Ellies in the Moonlight

Amazing sightings have decorated this week. Ellies, lions, Cheetah, Hyena and Leopard have been seen. Both campuses went on sleepout on the Makalali Private Game Reserve. This is always a highlight, and allows one to get very close to nature. Students sleepout under the stars on a Big 5 reserve and are in charge of collecting wood and making fire- the old fashioned way. With both leopard and hyena coming into the sleepout camps, as always, sleepout was an amazing experience, but perhaps even more amazing than that were the hundreds of zebra and wildebeest that surrounded one of the sleepout areas the entire night! Gave a few students a bit of a scare, as they would catch the reflection of their eyes as they swept the area with a torch – imaginations went wild with there being “hundreds of hyenas” around the camp. Not to worry, the students were safe and sound with 3 very qualified instructors to fend off those scary zebras (as seen in the photo above)!!

Another highlight this week occurred while students were having their evening cup of coffee on one of the open plains on the reserve. Splashing water was heard at the nearby dam and they quickly jumped on the landy and investigated.

Over 30 elephants were swimming in the moonlight! We watched in silent amazement at the amazing acrobatic stunts the ellies were performing - rolling, hand stands, caressing and low rumbles of sheer pleasure.

A few curious elephants approached the landy and continued their low vocalisations and greeting ceremonies. We were totally relaxed and blessed to be apart of this natural behaviour. We watched their bathing ritual until completion – 1.5 hours later!

The Bushwise Team

Ellies in the Moonlight