Ranger Diary

Tumi and Family

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While we were enjoying our Game drive through the park, the family I had on my vehicle, as guests were asking about Elephants. Not ten minutes later we came across a Breeding herd of Elephants. What excitement! But not just from the Guests, the elephants were trumpeting, running and charging one another.

A few meters from the road we watched as one of the young male elephants charged and pushed over a defenceless tree. We joked that he must've been taking out his frustrations on the tree and acting out like all teenagers do. The elephants were all showing signs of aggression: Ears open and heads lifted to make them selves as big and threatening as possible, tails held straight out while running and lots of loud trumpeting.

The sighting was very enjoyable and exciting for the guests and because of the behaviour of the elephants I kept the dry river bed on Tshepe drive between us and the herd watching them from a distance. We were puzzled by the strange behaviour of the elephants until we saw the matriarch, an old female known as Tumi and recognizable by her characteristic floppy ear and one tusk being shorter than the other. The whole herd was acting strangely because she was chasing and removing a young male elephant. He had obviously gotten too old and had over stayed his welcome.

This commotion had affected the whole herd and everyone joined in even if it meant having a friendly squabble with your brother, sister or tree.

Guide: Joy Turnbull