We slept late today after our long day yesterday and explored the western most part of Etosha open to the public. At the Oliphants waterhole we watched a lone male elephant approach for a drink. Soon he was joined by another young male and shortly later by a third. Then came the herd – five females and their families – 15 in all. There were young elephants of all ages including a couple of really young and one uncoordinated baby who kept us in stitches. It’s trunk wasn’t long enough to reach the water from the bank, and it made all sorts of contortions trying to get to the water.
Meanwhile the three males took turns sparring like sumo wrestlers, disrupting the others and kicking up clouds of dust. The baby and other young ones wandered around underfoot alternating between drinks of water and a spell at mom’s teats(female elephants have breasts, not udders.) As the young males sparred and tested each other they became excited, showing truly heroic male organs. Now I know where the expression to step on your dick comes from.
Tomorrow we leave for Botswana but may have to camp again in Namibia. Due to our shortsightedness we’re out of Rand, have few Namibian dollars, and don’t know about ATMs in Botswana so a stop in Windhoek may be necessary. As I write this at our Moringa waterhole, 12 elephants are drinking not 50 feet away. Quite a sight and sound.
