Good day folks,

Thought you'd enjoy these photos of a couple of elephants that visit us at least once a week, at our home in Mutare - Zimbabwe's number 1 urban centre. So far they have set back banana and mango production considerably, knocked down a section of wall, trashed a picket fence, knocked a tree on the roof smashing numerous tiles, broken the pipeline and internet cable a few times, pushed down the garden shed, charged me a few times...

I like them a lot, though IMO they are actually very dangerous elephants, because they are used to and don't fear humans. The last time they broke the pipeline, I attempted to intervene, and they chased me back indoors, paying no heed to my shouting and performing. Then I had an elephant at the kitchen door and another at the window, peering in at me...At least they were thoughtful enough to leave the water meter at the door when they left...


On the pipeline behind our house.







At the gate.








Sneaking into our yard in the evening.








In the 'garden'/'vegetable garden'








At the dining room window.






About to trash the mango tree outside the kitchen.




At the front door.






Trying to grab the camera.





In our garden we also have squirrels, many birds, some snakes, a couple of genet cats, frogs and lizards.

Hope you are having a good weekend,

David

David

Get yourself one of these & teach yourself how to use it properly. (I prefer the plastic versions)

Used correctly, they emit a very loud & shrill whistle that elephants absolutely hate & it makes them turn tail & bug out pretty damn quick.

I appreciate that sounds like a ridiculous idea but it really does work & has never failed for me.

Great pics BTW.

i am afraid that sooner rather than later this situation will progress to the point they will have to be shot. good luck in the meantime!

Cool photos.Thanks for sharing.

Best-
Locksley,R

I can't imagine that on a regular basis. We get deer and elk bedding down in my front yard, the occasional bear raiding the dumpster and 3 times now sightings of mountain lion on my little slice of heaven, but ELEPHANTS???
Way cool.

Crazy and thanks for sharing.
I get them deer and elk in my yard almost on regular basis so I call them " meals on wheels " and they end up in freezer, couple of them anyway every year.
Nothing like home delivery and no dragging . LOL

What a wonderful post. The magic of Africa.

I wonder if any on has tried bear pepper spray to make an area unpleasant for the ele's



http://www.guardian-self-defen...i48bkCFURp7AodvisACw

If you could set this up with a trip wire so that the elephants would spray themselves with out associating you with the negative experience may be they would just start staying away from the house proper.

COOL pics David thanks for sharing!

Looks like they are trying to take over the place though

Stay safe

Is this common on other properties near you?

Much more substantial than the bunnies I have to deal with....

Very cool!

Neato but glad it isn't my house! Wouldn't a brick of good old fashioned firecrackers lit and chucked under their feet make them choose to eat the neighbor's landscaping instead?

Wooow! Way cool!

When I was a Tea Planter in the 1980s I used to see Muntjak & rarely Sambar & wild boar from the house. Elephants & gaur used to visit the property but not near my bungalow.

In the 1950s my dad saw a tiger within 100 meters of the house. Leopards used to slink past the kitchen.

True wilderness is life changing!

David,

I will trade you two Jehova's Witnesses and two Seventh Day Adventists for your two elephants!

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:
David,

I will trade you two Jehova's Witnesses and two Seventh Day Adventists for your two elephants!

465H&H

LOL, I just spit my drink on the keyboard!

I'll take the rattlesnakes and skunks that I have to share my yard with.

Thanks for the tip Steve. I have resisted chasing them off for some time as I actually like having them around, but they are costing me too much loot now. A few days ago I bought some very loud 'black mamba' firecrackers so we'll see how they don't like those when they rock up again.

I hear you JD, but don't be so gloomy about it! Maybe we can all live side by side in disneyland harmony with the elephants, lions and crocodiles after all...Derrick and Bev Joubert say we can

I'd have to invest in a bigger freezer if I followed your example boarkiller.

Roland, they don't venture into other properties because most have fences/walls and the elephants don't go through them, for some reason. Our garden has no fence and borders what used to be the game park.

465, you keep yours, I'll keep mine

David, hopefully the fireworks will give them the shoo! Nice pics BTW!

Dave

I agree they're nice to have around in many ways but they always do a shit load of damage & things can go very wrong in a heartbeat (as happened to the late Kay Hiscocks some years ago) so I reckon you're doing the right thing by trying to chase them away!

On the bright side, they should make anyone contemplating a home invasion think twice.

quote:

Originally posted by Palmer:
On the bright side, they should make anyone contemplating a home invasion think twice.

That's it, what I always say in their defense - great security guards. Anyway, they haven't been back for a few days and this is a small town, so I think they may have heard I bought those black mamba firecrackers...