What an extraordinary experience it is to see a huge elephant raise itself up on to its hind legs to reach for food. The population of elephants on our Chikwenya Concession is large, but only one elephant has been identified here thanks to his unique behaviour.
This is a very rare sighting you might only otherwise see in trained elephants. The first time I was treated to this wonderful experience, the elephant lifted up his trunk to sniff, and then positioned himself under the branches and raised himself up, until he stood on his hind legs.
It’s not every day that you witness this in the wilderness, but at Chikwenya you could very well be privy to this amazing sight.
Most of the trees around Chikwenya have pods, and the elephants tend to shake the trees to get at the pods.
It is so exciting to see such a huge elephant stand erect on its hind legs to a full stretch of 13 feet tall.
What a rare and lovely experience I had, and it is one of the highlights of a safari to Chikwenya Camp.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barlington Tafadzwa Nemhara was born in Kariba but left the town at a tender age to attend school in Bulawayo at Usher Primary School and Milton High School.
He obtained his diploma in Communications and Journalism from the Christian College of Southern Africa (CCOSA) in Harare, and is currently working towards his Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Studies through the Zimbabwe Open University. Upon completion of his first diploma, he joined the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation as a production assistant and an editor.
He joined Wilderness Safaris Chikwenya as a kitchen porter in March 2019.This is Barlington’s first job in the tourism industry, and he is already seeing endless opportunities to grow, both professionally and academically.
“For me, working for such a well-respected organisation has been an eye opener, and hopefully the beginning of many new adventures”, he says.
Prior to joining Wilderness Safaris, Barlington worked for, amongst others, the Ministry of Justice’s Legal Aid Directorate, where he worked as a legal advisor and a marketing officer.
Barlington enjoys writing stories inspired by nature and what’s happening around him. Since joining Wilderness Safaris his life has changed dramatically, with many new doors opening for him.
“Indeed”, he confirms, “the Wilderness journey changes lives”.
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