CLOSE-UP WITH ELEPHANTS in TARANGIRI NATIONAL PARK, Tanzania, Guest Post by Karen Minkowski

Mother elephant and her calf, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

My friend Karen Minkowski has visited Africa many times and has contributed many times to The Intrepid Tourist, sharing her beautiful photographs and insights about the animals. She recently went to northern Tanzania, visiting four national parks: Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara and Tarangire. This is the last or her reports of that trip.

Our final destination was Tarangire National Park, where elephants provided some wonderful moments. But first, here is one of the elephants’ closest living relatives, the rock hyrax, which is about the size of a large rodent. Along with manatees and dugongs, elephants and rock hyrax share several characteristics. Among these: their tusks (not seen here) grow out of their incisors, as do those of elephants, while most mammal tusks grow from their canines. Also, their testes are internal, unlike those of most other mammals.

Rock Hyraxes.

Other animals in the park included zebras, wildebeeste (gnus), and many birds.

Zebra seeking shade.

Mixed herd: Wildebeest (foreground), Coke’s Hartebeest (center), Zebra.

Yellow-collared lovebird.

One evening we watched elephants at the river. Here they are enjoying covering themselves in mud. They sometimes seemed blissful as they wallowed.

Mother and young calf.

A mother and her very young calf came down to the river. After they drank, the female briefly wallowed in the mud. As they began their return uphill, the calf seemed to struggle on the steep slope and often fell but always got itself up again.

An adult female rubs her bottom on a rock face after a full-body wallow.

African fish eagle.

One afternoon our guide stopped the vehicle near an adult female with several young ones. Almost immediately the female, followed by the others, started walking straight towards the vehicle, looking us right in the eye – or so it seemed. She was unwavering in her approach. It was a little unnerving.

She just kept coming. My friend started to roll up the window and the guide said calmly, don’t roll it up. We suggested that we move out of the elephants’ way; he said, no, we’re fine. We just sat watching, trusting the guide but also on edge. When the female elephant was two feet from the car, she suddenly made a sharp right turn, then a left right in front of the vehicle, with the young following behind. They continued on their way. It turned out we’d parked on their trail, blocking access to it, but the adult female treated our vehicle as a non-threatening obstacle to go around.

In my nervous state, I’d failed to take note of her expression and body language, which you can see in the photo above. She shows no sign of aggression: her ears and trunk are relaxed, as are her eyes, even though she’d been staring right at us.

The same thing happened the next day with another small elephant group, also led by an adult female. This time I was relaxed. The female turned when she was very close to the car and stood in front of it. One of her young came so close that I could have touched it (which would have been stupid, perhaps disastrous). The elephants showed no interest in what was inside the Land Cruiser. These vehicles are a part of their environment, and generally visitors to the Parks keep their hands and heads respectfully inside when near wildlife.

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS AT LAKE MANYARA, TANZANIA, Guest Post by Karen Minkowski

Yellow-billed Stork, Lake Manyara, Tanzania.

My friend Karen Minkowski has visited Africa many times and has contributed often to The Intrepid Tourist, sharing her beautiful photographs and insights about animals. She recently went to northern Tanzania, visiting four national parks: Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire. This is the first of her reports of that trip. 

I recently completed a wonderful safari in Tanzania’s northern circuit with three German friends. We ranged in age from 22 to 81 and travelled together very well; everyone was enthusiastic about everything we saw, and we had lots of great observations. We visited four sites over eight amazing, intense days that exhausted even the youngest of us! Our guide was excellent. He had a great sense of humor and worked hard to meet our requests.

Our first destination was Lake Manyara National Park. Human settlement has reached one side of the lake, and erosion of agricultural fields nearby may be the cause of the brown appearance of the water on some days. 

Heavy rains in the last years have resulted in a rise in the water levels, partially submerging many trees.

But birds were abundant. Below: Red and Yellow Barbet; Grey-headed Kingfisher; Little Bee-eater. The Barbet nests in termite mounds and feeds on termites (and other insects). The Kingfisher, despite its name, feeds primarily on insects on the ground and only occasionally fishes. The Bee-eater catches insects on the wing.

Red and Yellow Barbet.

Grey-headed Kingfisher.

Little Bee-eater.

Blue monkeys were common in the forested area.

Blue Monkey.

The next three pictures  show two female elephants greeting one another. The sequence lasted just a few seconds, and I know nothing of the context. It seemed like a very intimate interaction, perhaps an elephant version of a warm hug.

 

Looking from the Lake to the forested area.

Ground Hornbill.

Note: Karen's post about her visit to Serengeti National Park will appear next week.

AMONG ELEPHANTS IN BOTSWANA AND ZIMBABWE, Guest Post by Owen Floody

African elephants, Zimbabwe.

With many thanks to Owen Floody, a frequent contributor to The Intrepid Tourist. In 1971, Owen and my husband Art participated in a field course in animal behavior in Uganda. The descriptions of the animals in Owen's post below bring back many memories of that first trip to Africa.

A few months ago, I traveled in search of one charismatic mammal, the mountain gorilla.  What better complement than a September 2025, trip focusing on a second large, highly intelligent and charismatic, mammal, the African elephant?

The Great Elephant Migration Safari was run by Wilderness Travel and expertly led by Vusa Ncube.  It began in Botswana but quickly shifted to Zimbabwe, where it covered a lot of ground, in part by replacing two long drives with charter flights.  Most of our time was spent in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park.  At first glance, this seemed too dry and overgrazed to support large elephant herds.  

Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.

But appearances can be deceiving, as the elephants certainly were there.  One factor contributing to this abundance must be the large number of human-maintained waterholes that dot this part of Hwange.

Vultures, Chobe National Park, Botswana.

My first few days were spent in Botswana's Chobe NationalPark.  An elephant carcass provided an early focus, as it was scoured, first by lions, later by a flock of fractious vultures.  

Elephants in Chobe River.

But the live elephants were even better, socializing near or frolicking in the Chobe River.

Ringside view of nighttime visit of elephants to waterhole at Nehimba Lodge, Zimbabwe.

Our first stop in Zimbabwe was Nehimba, a lovely small lodge perched on the edge of a waterhole calculated to attract animals in the day and night.  

Napping lions.

Lions again proved very entertaining, as they worked over an old carcass and then recovered from their labors as only cats can.

Rhinos at rest at Camel Thorn Lodge, Zimbabwe.

From Nehimba, we traveled by train (The Elephant Express) to Camel Thorn Lodge, in the shade of a Camelthorn tree. Here, we had to be cautious moving on or near the grounds.  The surrounding community is creating a preserve for endangered white rhinos and the area's first two residents seem to love napping at the lodge.  It's not everywhere that animals as rare and formidable as these can be approached (carefully) on foot!

Elephants at waterhole near Camel Thorn Lodge.

A waterhole near Camel Thorn provided my favorite elephant-viewing opportunity.  This was memorable partly due to the large number of elephants that showed up.  But even more compelling was the obvious glee exhibited by the young elephants as they frolicked in this waterpark of their own creation.

Young elephant and herd at waterhole near lodge at Jozibanini.

Our last and most isolated stop was the tiny lodge at Jozibanini.  This provided a variety of entertainments, most focused on the lodge's waterhole.  By far the most thrilling of these was the opportunity to view elephants from a ground-level blind adjacent to a favorite water source.  This provided a dramatic perspective along with the opportunity to view huge and highly charismatic animals at a range of inches.  Our trip couldn't possibly have concluded in any more dramatic and satisfying fashion!

ELEPHANT SANCTUARY AT KOH SAMUI ISLAND, THAILAND, Guest Post by Tom Scheaffer

Samui Elephant Kingdom, Thailand

My brother Tom Scheaffer loves to travel and has previously written about his trips for The Intrepid Tourist. In early February he went to Thailand. Here is his report.

Koh Samui Island, Thailand

I recently took a two week trip to Koh Samui Island in Thailand. After a long, transpacific flight, I was rewarded with a very peaceful and restful hotel right on the water. Swimming in the sea twice a day was a real highlight. The ocean is calm and the water is the perfect temperature. I was there with many friends from the Sri Chinmoy meditation center.

Sunset at the Celes Samui Resort and Spa

This is the view from where we ate in the hotel, the Celes Samui Resort and Spa. It was perfect weather--warm, but not too hot and no rain.

Elephant at Samui Elephant Kingdom

We visited the Samui Elephant Kingdom, which is a sanctuary for elephants that have been mistreated or needed a home. They come from all parts of Thailand. It was really fun and the elephants are so gentle and nice. The founder, Chokchai Rueangsri, has developed a beautiful and very extensive natural area where elephants can roam freely and be treated in the most humane way possible.

Feeding the elephants.

The most exciting thing was feeding them! We made large cookies, the size of a tennis ball, using bananas and other protein powders, and then held them out, and they would gently take them with their trunks, and then place them in their mouths. The elephants were amazingly gentle and we had a chance to even approach them and pet them. 

For a complete report on Tom's group's visit to the Samui Elephant Kingdom, with dozens of wonderful photos, go to Live From the Road, on the Sri Chimnoy Peace Run site.

(Note that Koh Samui is sometimes spelled Ko Samui. It is the same place.)

Tom Scheaffer

NAMIBIA: Spectacular Dunes and Abundant Wildlife, Part II, Guest Post by Owen Floody.

Zebra at Etosha National Park, Namibia.

With many thanks to our friend Owen Floody, who was my husband's field partner on our trip to East Africa in 1971. Art and I have not been back to Africa since then, but Owen has made numerous trips in recent years and written about several of them for The Intrepid Tourist. His latest report chronicles a trip to Namibia—his third—and is accompanied by his excellent photographs.

Where the Namib desert meets the sea.

My previous post began with my description of a recent photo-tour of Namibia and ended as we flew by small plane from the red sand dunes of Sossusvlei to coastal Swakopmund, marking the tour’s transition from an emphasis on landscapes to one on wildlife. The flight itself provided a second look at the shapes and distributions of the Sossusvlei dunes. Particularly impressive was how abruptly the dunes end and the ocean begins. In addition, the flight permitted us to look down on one of the shipwrecks that give the Skeleton Coast its name. Finally, we viewed an impressive bank of mist extending inland from the ocean, as is very typical of this area.

These mists limited our activities in the Swakopmund area. One victim was a planned excursion to Walvis Bay in search of flamingos and other water birds. But we did see quite a few flamingos from the plane.  And the mists could not completely derail a Living Desert tour that exposed us to a few of the small creatures (chameleons, geckos, skinks, and spiders) able to make the dunes their home.

Gecko.

From Swakopmund, we continued on to our last two stops, Etosha National Park (in northern Namibia) and the Erindi Private Game Reserve (about midway between Etosha and Windhoek, our endpoint).  Even though we saw wildlife earlier in the tour, these were the areas that we expected to be the most wildlife rich.

The Etosha Salt Pan.

Etosha is the third largest of African national parks at 8600 sq mi, closely approaching the size of New Hampshire. Contained almost entirely within it is the Etosha Pan, a salt pan of about 1840 square miles. Etosha is dry, though average rainfall levels vary seasonally and regionally.  Due to its aridity, much of the wildlife viewing in Etosha occurs at waterholes, some natural, others man-made.  A few of these (including one a few feet from my room) are lit at night, permitting interesting views of a great variety of animals as they (very cautiously) visit to drink.

Giraffes and rhinos at the water hole.

Of the waterhole visitors, zebra are so photogenic as to be hard to beat. Nevertheless, the most prized nighttime visitors were the black rhinoceros and giraffes: I did not expect to see this many rhinos and was very pleased by the turnout.  And nothing could have beat the show put on for us by a large herd of elephants during a daytime waterhole visit. All of them, but especially one expressive and irresistible baby, had a grand time frolicking in the dust, water and mud.

Mother elephant and her calf having a mud bath.

Even though these sightings were great and made our visit to Etosha memorable, sightings of some other animals, especially big cats, were scarce. It was suggested that this reflected eastward movements of some animals in response to conditions that were unusually arid even by Etosha's standards.

Mother cheetah and her cubs.

We hoped that these gaps would be filled at Erindi.  And, to some extent, they were, as we were able to get good views of cheetah (6th image) and lions there. Unfortunately, at least some of these sightings came at what I considered unacceptable costs.  One of the benefits of private reserves is the ability to drive off road and at night.  And done judiciously, I think that these can be valuable.  However, our efforts to track a hunting mother cheetah suggested to me that the drivers at Erindi (which were not those attached to our tour) were prone to engage in two unethical practices.  First, they frequently plowed right through any shrub or small tree that might otherwise have required a detour. Secondly, several vehicles maintained positions close to and on at least three sides of the hunting cat. It is hard for me to believe that these intrusions didn’t compromise the hunt (which did end unsuccessfully). One of the drivers claimed that he knows the animals individually and well and would have broken off the pursuit if the animal was distressed. Perhaps this is true, but I am unconvinced. Since many of the cats are radio-collared, it should be possible to collect data on the outcome of hunts accompanied and unaccompanied by safari vehicles. If the success rates are similar, I will praise the sensitivity and skill of the drivers. Otherwise, I will give Erindi a pass, as I did on our remaining game drive.

Please bear in mind that this incident occupied no more than two hours of a 17-day trip.  Therefore, anyone attracted to Namibia but concerned about the incident should recall the saying about throwing out the baby along with the bathwater. Taken together, the sights and experiences of this trip for me elevate further a destination that already was one of my favorites. In my opinion, tweaking the itinerary would be an appropriate response, staying away would be overkill and unnecessary.      

Part I of Owen’s report appeared on July 3, 2023.

RAINY SEASON IN SONGO, ZIMBABWE: Spectacular Birds and More, Guest Post by Karen Minkowski

Elephants at Songo Conservancy site, Zimbabwe

My friend Karen Minkowski, a frequent contributor to The Intrepid Tourist and definitely an intrepid traveler, is currently in Africa, a place that she has visited often. She spent the month of February at the Songo Conservancy site, which is several hundred miles from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. She writes:

I had a great rainy season month in Songo, lots of new birds (among many I'd seen in November). Elephants were present; it's always astonishing to see these great creatures. Poaching levels have dropped in Songo since the International Anti-Poaching Foundation, which manages this conservancy, trained and is now deploying rangers (all young women - strong, motivated and committed) to patrol the huge area. A place worth protecting, for sure.

Here's the Songo landscape. (photo above) The water body is Lake Kariba. Look at those baby elephants!!

Rain falling on the distant floodplains. Songo is especially beautiful when it's green.

African grey hornbill.

Arrow-marked babbler parent feeding its young.

Black-winged kite.

One of my favorite birds, the collared palm thrush - I love the bedroom eyes!

This bull elephant came within 40 meters of the electric fence. Elephants look bigger when you see them on foot rather than from a vehicle.

Green wood-hoopoe, frequently seen poking around in the dead ends of tree limbs.

Jacobin's cuckoo.

Levaillant's cuckoo. Most if not all African cuckoos lay their eggs (very surreptitiously) in the nests of other species, who do the hard work of foraging for food for these cuckoo chicks.

The red and black birds are male southern red bishops. They're gathering with potential mates. Each male will form a harem with several females and build their nests in the reeds and grasses.

Tawny-flanked prinia, a feisty little bird.

This is a male Village Weaver constructing a nest that hopefully his potential mate will find suitable for raising their young. If she rejects it - by not lining the nest's interior -  and other females do the same, he'll build a new nest in hopes of pleasing someone!

The most common, and the noisiest of birds around our camp, the white-browed sparrow weaver. Like the weaver in the previous photo they build nests from grasses, but rather messy ones!

I'm leaving Songo very soon, but hope to return, for the birds and the elephants and for the lovely community of people here.

Click here to read about Karen’s visit to Songo in November 2022:  https://theintrepidtourist.blogspot.com/2023/01/songo-nature-conservancy-victoria-falls.html .