Today, 9/22, is National Elephant Appreciation Day; yes, really it is. So, to celebrate, I decided to publish my elephant pics from South Africa.
Our elephant experience was interesting. I learned that they are not subtle animals. You only have to look at the broken brush, trees and branches as well as the trail of dung to know elephants have been through. Elephants eat a lot but only digest a small portion of what they eat. Their dung becomes a source of food for other animals. At Addo Elephant National Park, they have signs warning you not to run over dung beetles because they are the clean-up crew and are an important part of the ecosystem.
I knew from documentaries that elephants are very protective of their young. But, it was interesting to see it in action. When elephants didn’t feel threatened, the calves romped and played. At the first sign of threat, the adults herded the young in between them. It is really neat to see this behavior firsthand.
I hope you enjoy my images of these fascinating creatures.
Regards
Larry
Note: 1) Click on image to see in larger size
2) These and other images are available for purchase at http://www.earthwatcher.us or by contacing larry@earthwatcher.us
