Nothing like a soothing mud bath!
You never know what you'll come across on any given safari drive in an an African game reserve. The vastness of the Serengeti, the stunning otherworldly quality of the Ngorogoro Crater, the drama of the annual migration and crossing the crocodile infested Mara river... there can be something at every turn.
On one of my last game drives in South Africa's Madikwe Game Reserve, we suddenly came face to face with this enormous male, who had just come from a refreshing mud bath.
Under the harsh African sun, the heat and UV radiation can be deadly and with their few hair and sweat glands Elephants have to find other ways to cool off. Romping around in mud not only cools them down, but provides a protective layer to shield their body from the sun's rays and it is also relief them from insect bites.
Sometime there can be nothing in terms of wildlife. One can drive for hours and see only impala. Sometimes a glimpse of a sleeping lion hidden in the deep bush. Other times there can be drama unfolding in front of you ... lions chasing waterbucks, leopards carrying their kill up a tree ... or a zebra giving birth on the plains, wildebeests making their distinctive "gnu" sound.
This was a great moment.
The population of elephants is dropping and they are endangered due to climate change and poaching.
100 ELEPHANTS ARE ILLEGALLY POACHED EVERYDAY
The species are critically endangered! The elephant population in Africa is currently estimated to be around 400,000, a decline of over 100,000 in just the past decade - and poaching continues to threaten those numbers.
I remember the first time I saw elephants in the wild. These enormous giants walked gracefully past our safari vehicle, their footsteps making no sound at all. It was an electric feeling!
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Find more great images of wildlife and landscapes on my website at richardmilesphotos.com
