Ellies of Knysna

I have an endless list of stories I want to share about my trip back home so brace yourself lovely readers. I wanted to start with one of my favourite highlights – the day we walked with the Knysna Elephants. I actually grew up in the small coastal town of George, not very far away from the Knysna Elephant Park, but being an ignorant local, I never ventured inside. We decided to rectify this wrong this past holiday and armed with a hefty feeding bucket of chopped vegetables, we gingerly made our way over the grass to the herd of 15 something elephants roaming the forest. The sanctuary provides refuge for orphaned calves, relocated ellies and ellies rescued from culls and circuses, so some of them are a little shy and battle scarred but I think this made them even more special. We spent some time feeding these greedy giants and then were able to walk amongst them. They were surprisingly obliging, letting us rub their ears, trunks and tails and on occasion, giving us a subtle nudge when we stood in their way. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life and if you ever find yourself in Africa, do yourself a favour and walk amongst an elephant herd.

Just take a look at that wrinkly fuzzy head!

We were fascinated to watch them eat - they grab the grass with their trunks and then hold their trunk in place with their foot to make pulling the grass easier!

Had to get a close up of the fuzzy head and the stubby feet!

All images via Wishful Thinking