A brief bush anniversary trip.

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RogerFraser
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A brief bush anniversary trip.

Post by RogerFraser »

To celebrate our 29th Wedding anniversary I arranged a trip to visit Bayette Zulu Elephant interaction as the SO had always wanted to be up close to a elephant and this seemed to be a reputable encounter not a ride an elephant type of outfit .I also booked and overnight stop at Hilltop camp so we could break up the drive over two days .

On the first day we arrived at Bayette and met Rambo and Rachele both had been survivors of a culling operation that missed them during the cull and the team could then not bring themselves to cull them and their other brother .They were kept somewhere in kruger for a number of years before being relocated to another reserve .Unfortunately their brother eventually became a bit rouge at the first reserve they were on and pushed a OSV into the dam with guests on .He also decided that fenced were not there to stop him and eventually was put down . Rambo and Rachele were then moved to Bayette and live a life in the wild with two human keepers as they are used to human contact but they roam the reserve freely and also look after their keepers by keeping the wild Elephants and lions from them at times .

Some pics of the interaction

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Rachelle is not as accommodating as Rambo so you get to place food in her trunk at a safe distance from the tusks .She gets quite pushy if there isnt enough food loaded into her trunk lol
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After leaving the experience we entered the park at the gate very quiet considering it was a Monday during school holidays .

some of the sightings from the first drive to camp.

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A "twofer" one lol
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We checked in to camp and made some sandwiches for lunch ....


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Alf
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Re: A brief bush anniversary trip.

Post by Alf »

Too close for comfort :shock: :shock:


Next trip to the bush??

Let me think......................
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Re: A brief bush anniversary trip.

Post by Richprins »

^Q^ ^Q^ Rog!

Those ellies are amazing up close! O:V O:V

A big 5 trip so far... 0()


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Re: A brief bush anniversary trip.

Post by Lisbeth »

It must be a bit of a nuisance to have the tusks crossed like that :shock: but I suppose that he has got accustomed to it ;-)

Big rhinos and a mini tusker lol

0()


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Mel
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Re: A brief bush anniversary trip.

Post by Mel »

That keeper is worth zip if the ellies started funny business lol

Quite amazing to see that African elephants can be so placid. :shock: But I would never have been that brave to get so close. :o0ps:


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Re: A brief bush anniversary trip.

Post by RogerFraser »

Alf wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 8:47 pm Too close for comfort :shock: :shock:
lol yip but that is the idea of the experience .
Richprins wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 10:24 am ^Q^ ^Q^ Rog!

Those ellies are amazing up close! O:V O:V

A big 5 trip so far... 0()
:yes: and surprisingly softish flesh .You kind of expect it to feel like a solid surface .
Lisbeth wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 11:40 am It must be a bit of a nuisance to have the tusks crossed like that :shock: but I suppose that he has got accustomed to it ;-)

Big rhinos and a mini tusker lol

0()
Yes they think his tusks are about 45kg .Scary is they expect he will still grow and put on another 1.5 tons in the next decade :shock: At the moment he still sleeps lying down in a boma at night but they think he will soon be too big to do this and then will sleep standing .
Mel wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 3:22 pm That keeper is worth zip if the ellies started funny business lol

Quite amazing to see that African elephants can be so placid. :shock: But I would never have been that brave to get so close. :o0ps:
The keeper is more to provide human company to the Ellies as they have a need to have human contact they found without it the Ellies tend to try break out to look for humans .


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Re: A brief bush anniversary trip.

Post by RogerFraser »

Later the afternoon we left for a drive .

Our first sighting just outside camp was this Buzzard
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Further down a hill we came across a grumpy Buf .He was not a happy camper with the car and every time we moved he got quite a look that said to us you shall not pass .
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eventually he moved far enough from the road that I could pass by without upsetting him

Although it was green and there were some muddy puddles around the river was not flowing strongly yet .
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And we spotted a Nyala crossing the road .
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On this side of the park we saw many Nyala in most of the different areas we drove .

We found a lonely waterbuck .
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and some of the clean up crew starting their summer jobs
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Close to camp we found more Nyala
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That evening after our Braai I had a quick look around the unit with a torch and found a little visitor
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Re: A brief bush anniversary trip.

Post by Lisbeth »

The "buzzard" looks like a long-crested eagle \O ^Q^

Lovely pic of the nyalas ^Q^

Cute night visitor O/\


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Re: A brief bush anniversary trip.

Post by Mel »

Love the buzzard ^Q^

The buff looks a bit on the thin side? :-?


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Re: A brief bush anniversary trip.

Post by Flutterby »

Wow, what an amazing experience to be so close to the ellies! ^Q^ ^Q^

I think your Buzzard is a Crested Eagle. -O-


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