A friend sent me this interesting article ...

There is a regular occurrence at the Mfuwe Lodge in the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia where the lodge was unwittingly built on the Elephant's traditional path through to some wild mango trees on the property.

A herd of a dozen or so elephants walk through the lodge's reception area at least twice a day for about 4 weeks and then sporadically for about another 3 weeks to feed on the trees.

The food and beverage are obviously good and occasionally they have enquired about accomodation. No untoward incidents reported to date!

Johan,

Those are great pics. I guess in the last pic they are choosing their room. The amount of ele's in the Mfuwe area and up along the Luangwa is incredible.

Nice,

Mark

Fantastic pictures and thanks for posting them - but I hope the staff and guests know to be be ultra cautious. It was a very similar scenario to that that got the late Kay Hiscocks killed a few years ago.

Agree with Shakari! All you need is one quest who thinks they have a selective "oneness" with the animal world to step forth and try to pet one of those guys. And then all hell breaks loose. Would make headlines for sure

Dak

Great pics but I also believe it a matter of time before "cute" turns to disaster! Reminds me of the tourists in NA that just have to get close to (pet?) the bull elk, moose or bear and have things go to hell. These are wild animals not pets, "adorable" or not!

John

Fantastic pics, but I agree with some of the above posters, looks like an accident waiting to happen. I don't suppose you can just ask them nicely to leave?

That picture is too cool.. But look out if one gets between mother and baby...

Mike

Those are awsome pictures, and that is a unique situation. I would love to see it first hand...

Holding my loaded 450 No2, of course, because as other posters have pointed out, IF they decide to misbehave people could be killed, many people.

On my last Safari there was a few nights when the elephants tried to get into my pajamas

They were friendly and all was well...

But as with ANY animal, their mood can change.

NE 450 No2,

Groucho would be pleased! Pics?

John

Too cute.

Hope those cows don't look for a honey moon rooms and turn up next week with their boyfriends - there should be some roofs flying .

Fantastic pictures to save for when there is an official enquiry about a guest(s) being killed by elephants. An accident due to happen someday!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

Sort of reminds me of that old movie"Elephant Walk"

There are 3 german college students, (girls) one doing research on leopard one on servals and one on rodents living very near there. They rely on sport hunters for donated baits for their research. Whilst I was on Safari last month in the luangwa. One gals (Rebecca) car was kabob'd by a jumbo, she had a Zawa scout on the top with a locating antenna. The scout inside the car shot his AK through the top of the car just missing both a car occupant and the guy on top. Everbody but the back of the car came out unhurt. Garby was there at the same time and heard the stroy first hand as did I. She learned that day about these "camp" jumbos.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Johan,

The amount of ele's in the Mfuwe area and up along the Luangwa is incredible.

Nice,

Mark

That is true! The last time I hunted there, our camp was just across the Luangwa River from the South Luangwa Park, and just south of the Upper Lupande. The morning we were to leave for the Airport in Mfuwe, we had over 100 elephant cross the river into the park right through our camp. I had already packed my cameras, and by the time I could get my video camera out, they were already in the trees across the River.

The Valley has lots of game of all types, but the ele, and Buffalo are thick as fleas on a coyote!

MacD37, isn't it pretty amazing to have elephants walking through your camp!

The camp in these photos looks like an accident waiting to happen.

quote:

Originally posted by Bryan Chick:
Sort of reminds me of that old movie"Elephant Walk"

+1

The eles won.

Keith

Great post and photos! Good solid evidence in the likely or unlikely event of trouble. . . I would not have wanted to have been the floor cleaning crew every day

quote:

Originally posted by cjw:
MacD37, isn't it pretty amazing to have elephants walking through your camp!

The camp in these photos looks like an accident waiting to happen.

The elephants here are walking through the loby of the lodge in the South Luangwa Ntnl Park. That is scarry as hell, but the tree huggers who visit those parks think it is an extra service, for their picture taking.

My camp was a Hunting camp with several thatched huts, and a lappa on the river. They just walked right between my hut, and the lappa but that was close enough, seeing they had several very young calves with their mothers, and my rifles already locked in my gun cases!

I wonder what will happen when a flash is used when taking photos inside the lobby?