21 Sept, 2008

The Okavango Delta's pans have dried up, leaving minimal vegetation for animals to eat.

It was another scorching hot day in Botswana's Okavango Delta today. There was little game around, and with the last remaining patches of water being in and on the edges of the floodplains, we decided to venture to these areas, where the animals were most likely to be.

We came across two bull elephants (Loxodonta africana) that were peacefully grazing and browsing next to the permanent swamp. We watched the elephants for hours as they pulled branches off a fallen ebony tree in the background, while in the foreground, another elephant was kicking up powdery dust and pulling out the grass with his trunk.

At this time of year the pans have all dried up and all that remains is a dusty white salt pan. One of the very few plants that can grow there is a spiky, prickly grass which covers the ground in a thin carpet. The elephants kicked at the grass to get the roots and bulbs out the ground, then they swatted the grass on their tusks to get rid of the powdery dust, and continued to eat it.

One of the elephant bulls took a special liking to a tree root in the ground.

He pulled the root out of the ground and broke it with his strong trunk. He then proceeded to dust one bit on his tusk and threw it in his mouth, chomping on it with loud satisfaction, while still holding another small piece in the bend of his trunk.

The bulls slowly started to move off, browsing on the trees as they passed by, making their way towards Dead Tree Island, a favourite elephant hideaway. They like to congregate there because of the lush grazing on the edge of the lagoon and the fact that it's a crossing point to islands further north.

One solitary bull continued to kick at the dust beneath him, creating a beautiful smoky cloud around himself.

This was made even more spectacular by the setting sun on the horizon, which silhouetted the elephant and highlighted every hair and wrinkle on its trunk and chest.

– by Julie King, Earth-Touch crew © Earth-Touch

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