the burrow while chasing another one and a few spend the time wrestling and biting each other in a playful manner. We could see these puppies had the time of their lives and so did we. There was just so much interaction between all the pups at once, we didn’t know where to look. This was definitely one of my most remarkable sights ever in the African wild. To see such rare creatures and their young interacting in their natural environment was just a priceless experience.

It was during a late afternoon safari in the Kruger National Park that we came across a large herd of elephants scattered all around a large watering hole. When you find elephants near water during a safari it is always a good time to turn off the vehicle and observe for a while. Elephants love water a lot and besides their big thirst, elephants also loves swimming and playing around in the water. During this time elephants are at their most relaxed, keeping themselves busy with everything else but eating, mostly leading to amusing and entertaining behavior. While filming a part of the herd in front of us on the far side of the water going about their daily antics, we suddenly heard a huge a splash in the water to the near right side of us. Our attention was quickly moved to the commotion close to us. We saw a male elephant that literally just tackled his brother into the water during their wrestling match and started pinning him down. With an elephant already past the size of puberty, it is very difficult for them to get back up on their feet while lying down flat on their sides. The bull elephant at the top clearly knew this and took the opportunity to show his brother that he was in charge and winning this wrestling match. The male elephant lying in the water made several attempts to get up but his brother refused to let him go. The struggling elephant became annoyed and started to cry out these deep and loud screams every time he couldn’t get up. The loud screams were so loud that it left us feeling extremely overwhelmed and intimidated. Eventually the screaming elephant managed to shrug off his brother and got back onto his feet. The elephant looked pretty mad and it was then when the other elephant realized that he better get some distance between the two of them otherwise there was going to be trouble. In the end, the frustrated elephant bull handled the situation surprisingly well, looking all calmed down a lot quicker than we anticipated. Everyone really thought he would get up and give his brother some of his own medicine but to our surprise, it didn't happen. As if nothing happened, the brothers left the water together in peace.

During a safari in Kruger National Park, we came across a small herd of elephants. They were slowly making their way through the shallow muddy water of a river crossing. The last elephant to cross was a young bull. In the middle of the crossing was a large bird standing. Young male elephants in their teen years are typically very cheeky and always ready to show off their size. Even if it means picking on something a hundred times smaller than you. The young bull was halfway through the river when he decided to stop next to the bird, called a grey heron, standing in the water minding its own business. The young male elephant gave the bird one look and without hesitation, used his trunk to splash the bird with water in an attempt to scare it away. Like a real teenage boy, the young male elephant wanted to show this bird who is boss. The cheeky elephant was swinging his trunk repeatedly in the direction of the bird in an attempt to intimidate it, while he let go of a few loud trumpets to add to his show. The best part of it all was the reaction of the bird during the whole interaction, not looking bothered at all by this laughable behavior. Amazingly the bird never showed any real fear, even though it was totally out sized by the testosterone driven young male elephant. The heron just kept moving away a short distance every time the elephant splashed water towards it. Eventually the elephant decided the message was clear and slowly continued through the muddy crossing. It was such a funny experience to watch this cheeky young male elephant going about picking on a bird that is a hundred times smaller than him. This was a great example of the typical behavior seen among male elephants in their teen years, feeling confident and ready to take on anything, something most teenage boys can relate to.

Driving around in the bush while on a safari in Africa, you get to experience the wonders, sounds and beauty of a unique natural world. Encountering wild animals in their natural habitat always delivers a fascinating and unique experience. The African Elephant is a huge favorite among tourists. While elephants are the largest land mammals on this planet, they are also among the most intelligent. Elephants are mostly very entertaining to watch and amazingly, humans can relate with so many of their fascinating and amusing behaviors. During a recent safari in Kruger National Park, we stopped to watch a small herd of elephant busy enjoying a mud bath. Spending time in a mud bath is the favorite pass time activity of any elephant, young and old. Not only does the mud cool elephants down during hot days, it also serves as a very important and healthy scrub, getting rid of itchy ticks and parasites stuck to their skins. Our attention was quickly moved to a young male elephant standing in the mud. To our amusement, this young male elephant decided that today he was going to shove his whole face into the mud. The young elephant was leaning forward, before he suddenly planted his face straight into the mud. Looking very awkward, the young elephant had his bum in the air while using his back legs to push forward, shoving his face even deeper into the mud. The young male shoved his face up to above eye level. The young elephant stayed in that odd-looking position for a few seconds before lifting his face out of the mud, looking like it was having a royal time. This young male elephant was very adamant to get his whole face covered with mud, clearly indicating that pretty much his whole face was itchy and he had to get rid of his itchy face quickly. This behavior put a smile on everyone’s face, while relating to the times when we as humans also have those days when we just feel like sticking our own faces into the mud, just for very different reasons than that of the young male elephant.

The Kruger National Park is a pristine African wilderness area filled with a great variety of wild animal and plant life. Thousands of people visit the park every year to see wildlife in their natural environment. Watching animals going about their daily activities in their natural environment is a great experience for anyone appreciating nature. One of the most popular species is none other than the largest land mammal on this planet, the African elephant. Not only are they big, elephants are also incredibly intelligent and fascinatingly complex in their behavior. We were driving on safari through the park on a hot summer day when we came across a herd of elephants busy cooling down in a large mud wallow. Watching elephants enjoying a mud bath is always very entertaining, specially when they start wrestling and playing around in the mud. While watching the herd messing around in the mud our attention was drawn to a young male elephant, slowly starting to put his front feet on top of his bigger brother. The big elephant brother was lying flat on his side in the mud. The young elephant then proceeded to put both his front legs on top of his brother. It looked like he was pinning down his brother in a mud wrestling match. To our amusement, the young elephant then proceeded to climb right over his brother in a very awkward manner. Head first, the young elephant then slid down the side of his brother, making for very entertaining viewing. The bigger brother did not seem entertained by his young brother climbing over him and interrupting his mud bath. In the end the big elephant brother gave his young brother a slight kick in attempt to get him to move off, clearly showing he had enough of his brother interrupting his mud bath. The young elephant looked like he couldn’t be bothered by his brother’s irritation with him. It was hilarious when we realized how much most brothers will be able to relate to this kind of behavior.