Dear Guests

We may very soon offer elephant back rides as Balla-Balla have come to an agreement with an ex: Zimbabwe chap situated about 45 minutes driving from one of our two SA ranches .

WE are also presently ( in negotiation / discussion ) with him to consider putting possibly [3 trained Elephants/+ staff ] on our wonderful ( 15,000 acre) Conservancy Ranch in the Soutpansberg Mountains something good for hunters wanting to bring families with them, we are also in a Malaria FREE ZONE

Here are a couple of just released PREVIEW PICTURES ...


Our PH Dene Bird with Zimbabwe chap whom offers the rides


Dene & girlfried PH Joanne

In 2003 after our hunting trip to Omay, we went to Vic Falls and went on an elephant ride. Everyone agreed it was one of the highlights of the trip. I highly recommend to anyone going on safari to make a special effort to experience this adventure. You will remember this for the rest of your life.

Kathi & Guests

This is my sister in law Jessie with her youngest son Shawn taking a ride with one of the guides .... holy smoke they are big critters in real life and a long way down should you take a tumble (-:



Peter

I did some elephant back game drives in 2003. I have posted these before, it was a total hoot. I never knew anything out there was bigger than my 18 hand horse. The size of an elephant is truly intimidating, yet they are extremely graceful on their feet.

This is Jambo, his mahut and myself (note A-R hat) in the Zambezi valley.



How to saddle these critters up:



It would be nice if my horse would do this.

Highway robbery while on the trail:





This would be a lot of fun for those who take their families on safari. Sure gives you an up close and personal perspective on a live elephant. Their tusks make great "monkey bars".

Ann, where was this?? You said "Zambezi Valley" - any further hints (outfitter, area, price, availability)?? Drop me a PM if not appropriate for public consumption (?), please.

Besides, what is all this business about "a lot of fun for those who take their families on safari", heck I have dreamt of riding on elephants myself all my life!

- mike

mho-

I will have to do a bit of digging as these jaunts were a surprise birthday gift to me. There were two different outfits that I know of, maybe there are more.

WOW - I WANT ONE!!

Peter/Ann - This looks much more exciting than the rides one gets on circus elephants. Please post more information when you have it.

Just a passing fantasy - some ranches in RSA offer hunting on horseback as a change from vehicle. Could you do that from elephant as in the India of old? Just plains game, because you wouldn't want to endanger an expensive elephant (or hunter), but what a thrill!

quote:

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Originally posted by mho:
Ann, where was this?? You said "Zambezi Valley" - any further hints (outfitter, area, price, availability)?? Drop me a PM if not appropriate for public consumption (?), please.

Besides, what is all this business about "a lot of fun for those who take their families on safari", heck I have dreamt of riding on elephants myself all my life!

- mike

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Ron White used to run a Zambezi Valley elephant safari (ie game viewing / rides) camp. I forget the name of the company.

Edited:
Remembered. "Jijima", plus "Elephant Camp". He still has "Imbabala" as far as I know which is a great little game viewing lodge right on the Zambezi in Zimbabwe near Chobe Nat Park and the Bots border. With the Namibia border only a short boat ride away and Zambia across the water. Took many great photos there.

The Warvets over ran the Elephant camp and Jijima in August 2002.

Not sure if he relocated his elephants afterwards.

NitroX, 10 points! Imbabala Lodge - including Elephant Rides

- mike

conewago and NitroX,

Some of the old mahouts who trained elephants for shikars in India are still alive as it is a family profession there. I am sure that if someone wanted to train elephants for a howdah hunt it would be possible if they get some of the mahouts to work in Africa and train local ones there but I am not sure that the kind of hunts that took place in India with beaters driving tigers towards hunters seated on elephants would be possible considering the sheer number of hunters and game you would need. The Indian shikars were the equivalent of a driven pheasant shoot in England and African hunts have been completely different down history.

Guests

Just a couple more pictures for your satisfaction ...


Our PH Dene Bird & girlfried Joanne a SA registered PH taking a ride


Dene Bird & Joanne again

Mmmmm, as a hunter, for me elephants are born to be hunted the same way women are born to be chased

But I understand and acept that many people will find exciting riding one of these increadible animals. I just can't ride and become friend "of something" I've dream to hunt my whole life.

BTW, once I hunt an impala in company of your nephwe Shaun, great chap.

L

I don't want to hijack Balla Balla's thread, but, could someone knowledgeable on elephant hunting take Balla Balla's two pictures and indicate where one should aim if one were trying for a brain shot? I am still trying to figure out the aiming point when one is shooting upwards. Again I apologise to all. I would like to ride an elephant but I would also like to hunt one someday!
peter.

Peter

Here is one picture side on to help you !!!



Regards, Peter B

mho

Here is another website to look at. However I would contact them to ensure the info is up to date. Just in case.

http://www.wildhorizons.co.zw/about.html



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Peter (Balla Balla)

Sorry to drive your thread off track but still very on topic.

I think it is really great that you have managed to add elephant back rides to your attractions. Really there is no competition (assuming Ron still does them anyway) as you camp is a hunting camp while Ron's is fishing and tourism.

What a great added attraction, hunt a kudu and bushbuck in the morning and go for an elephant game viewing ride in the evening with wifey and kids.

A couple of questions:

1. Do you have no-shooting areas on your South African property? ie so the game is undisturbed for photogrpahy. Many hunting safari properties have no shooting areas at least around the lodges.

2. What is an African elephant like to ride? Especially bare back without a howdah or chair? I rode an Indian elephant in a howdah in the mountains of Thailand on the border with Burma and with the strong rocking motion you do have to hang on. Especially with a cliff face to one side and you hanging over it!

quote:

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Originally posted by Peter:
I don't want to hijack Balla Balla's thread, but, could someone knowledgeable on elephant hunting take Balla Balla's two pictures and indicate where one should aim if one were trying for a brain shot? I am still trying to figure out the aiming point when one is shooting upwards. Again I apologise to all. I would like to ride an elephant but I would also like to hunt one someday!
peter.

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Peter,

It's very difficult to take a picture from the internet and show the proper shot placement (especially for frontal brain shots). It depends on your distance from the elephant and the elephant's height. The best you can do is read Mahohboh by Ron Thomson, read The Perfect Shot by Kevin Robertson and read this article from African Hunter Magazine.

Most importantly, avoid frontal brain shots if you can.

Regards,

Terry

quote:

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Originally posted by NitroX:


A couple of questions:

1. Do you have no-shooting areas on your South African property? ie so the game is undisturbed for photogrpahy. Many hunting safari properties have no shooting areas at least around the lodges.

2. What is an African elephant like to ride? Especially bare back without a howdah or chair? I rode an Indian elephant in a howdah in the mountains of Thailand on the border with Burma and with the strong rocking motion you do have to hang on. Especially with a cliff face to one side and you hanging over it!

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As they say in Sourth Africa often - HI JACK ... it is a very common term particularily in Johannesburg when a joker arrives to say GIVE ME YOUR KEYS

1)Basically we are NOT a sausage factory type operation whereby we have hunters coming and going week after week and disturbing the peace all the time ...

WE are more of a botique type specialised operator whom might do say [ 5-8 hunts ] per season at the SA ranches, so the game are not being continually spooked week in week out, and therefore there is no problem perse for photographic safaris slotted in between hunts as required. But having said that, essentially we are a (hunting operator) that offer game viewing and photographic as add on to the hunt, and not normally vice versa ...

Also remember we have TWO PRIVATE ranches located about 1.5 hours apart by road, so we can do both hunting and photography at the same time ... sorry to be so long winded in the explanation

2) To be honest I have never ridden an Elephant ... my brother Alan the ranch owner has just met up with this Zimbabwe chap and last weekend was there first trial experience to ride the ELE ...

I live in NZ of cource, so maybe I can only ride an EMU or a WOLLY SHEEP ( baaaah

Take care, Peter

quote:

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Originally posted by Balla Balla:

As they say in Sourth Africa often - HI JACK ... it is a very common term particularily in Johannesburg when a joker arrives to say GIVE ME YOUR KEYS

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Sorry I thought this thread was a discussion on riding African elephants and so was still 100% on-topic. Don't understand the "hijack" comment.

quote:

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Originally posted by NitroX:
Sorry I thought this thread was a discussion on riding African elephants and so was still 100% on-topic. Don't understand the "hijack" comment. Perhaps you can explain.

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Nitrox

Sorry that is my warped sense of humour, maybe OLD age maybe RED WINE or MAYBE combination of both ...

Please EXPLAIN as the infamous Pauline Hanson from Aus say's ...

I will explain ...

Someone ( I think another chap called Peter ) said, sorry to hijack this thread ...

NOW in Johannesburg South Africa it is commonly referred to as the highjack capitol of the world ... often 800+ hijacking or carajacking cases per month occur in Jo-burg ... Hence the expression when a (black joker) confronts you in Jo-burg at an intersection brandishing a knife or hangun and says GET OUT THE CAR .... the DRIVER screams HI JACK at the top of his voice to attract someones attention ... In fact is is/was so bad that some bright sparks ( excuse the pun ) actually fitted gas cylinders with flame exit tubes to their cars with LPG or similar in the cylinder so when the SOB joker came up to the window of the vehicle the DRIVER pushed the release button which ignited the gas and cooked the bastard highjacker ...

TRUE story, not an exageration, believe me ...

Balla-Balla,

I guess that in Jo'burg, it is easier to grill them, than to drill them.

Hog Killer

I recognize the elephant names on the Wild Horizons website. That is the one I went to.

Thanks Balla Balla and Terry Carr. I have the Perfect Shot (mini edition) and it seems to show a side brain shot slightly further back than Balla's. I have major problems visualizing the frontal shot due to the upward angle. In Balla's second picture, I would assume an aiming point slightly below the eyes? Terry, your link to the African Hunter article was excellent! Thanks very much. Back to elephant rides!
Peter.

Peter,

Yes, the side brain shot is further back.

Terry,

Come on and post the pic for a frontal shot. You could superimpose a grid over it and we could keep guessing grid numbers until we got it right.

Peter,

See that dent in his forehead about a foot above his eyes? On the rounded hump on the lower side if the dent, place the bullet about 2" below the top of the lower hump, what appears to be about 8" above a line between its eyes.

Of course you may have less than a second to make that decision in a charge!

Lorenzo,

In Asia the elephant was a domestic animal for centuries and was also used in the timber industry until the 1970s. Perhaps, that is why there was never much appeal in hunting it in Asia. It would have been the equivalent of shooting a farmyard cow or horse.

NitroX

The swaying motion of the elephant is something that many get used to quite easily and since the aniumals don't run fast when they are ridden, there are as many bareback riders in India and other Asian countries as there are with harnesses. The howdah boxes were meant to help hold rifles and ammunition, something that would not have been possible on a barebacked elephant.

Good hunting!

Will, thanks! I just wish that elephants went around with a broomstick through their ears. It would make shooting them much easier!
Peter.

Peter,

Damn, I never thought about that. It would make things alot easier!