People who come into the bush with me, have a genuine admiration of animals and the euphoria displayed by them in each sighting just cemented my thoughts on why more people come to the bush to shrug off the listlessness of their day to day lives.
A sighting that we had with elephants epitomizes this point. We had been fortunate enough to be in a couple of sightings with elephants. Approaching these pachyderms is something that should always be done with caution and one needs to know the signs the animals give you if they do not welcome your presence. We realised that these particular elephants were content and we approached… The herd then proceeded to walk past the vehicle within touching distance.
Elephants have an aura about them which when first encountered can lead to an incredible up-welling of emotion. Whether it be their size, their generally placid nature, or the fact that when you look into their eyes you know that they are working you out at the same time, they can humble even the most accomplished safari-goer.
Emotional experiences like this can potentially be brought on by any animal or situation when in the bush; the only part of the recipe you need to bring is a true appreciation for them, the space they inhabit, and what their continued existence represents. Not just for a visitor to Africa, but for all of us.
Rich Laburn is filmmaker, photographer and writer who is based at Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa. Spending his time capturing scenes of the wild and communicating the beauty of the African bushveld, he runs the Londolozi Blog as a way to entertain and engage people wishing to visit these wild lands.
