The Life Of Giant's

This Is Amboseli

   In the early morning, large gray forms moved slowly, deliberately and nearly silently along a well worn path amongst lava boulders and small thorny Balanites trees. The clan walked in single file with a ancient but immensely dignified large adult cow with long straight tusked at the lead with many calves ranging from 1 month to 10 years old and alongside them there mothers and older sisters, aunts and cousins. Behind them them rose the 19,340 foot snow-capped peak of Mt.Kilimanjaro. The elephants headed north away from the mountain ; they walked without stopping to rest or head, as if they had an appointment at a prearranged place.

   Eventually they emerged into a open pan with no trees and little vegetation. Here the quite shuffling of their feet kicked up the fine alkaline dust and there outlines became hazy. They did not linger here either, but continued on until the dry barren ground gave way to lush, green vegetation interspread with open water dotted with and surrounded by a myriad of water fowl : ducks, geese, ibises, herons, cranes, plovers, jacanas and many more. Other animals gathered along with edge of the marsh : zebras, wildebeests, reed bucks, water bucks, and cape buffaloes. The elephants kept on their course, ignoring these smaller species, who stepped out of the way.

   On reaching the swamp the elephants spread out. Some of the adult females and older calves  began to feet immediately while still walking snatching up large mouthfuls of the dark Cynodon dactylon grass, while other members of the clan continued on a straight course. Until all of the clan arrived together at a channel of clear running water. Each of the adult females dipped her the tip of her trunk into the stream, sucked up water up into her trunk , lifted her head and back placing her trunk into her mouth and let the water down her throat while swallowing at the same time. Most of the older calves ages ranging from 18 months to 10 years of age used the same technique, but some of the younger calves who had yet to master the use of the trunk knelt down and drank with their mouth's.

   When they finished drinking some went into the swamp some went into the swamp and started to feed in earnest, while others walked over to a depression where a mud wallow had formed. The adults splashed themselves with the dark, glutinous mud which was a similar coloration chocolate fudge. By first picking it with the tip of their trunks and then flinging it onto their chests, backs, sides, and heads. The mud hitting their bodies made a sharp, wet slapping sound. Soon they turned into a light grey to mostly glistening black the calves, showing less restraint to get dirty waded right into the mud and flopped down onto their sides and then writhed and wriggled in the mud until they were covered head to toe in mud. Eventually there wad a great heap of youngsters completely filling the mud wallow. Slowly, they disentangled themselves and struggled out of the mud wallow, slipping and sliding up the small bank. And the end result "chocolate covered" elephants.