Canada Bound In One Week

In one weeks time I will be boarding my flight home and finally be back on Canadian soil. The past seven weeks here have not only taught me the weird and wonderful ways of elephants, but have also taught me more about myself than I could have imagined. I know I won’t be returning as the same person I was when I left and I can only hope I have changed for the better. The daily routine that I have fallen into has opened my eyes to the things I take for granted everyday at home, and how much more complicated it has become in the past few years.

Here at the PGR the gates open at 6am and close at 6pm, secluding the reserve from the outside world. This schedule has confined the inhabitants of the reserve and has created a world amongst the people who live here. I have had a taste of this life for seven weeks, and although I probably couldn’t cope with it for long periods of time, the lifestyle has allowed me to recharge and find a focus. I have been disconnected from the world other than the occasional email and phone call home. It has been wonderful and I will never forget how peaceful it has been.

But enough about me and more about elephants. The past few days have been somewhat slow with most of the elephants being on the Mpalane property that we can’t access. If we are lucky, one of the bulls will be roaming alone and when (or if) we find him the day will be relaxing and tension free. Yesterday we were fortunate enough to have a signal for Ntini who appeared to be meandering around Leeuwspoor East. We set off at 8:30am, as usual, and eventually narrowed our search area down to a river line. As we circled the thicket it seemed as if Ntini knew that we were there and was toying with us. As we made our way through the midsection of the thicket a second time we came across a set of tracks that were most definitely not there before... Ntini has managed to sneak through the area within ten minutes. The worst feeling in these situations is knowing that the elephant can probably see you but no matter how hard you look he will remain unnoticeable. Elephants have turned out to be incredibly elusive in terms of their ranging tactics and it is at times like these that you want to throw your clipboard in the lake and head home.

We eventually found Ntini and were able to track him long enough to take four scans and complete two focals. After finishing our first focal we were required to wait an hour before conducting another one, so during this time we took things easy and made sure we didn’t lose sight on him. Heike eventually moved the vehicle within ten meters of Ntini without disrupting his feeding session. We watched him for ten minutes until he decided to cross the road directly ahead of the vehicle. Keeping one eye on us he made his way towards the middle of the vehicle and then backtracked towards the front. As he came around the front he turned to face us, ears splayed, trying to appear as big and as intimidating as possible (Unfortunately for him, he is way too cute for us to take these antics seriously). At this point Heike turned the vehicle on so that we could back away to give him his space. As she pressed on the gas, instead of moving backwards, the vehicle moved forwards a foot or two. This was the first time Ntini had ever experienced this and the surprise in his eyes was accompanied by a loud trumpet. He looked completely taken aback by the situation and after backing up a few steps he turned to make his way across the rest of the road.

Our next scans and focals went well and we ended up tracking Ntini to the border of Mpalane before heading home. I also had the chance to collect a fecal sample from Ntini along the way... yes, a fecal sample. Not only have I been collecting plant samples for the past few weeks, I have also been privileged enough to collect large amounts of elephant dung. This is no easy task as the average elephant terd weighs at least a kilogram. Nothing makes my day more than using my mom’s handy gardening shovel to break off sections of the dung and pack them into containers.

It hasn’t really set in that I only have four days left on the PGR and then three more in Joburg. While it seems like it was only yesterday that I was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown before boarding my first flight, it also seems like I have spent ages here and the idea of leaving is strange. Within one week I will return to my life and the reality that comes with it. And just like before I can glance over to see the pile of my clothes and other supplies that I somehow managed to cram into my backpack the first time around. The pile is daunting and packing will be a nightmare, but if I can handle elephant feces (literally), I think I am up for the challenge.