This is not the greatest video, but it’s a happy video. I try to spend all of my time outside (except on nights like tonight when it’s too cold) and as every wildlife person knows, there is alway that “something” that eludes you, some animal or experience that seems unattainable. Seeing an elephant standing on its back legs has been at the top of my list for very long time and even though I’ve seen the individuals that are known to do it, for some reason they never felt like it when I was around.
On our first morning safari in Mana Pools Lovemore Chiwara stopped as he recognised this boy. Affectionately (well, maybe not too much) known as “Grumpy” he’s a new bull that’s picked up the habits of standing on 2 legs. We spent what felt like ages patiently waiting for him to move closer to the Ana trees, holding our breaths every time it stretched its trunk to reach the higher branches.
When he finally did rock back and forth and swiftly jumped onto its back legs, I couldn’t film, couldn’t photograph, couldn’t speak. In a split of a second our luck had changed. It took a good 20min before I could recompose myself and get my act together to immortalise this moment for myself using the technology at my disposal (thank you dear D600).
It’s not a great video, but now you know why it was a happy one.
