Enter Mona. Mona is a young German woman who has a living arrangment with Otter's Den. She helps out there, but mostly she works at a local volunteer agency (more about that later). Maritza helped her negotiate a day off from her work so Mona could drive me to Hazyview, about 50 miles away, so I could visit some elephants up close and personal. How could I possibly visit Africa without seeing elephants? There were closer sanctuaries, but I didn't like the looks of them on the internet. They seemed extraordinarily touristy, and they featured riding elephants with those awful crates for riding. I had learned in Cambodia that those frames are really detrimental to the health of elephants' backs, and so I wanted nothing to do with anyplace that used them. Hazyview DID offer elephant riding, but bareback only. Alright!
The next morning I was awakened by the sound of the burners from a balloon directly overhead. I ran to see if I could see it, but because of all the trees, I could not. I enjoyed a pleasant breakfast on the deck (did I mention that I was the only guest at Otter's Den? Their summer is their off-season), and Mona and I planned our day, and we planned to do a LOT!
Off we went in Maritza's little car, Mona driving. I was very surprised that when we reached the outskirts of Hoedspruit, the town I was somewhat familiar with, we were almost immediately in another town. I had not realized that Hoedspruit is an almost entirely "white" community. Hundreds of blacks WORK there, but they do not live there. Instead, they live in the neighboring town, I believe called Acornhoek, and commute into Hoedspruit. I don't believe there is any actual law requiring such segregation, but I suppose it must be a leftover from apartheid days. Acornhoek was spread out for miles and miles along the road, and there were lots and lots of pedestrians clustered along the road waiting for their busses into Hoedspruit. I was relieved not to be driving.
In short order we arrived in Hazyview and located the elephant sanctuary there. It was a very attractive, orderly, and well-tended place. Mona and I were the only visitors, and we got instructed on basic elephant anatomy and natural history. The feet and tusks you see in the background are replicas made of fiberglass, by the way. And then it was real live African male elephants!
Incredibly huge--MUCH bigger than the Asian elephants I had known--very amiable and extraordinarily well-trained. They seemed to enjoy an affectionate relationship with their mahouts, and I was very much impressed with the care they obviously received. I was perplexed that male elephants could be so trustworthy, but I suppose my attitude toward male elephants could have been skewed by Bob in Cambodia, who had suffered so much abuse it was not surprising he could be moody. I had learned about how dangerous male elephants could be when they are "in musth," which is apparently some hormonally-triggered time that comes a couple of times per year. These guys told me that musth is apparently caused by nearby females coming into heat, and so since they had ONLY male elephants, they simply never did come into musth.
And here's an experience I know I will never have again, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you how exciting it was!
WOW! So happy for you.
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