Namibia’s Gentle Giants
Hope is a stubborn thing and although I was devastated to even think that I am not going to see them, I just knew in my heart that this is going to happen.
Tʜɪs sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ Nᴀᴍɪʙɪᴀ’s ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴛ ᴇʟᴇᴘʜᴀɴᴛs ᴡᴀs ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ɪɴ Aғʀɪᴋᴀᴀɴs ʙʏ Lʏɴᴇᴛᴛᴇ Sᴘᴇɴᴄᴇʀ ғᴏʀ ʜᴇʀ ᴇᴅɪᴛᴏʀ’s ᴄᴏʟᴜᴍɴ ɪɴ Dᴇ Kᴀᴀᴘ Eᴄʜᴏ. Fᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ɴᴜᴍᴇʀᴏᴜs ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛs, sʜᴇ ʜᴀs ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ɪᴛ ɪɴ Eɴɢʟɪsʜ ғᴏʀ Aғʀɪᴄᴀ IɴTᴏᴜᴄʜ Nᴇᴡs.
Lynette Spencer
For many years it has been one of this journalist’s, let’s call it bucket list, to take a road trip to Namibia. Not only did I want to see this country that so many speak of, but I just had to see a desert elephant.
Most people who know me well are aware of one thing: I have a deep love for elephants or, as my children like to tease, a full-blown obsession. However, this was not always the case.
Its roots lie deep in my childhood. I grew up in Louis Trichardt, quite literally on the doorstep of the Kruger National Park. My parents loved nature, and we were raised with wildlife, dusty roads and bushveld stories as part of everyday life.
At that time elephants were not on my list as the most loved mammal as I was terrified of them. My father used to tease me a lot about this and told the tale with much love and laughter, usually at my expense.
A herd of elephants apparently charged our old red Kombi. I was still a baby, strapped into my car seat right next to the window, when an elephant let out a trumpet blast right beside me. From that day on, it was game over. I never wanted to stop near an elephant again. Even though I loved visiting the Kruger National Park and we meet a herd of elephants, I would look away, or simply sit on the floor of the vehicle. That fear followed me well into adulthood.
Until one day.
As a journalist, I had to accompany a group of people through our town and surrounding areas for the filming of a Lowveld promotional video aimed at overseas markets. At KwaMadwala, close to Hecktorspruit, I was, let’s be honest, gently forced into a close encounter with their two tame elephants. With my heart pounding in my throat, I was even helped onto the back of one of them. I had never been so terrified in my life, and at the same time so utterly exhilarated. Something shifted in my mind that day. My entire perspective changed. From then on, I devoured every book and article about elephants that I could get my hands on. For me they truly became the ‘gentle giants’.
Let’s get back to Namibia. I have friends, Deon and Lidia Brummer, who own the Huab Lodge and Bush Spa in Damaraland, fairly close to Ethosha and right next to the Huab River. Deon often sent me photographs of their encounter with the desert elephants and my heart absolutely ached to be on one of the trips he took his guests on to search for the desert elephants.
This past December, that dream finally came true. After years of planning and saving, we eventually ventured to Namibia. My hope of seeing a desert elephant was finally going to become true. These giants, only appear at certain times of the year, usually during summer, when water is more readily available, and December is most definitely summer in Namibia. In November, Deon sent me a message: The elephants are back. I replied immediately: Keep them there - I’m coming!
My husband and I arrived at Huab Lodge on Christmas day and one of my first questions was, when last did you spot the elephants? Deon shook his head. With the unusually heavy rains that year, they hadn’t seen elephants for quite some time. The herds had moved higher into the mountains, areas even his Land Cruiser couldn’t reach.
Hope is a stubborn thing and although I was devastated to even think that I am not going to see them, I just knew in my heart that this is going to happen.
With fingers crossed, a silent prayer sent to the heavens, and accompanied by two Swiss guests, we set off early one morning into the dry Huab River. We found tracks, plenty of them, but all old. After about 75 kilometres, however, Deon and his very experienced tracker, Elvis spotted some fresh tracks, leading out of the river and up into a narrow gorge.
Deon drove a bit further, saw no more tracks and turned back to the spot the fresh tracks were spotted. Elvis was send on foot while the rest of us waiting patiently. Suddenly the radio crackled: excited, rapid words, more tracks, and fresh dung, perhaps only an hour old. Elvis continued on foot to see if he could find them.
My excitement knew no bounds. Even the irritating little insects buzzing around my head faded into insignificance.
When Deon lost radio contact with Elvis he climbed up a ridge to find a signal. Then I saw him return with a huge smile on his face. He wasn’t even close when I just knew Elvis had found the herd. Six elephants. At a natural spring. However, we would have to walk to get there.
It was midday. The heat was relentless, yet there was no hesitation. Deon drove another two kilometres into the gorge until the Cruiser could go no further. From there, we grabbed some water bottles, our cameras and set out on foot. I am not fit. Scrambling over rocks, loose sand and river stones, with the Namibian sun beating down mercilessly, completely caught this grey-haired journalist off guard. My heart felt as though it was trying to escape through my ears. We walked with Elvis, who by this time joined us keep saying, ”it’s not far now.”. Later, Deon calculated the distance we walked there and back were roughly four kilometres... and then it happened.
Elvis and Deon who were leading us suddenly stopped, turned around and gestured that we should be silent. Slowly we covered the last few steps and peaked around a massive boulder. There they stood, six gentle giants. My exhaustion, thirst and the heat vanished like mist in the sun. They were calm, drinking water and spraying it over their bodies. A small calf was visible between one mothers’ legs. A young bull, clearly aware of us, ears spread wide, trunk lifted into the air was facing us wondering who these intruders were.
We watched them for a while, cameras clicking the only unnatural sound in the bush. Deon finally signalled that it was time to move back. On the return walk, he warned that he wasn’t sure which route the herd might take. They could move further into the gorge, or turn around and come back. I glanced around quickly, wondering where I would run to if they decided to return. Believe me, I would have scaled those rocky ridges like a klipspringer.
Back at the vehicle, the conversation was bubbling with excitement. Even Deon admitted that in all the years he had taken people to see the desert elephants, this was the first time he had ever had to do it on foot. A once-in-a-million experience.
Then I thought: "This was all just for me."
A dream come true. It might not seem like such an exhilarating experience to you, but believe me, standing there in the bush, watching those elephants is something I would remember and treasure for the rest of my life.
I can honestly say that even Kruger’s elephants will never quite be the same for me again.
🔴 You might also like to read:
Mariana Balt
Mariana Balt
