5 Days Ago ..

The above images were taken in Kenya. That is Mt. Kilimanjaro, a grand presence every step of the way. We had 2 trucks, Range Rovers, with 3 photographers in each, allowing for a row of our own.

The elephants above are mourning an elephant carcass. This group circled the carcass for 8 to 10 minutes. Emotional? I’d say so. As they were leaving one stayed behind, he sniffed for several more minutes then picked up a bone and carried it for one last sign of respect. Did they know this deceased elephant? Yes, no doubt in my mind.

Kenya has been in a draught for quite some time. The death of the elephant was probably from this natural disaster and not from poachers.

“A bereaved mother will behave in a depressed manner for days while the herd creates a burial of the dead. Cows collect leaves and twigs to cover the body of the deceased. Even years later, elephants have been observed revisiting the site where one of their own had died.” Channing Sargent

Neighboring villages were performing rituals of some sort to relieve the drought. Not sure it helped.

“Elephants long term memory has a huge storage capacity and can last for years. Elephants excel in long-term memory, they can remember an experience from when they were a baby throughout their whole life. Elephants also have some of the largest brains in the animal kingdom, so their cerebral cortex is also very large. ” wiki

The function of a cerebral cortex: The cerebral cortex carries out essential functions of your brain, like memory, thinking, learning, reasoning, problem-solving, emotions, consciousness, and sensory functions.

“An elephant’s memory is key to its survival and, sometimes, its herd’s. Herds have a matriarchal structure with one older female in charge. These dominant females have developed a bank of knowledge over their years that helps their herd survive in the wild. An example of this is evident in desert-adapted elephants. A matriarch will remember where the reliable source of water is and lead the herd to it. Time and distance don’t impact their ability to lead their herd to the right place, demonstrating their superb memory when it comes to their spatial environment.” wiki

Elephant herds with older, larger matriarchs tend to fare better during times of crisis. This is because they have longer memories.

An adult elephant can consume up to 300 pounds of food in a single day.

Elephants may be the most protective moms on the planet. Herds of females and children usually travel together with the youngest members surrounded by the adults, protected from predators. If one child becomes an orphan, the rest of the herd will adopt it. ( that is a tracker on the top of the mothers head )

Elephant mothers carry their babies for nearly two years before giving birth. They ensure their babies get the best food, teach their children the most useful skills and show their young how to lead the herd during hard times. Elephants recognize that their mothers know best — the herds are matriarchal.

This post is long, but hang in there …

What about the male elephants?  Adult male elephants are solitary in nature but may associate with other bulls in small, unstable groups. Males will leave the family unit between 12 and 15 years of age. As it was put to me by one of our guides, ” when they start eyeing their sisters…. it’s time to go.”

The above photo is when this young bull was asked to leave the herd. Amazing! We were in the right place at the right time.

Older male elephants have an important role to play in the survival of their species . The elders pass on their skills and knowledge to younger males. The males are larger and more powerful, therefore they can defend themselves against predators. There is no need to stay in a herd that is primarily safety in numbers.

Meet Craig! Craig is a tusker, he is 48 years old. We drove to a private reserve about an hour or so from our camp to find this gentle giant. We had rangers on motorcycles scouting the hills to find him. Yes, elephants can hide in plain sight.

Were we close? Yikes! No worries, Craig as I said is a gentle soul. We got out of our trucks to photograph him. I think he was posing, and when he had had enough, he moseyed on. What a treat!

“Elephants communicate in a variety of ways – including sounds like trumpet calls (some sounds are too low for people to hear), body language, touch and scent. They can also communicate through seismic signals – sounds that create vibrations in the ground – which they may detect through their bones.”

A baby elephant can stand within 20 minutes of birth.

Elephants never stop eating.

I cannot explain the above photo…

Thank you for bearing with me. I have thousands of photos of these beautiful mammals and would love to show them all to you … but I won’t. Elephants have the honor of being the largest land mammals in the world. These enormous creatures were my favorite to photograph, spend mornings and afternoons with, and to learn about. I Hope you enjoyed them also.