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I decided to devote this last page to some elephants. I was fortunate enough to see them in large numbers, and they are often doing interesting things, unlike the rather boring zebras, giraffes and basses

We noticed this bull in an open area and approached him on foot, being very careful not to cause alarm. He saw us, but did not feel threatened

This next photo shows another male, who was chasing the previous one off “his” territory. He was in musth, an agressive state that elephants get into with increased hormonal activity, often in the rutting season. Their bodily secretions are dramatically increased, both around the eyes and around the groin. You can see how wet this one's hind legs are. And they smell. Oh, do they smell...

We were driving around later that day and re-encountered him. After a couple of photos we quickly drove away. Most elephants will mock charge a vehicle, but one in musth will (if it is angry) actually charge. It would easily be able to overturn the vehicle, and we would be trampled to death

This youngster had just been frolicking in the mud

To be perverse, he decided to cause a traffic-jam, Zimbabwe style. Worse than the Long Island Expressway on a summer Friday afternoon

The last photo is of something that I had never seen before, something that is apparently unique to elephants in Mana Pools National Park. A few have mastered the art of getting up on their hind legs to get acacia leaves from higher branches. An amazing sight!

Anyway, I hope that you have enjoyed this little excursion around part of Zimbabwe, visiting some wild animals. Two things: please feel free to send a link to the site to anyone who might enjoy it (you can just click here), and send me an email to let me know that you returned safely to camp