Elephant in the yard! – Another fence down
Good morning! I am actually working on a completely different story for my next blog, but I just have to share last night’s quiet events with you… I am going to have to make another trip into camp today and ask the maintenance department to come fix our fence again. It seems like we had another elephant in the yard last night!
Goodbye to our Lala palm and another part of the fence
The kids and I woke up to a very cold and windy morning today. Not the best morning to go for a game drive. So we decided to stay inside where it is nice and cosy. I have been behind my laptop since very early this morning and I only realised we had some more damage to our trees now that it is light. Our poor Lala palm is the latest victim of the sneaky pachyderm that has no respect for fences!
I have just been in the yard trying to follow his movements by checking out his tracks. The elephant came in at the back where the fence was already compromised. Obviously he felt like our Lala palm could not be eaten from the other side of the fence. The boys left some toys outside yesterday afternoon and I am amazed to see that he carefully stepped over and around them. Very considerate that way. If only he would be like that with our fences!! I will have to have a chat with him when he visits us during the day;-))
The wind is blowing strong and the tracks aren’t extremely clear anymore. But as far as I can tell ( I am far from an expert tracker), the elephant checked out the apple leaf close to the old braai. He then did a full lap around the house only to find our gate closed. But our neighbours gate is wide open, so to make things easy for himself, he just stepped on and over the fence between us and our neighbour. And then quietly disappeared into the night out her front gate. Never a dull moment in the bush!!
We had another elephant in our yard a few weeks back. I wrote about it in the blog A naughty overnight visitor, wich you can read here.
During the drought we had elephants all around as well. One kept walking up and down our neighbours drive way! Read that story here.
Love elephant and Respect them but I have never felt particularly terrified or threatened by them. If I just keep quiet and still and if I move then do so very slowly. Had them walk past me so slowly and close I could have counted their eyelashes or reached out and touched them. Wonderful – but the analogy of a bull in a china shop comes to mind – no matter how careful he is around your house or yard something is likely to become incidental damage.
Hahaha Erik I love that analogy!!
Oh to have your kind of intruder rather than those found in the big cities ?. Apparently Elephants love the Lala palms.
Erik I also had close encounters with these gentle (not always) giants and loved the experience.
Absolutely Noel! I really don’t mind the elephants. It is kind of nice to have them so close. The only other intruders we have are monkeys and baboons. They occasionally try and break in. But in stead of stealing your valuables, they just steal your fruit and if we are lucky they don’t leave a mess;-)))
Ellies are are so considerate. No noise, no destruction of toys, leave by the gate. Pity he does not understand about lala palms and fences…… Yet. ?
Great writing, Linda.
Hahahaha true Marietjie!
Brilliant life you and your family have …enjoy we are all so envious.
Thanks you Wendy!!