Tuesday, September 30, 2008

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN AFRICA


A friend sent me a link to the most astonishing photographs of elephants at Mfuwe Lodge, South Luanga National Park, Zambia. The lodge was unwittingly built on the herds migratory path to some wild mango trees on the property but the dozen or so elephants aren't going to let a little thing like that hinder them.
They lumber through the reception area at least twice a day for 4 weeks or so to feed on the mangos on the other side. Then for another 3 weeks they pop in for tea whenever they feel peckish. Apparently over the years they have become very relaxed and often explore the reception area. Everybody treats them with the utmost respect and no incidents have been reported to date!
"Wonky Tusks", a female elephant (above) who visits every year brings her babies along and passes down the knowledge of this picnic spot to the youngsters.
All photographs belong to Mfuwe Lodge. There are more photographs here.
at

46 comments:

  1. UnknownSeptember 30, 2008 at 11:23 AM

    oh, wow! What a sight that would be! thanks for sharing this!

    ReplyDelete
  2. ShaylaSeptember 30, 2008 at 12:20 PM

    Hee, Hee! That's so neat!

    ReplyDelete
  3. megha puNAter"September 30, 2008 at 12:32 PM

    wow this reminds me of one of my visits to tanzania(my dad was born and brought up in kenya)i was in a lodge in tanzania(i have forgotten the name)when i came out of my room i saw a rhinoceros out of my door i was terrified and closed the door again and called room service they said this was normal and that at night if it was quiet even leopards pass by.
    also happened in a tent lodge in kenya where hyenas were roaming around our tent.
    i love africa will take my children there one day.
    great thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Chris DalySeptember 30, 2008 at 12:36 PM

    Oh they are SO beautiful. What a site they must be.

    ReplyDelete
  5. MmmSeptember 30, 2008 at 1:59 PM

    what a hoot!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tess KincaidSeptember 30, 2008 at 2:12 PM

    That is really amazing. Reminds me of the old Elizabeth Taylor movie "Elephant Walk". Only these elephants look much kinder and gentler.

    ReplyDelete
  7. kendaleeSeptember 30, 2008 at 2:39 PM

    Ooh lovely, more elephants... Amazing pics! And what an honour to be able to get so close to wild elephants like that.

    ReplyDelete
  8. herhimnbrynSeptember 30, 2008 at 3:08 PM

    Both these posts on elephants have had me smiling and renewing my respect fot them. Thankyou.

    ReplyDelete
  9. JasonSeptember 30, 2008 at 3:54 PM

    Gee I have never heard of that till now! I don't know how I'd feel seeing elephants walking through a place I was working. But from what you described, they seem to just get on with 'their job'

    ReplyDelete
  10. valoniaSeptember 30, 2008 at 4:36 PM

    How amazing and how wonderful that nobody tries to stop them. Nature is a beautiful thing.

    ReplyDelete
  11. queencraftygirlSeptember 30, 2008 at 5:13 PM

    That is so awesome! I would love to go there!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Pamela Terry and EdwardSeptember 30, 2008 at 9:28 PM

    Oh, how completely wonderful. I gasped when your site came up on the screen! Elephants are sublime.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jeane MyersSeptember 30, 2008 at 10:19 PM

    Robyn, this is epic - my husband and I just kept looking at the pics - like Willow, it reminded of the movie Elephant Walk.

    ReplyDelete
  14. ArtPropelledSeptember 30, 2008 at 11:14 PM

    Seems like I'm having an elephant fest. I never know what my next post will be about but somehow the right topic shows up. Thanks for the comments everyone and Jenny if you are reading this, thanks for emaling me the photos.

    ReplyDelete
  15. ArtPropelledSeptember 30, 2008 at 11:16 PM

    Megha, it sounds as if you've seen more of the African wilds then I have. I would love to go to Tanzania.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Cherry JeffsOctober 1, 2008 at 12:18 AM

    Is it only me that wonders who gets the job of cleaning up the giant elephant poo?

    No seriously, fab photos and the sculpture ones too:-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. pRiyAOctober 1, 2008 at 1:15 AM

    at first i thought that this has to be a series of sculptures like your previous post, only more life like this time. and then i read the post...
    if we treat animals with the respect that is their due, the results are so astonishingly beautiful.
    this is so unlike the utterly horrifying conflicts between humans and elephants that we read in the newspapers in india.
    (even my little cat has certain needs and rituals that i have learnt to respect so that peace reigns between us.)

    ReplyDelete
  18. pRiyAOctober 1, 2008 at 1:17 AM

    thank you for another absorbing post.

    ReplyDelete
  19. AnonymousOctober 1, 2008 at 4:13 AM

    grrl, you never fail to deliver... what a cool story. I just showed it to my partner...

    ReplyDelete
  20. Maya Sara MatthewOctober 1, 2008 at 5:48 AM

    This lodge is going on my personal list of 100 places to visit before I die.Its almost unbelievable.Love the fact that the elephants are being accomodated and respected.

    ReplyDelete
  21. M.A. WakeleyOctober 1, 2008 at 5:53 AM

    what awe-inspiring images. i can't wait to show my husband tonight!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Kerri JeanOctober 1, 2008 at 6:31 AM

    this is just the most wonderful sight - to see such a majestic animal walking so delicately through the hotel. I wish I possessed such grace!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. AnonymousOctober 1, 2008 at 7:07 AM

    Cool! In India elephants are signs of good luck - I keep thinking of that with all your elephant posts!

    ReplyDelete
  24. binduOctober 1, 2008 at 7:23 AM

    This is really amazing! What a fantastic experience for guests. I'm glad the lodge didn't take steps to prevent them from coming through.

    ReplyDelete
  25. julie kingOctober 1, 2008 at 5:14 PM

    i'm just delighted by these photos. what a story to tell your grandchildren if you got to witness it in person!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. LaviniaOctober 1, 2008 at 5:36 PM

    THis very story, with the last photo, was in the online version of the Daily Mail. Amazing. What a story....remarkable!!

    ReplyDelete
  27. One CrabappleOctober 2, 2008 at 7:50 AM

    So enjoyed the visit to your blog this morning (by way of Grrrl+Dog).

    Your ARTWORK is GORGEOUS ! the carvings, the collages... I just loved it all here.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Ahipara GirlOctober 2, 2008 at 8:14 AM

    Hi Robyn
    Its always fun to visit and discover new things about your Africa like the snow. Who knew that it snowed there? The elephants are a hoot. I love the sculpted ones too. I can see the attraction. We have a "Africa" circus in town currently with a big ole elephant. It is disconcerting to see him in a small pen with a truck trailer for a home. A privilege to see such an amazing animal up close but sadness that he is only here for pure entertainment. He looks cared for but I bet he'd rather be with other elephants in a more natural habitat.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Ahipara GirlOctober 2, 2008 at 8:14 AM

    PS. I tagged you with a nomination cause I love your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  30. AvusOctober 2, 2008 at 11:36 AM

    Amazing! Somehow they look even more magnificent in these odd surroundings. They are the old and permanent (hopefully) and the lodge and its inhabitants just fly-by-nights who can be ignored.
    But are they house trained, I wonder..............?

    ReplyDelete
  31. Jackie KirnerOctober 2, 2008 at 11:48 AM

    What an amazing sight to see!

    ReplyDelete
  32. ArtPropelledOctober 2, 2008 at 12:16 PM

    Cherry and Avus, I would say the brickwork is pretty easy to clean. They probably have those big pooper scoopers like they have in the circus. lol..

    Priya, that goes for everything really. If we could all treat every living creature with repect this world would be a far happier place.

    Rachelle, thanks so much for the award.

    Embellisher, maybe we will meet then because I have put Mfuwe on my list of "Must see".

    Everyone, I'm so pleased you are all enjoying the sight of these magnificent creatures trundling through the lodge.

    ReplyDelete
  33. 3rdEyeMuseOctober 2, 2008 at 6:12 PM

    to witness a sight like this must be beyond incredible.

    ReplyDelete
  34. steviewrenOctober 2, 2008 at 8:48 PM

    That is amazing! I can't imagine being that up close and personal with so many elephants. This is an incidence of truth being stranger than fiction. It's something that would be in a movie but would never really happen.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Emily BarlettaOctober 3, 2008 at 10:52 AM

    this is so beautiful and amazing. thank you for sharing, it made my day.

    ReplyDelete
  36. AnonymousOctober 3, 2008 at 10:54 PM

    Amazing photos. Makes me want to go there even more.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Gwen BuchananOctober 4, 2008 at 6:15 PM

    This is amazing too..Thanks Robyn...
    Africa is an amazing place... Looks like they want to work at the counter and pass out the keys..

    ReplyDelete
  38. UnknownOctober 7, 2008 at 7:33 AM

    That's just incredible. Here I m sweating it out in the forests to get shots of wildlife and here wildlife walks into the lodge...amazing

    ReplyDelete
  39. ArtPropelledOctober 7, 2008 at 12:22 PM

    3rdeyemuse, aren't they magnificent!

    Stevie, emily, Gwen, Don, glad you enjoyed the photos.

    T and S, I thought of you when I first saw these photos. In fact if you hadn't wandered over I was going to call you to come and have a look.

    ReplyDelete
  40. SydneyOctober 8, 2008 at 9:23 AM

    Oh m ygoodness, this is fantastic! I could not believe my eyes. I am so glad that they do respect the elephants and feel the honor I would feel to be visited by them. Very nice to know that's how it is when the creatures are not so unusual there and could easily be taken for granted.

    ReplyDelete
  41. ArtPropelledOctober 8, 2008 at 10:42 AM

    Sydney, what I love is the way they put their trunks over the desk to feel and inspect everything.

    ReplyDelete
  42. india flintOctober 9, 2008 at 6:08 AM

    do they take their martinis shaken or stirred?

    ReplyDelete
  43. artbyjuneOctober 9, 2008 at 10:48 AM

    Wow Robyn. Fascinating photos of elephants. I am watching big cat live on TV this week on the BBC. Very intriguing. There was a stand-off with lions against elephants. Previously, a lion pride had killed a baby elephant. Inthe next encounter, the elephants rushed at the lions and scattered them. Wonderful to watch the Masai mara footage on TV.

    ReplyDelete
  44. ArtPropelledOctober 9, 2008 at 11:54 AM

    Tumbleweed, nothing would surprise me.

    June, I think I might have seen that. Last week we watched the buffalo/lion/crocodile stand-off that is now on You Tube. Amazing footage! The last I heard it had over 20 million hits.

    ReplyDelete
  45. kathydMay 8, 2010 at 5:22 AM

    thank you robyn for posting this.
    it really makes me smile.

    ReplyDelete
  46. BluMay 8, 2010 at 8:10 AM

    I have read about this before, and I really find it incredible that these wild creatures are content to wander through man made structures. BTW Elephants are my favorite animals. Best wishes to you Blu x

    ReplyDelete