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    Into the Bushveld

    Photos from South Africa

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    The calves’ mothers soon joined the rest of the family to keep a protective eye on their offspring, whilst Mabitsi stood sentinel nearby as we sat with them for half an hour, humbled and privileged by the chance encounter. Seemingly too soon, the group vanished, it never fails to amaze me how such majestically enormous creatures can disappear so quickly and silently. Nature’s inherent beauty lies in its chaotic unpredictability; we may not have found the cubs, but instead we found an entire elephant family Views[137] A nervously excited tension coursed through the group as we cautiously approached Mabitsi, as he is notorious for his unpredictable temperament. Drawing closer, Arno noticed the bull was in musth, a periodic condition experienced by male elephants which heightens mood swings and aggression. This, coupled with the fact he usually resides alone, left none of us prepared for what transpired next. Following in his massive footsteps, a pair of adorable calves tentatively took steps out into the sunlight, stopping to graze and play barely ten meters away from us. Views[170] Instantly on high alert, I began scanning the horizon, searching the bush for any sign of life. After a few agonizingly drawn-out seconds, I caught movement in the far distance. Amongst a vividly green glade of Black Wattle Thickets emerged Mabitsi, a huge bull elephant from a proud, storied lineage. His great grandfather, was one of the magnificent seven of the Kruger. Views[153] After three hours of tracking, our search narrowed to a beautifully remote valley in which we found fresh tracks and feces, maybe four- or five-hours-old. However the trail ended there, as the protective mothers must have hidden their young cubs in the surrounding bush. In order to try and tempt them out of hiding, we decided to take a well-earned coffee break. The expression captured on Marionette's face sums up the moment Arno commanded firmly yet calmly,
     

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