Tracking Kilimanjaro the super-tusker. Part 1

When Michelle Henley of Elephants Alive asked me to assist in tracking a unique elephant bull, I thought long and hard about it for half a second.

The elephant, known to SAN Parks as 'Mondzweni', or to Elephants Alive as 'Kilimanjaro', is one of the largest emerging tuskers in the Kruger lowveld. This makes him incredibly valuable for tourism, conservation and research purposes.
As a result, Elephants Alive arranged a collaring operation so that Mondzewni could be followed by satellite monitors. Monitoring a bull like this is crucial to determine his range and movement patterns. And of course to preserve his unique bloodline by keeping him safe. The day before the collaring I scouted for the elephant with the Elephants Alive team.
Its perhaps worth mentioning here that an elephant, the largest land mammal on earth, can leave a surprisingly subtle trail when they move! An out-of-place leaf, a sand covered tuft of grass, a change in birdsong, or the sound of a dung beetle may be your only clues. At times there may be no clues at all. It was a challenge to find Mondzweni in dense bush, but after a few hours we were royally rewarded.
A grassy verge was a perfect vantage point to approach the magnificent elephant. He knew we were there but showed no sign of apprehension or aggression whatsoever. We were sitting now, and slowly he drifted closer and closer, gently watching us while he fed, stopping at 7 metres from us. The moments were overwhelming.
Its during encounters like this that the boundaries of our own fear, understanding, projections and limitations fade, and blur with those of the elephant. Like him, we became part of the landscape, bound by a seminal sense of wonder.
Its was a long while after he silently ghosted into the bush that we chose to move, and we walked back to the vehicle awakened in our thoughts and time. Or timelessness.

Thank you to the incredibly dedicated crew from Elephants Alive.
Photo credit: www.intomywildafrica.com​​