The Imire Elephant: Matriarch of the African Buffalos

Some of the elephants at the Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation in Zimbabwe.

One of the elephants eating.  It's amazing how powerful they are, taking down trees.

Hi, elephant tush!

A baby elephant.  Still my favorite of all the animals, how can you not just love a baby elephant?

Imire has an elephant who is rather famous for her 'identity crisis.'

Nzou is the matriarch of this herd of African Buffalo.  That's right, she's the head of a herd of African Buffalo.

When Nzou first arrived at Imire, she was placed with a bull elephant within the only large herd Imire a had at the time---a buffalo herd.  By the time the bull elephant died, Nzou had immersed herself so completely within the buffalo herd that she became distressed when Imire tried to move her to the elephant herd they had obtained.  The buffalo also became visibly unsettled by her absence.

When I visited, fourteen male African Buffalo had challenged Nzou for head of the herd over the past 30 years---she won every time.

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An Ode to the Elephants

While on safari in Botswana's Chobe National Park, my love affair with elephants continued.

How can you not love these animals?

It's amazing how well such ginormous animals can hide.

These beauties didn't care that we got to admire them.

Eating away without a care for our presence.

Check them out:

This is how close we get! That boat replaced our little spot.

Why, hello, adorable baby elephant.  Je t'aime!

After a lovely visit to Botswana, we returned to Zimbabwe.

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Snapshots from the River: The Chobe Crocodile!

The mighty crocodile of the Chobe River.

A crocodile suns itself in Botswana's Chobe National Park.

I find crocodiles terrifying.  Can you blame me? I mean, look at those teeth!

A river safari always reminds me to have a healthy fear of rivers in Africa!

A water lily.

A herd of elephants drinking at the Chobe River.  Oh, Botswana, you always are so lovely.

Waterbuck!

The wonderful Chobe River.

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A Love Affair with Elephants Continues

After a stunning visit to Victoria Falls, we visited Chobe National Park.

Where Botswana reminded me instantly of how much I love elephants.

Isn't this guy just adorable?!

Chobe overs the chance for land and river safaris and my love affair with elephants to grow.

A mama and her baby.

I love the mutual relationships you find in nature, especially the tiny bird and elephant relationship.

A mama elephant helping her baby through a mud bath.

Oh!  What this old elephant has seen in Africa.

A breeding herd drinking at the Chobe River.

I was just floored by the size of the hippos in Chobe.  This elephant was huge.  Look at the size of those hippos next to him!

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Snapshots from Botswana

Chobe National Park, Botswana, may be one of the loveliest places I've been on safari.

After taking a river safari on the Chobe River, you can take land safaris and see surreal images like this one of a giraffe.

A Chobe baboon.

The first time I've sighted a sable!

Unfortunately sables are becoming more and more rare in southern Africa.

An elephant leads her baby elephant toward the Chobe River.

Beautiful.

This elephant charged us.  It was the first time I've experienced a charge (but not the last time I have!)

and let me tell you, your heart can drop straight through your feet in no time flat!

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Oops....how did I forget this?

While working on this post on the elephants of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, 

I accidentally forgot to include this video.  I thought it was too lovely not to share:

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The Chobe Hippos et Al!

Why, hello, hippo!

A hippo yawning in Chobe National Park in Botswana.

A baby hippo nestled in its pod.

A crocodile lounging on the Chobe River.

An African Buffalo.

Why, hello, elephants!

There's something about baby elephants that is just so ridiculously cute.

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