A baby mtoto bush elephant flails its trunk around playfully as it forages alongside its mother and siblings. How fun it must be to explore the capabilities of the muscular and flexible prehensile appendage, whether it be grasping, smelling, feeding, or drinking. Every time the mother elephant walked more than ten meters away, the little one ran urgently to her side, seeking cover from its diligent and loving parent.
As the herd moved away this bull elephant (Loxodonta africana) turned around to face us and flap its ears threateningly.An African elephant destroys an acacia tree with ease, flailing its tusks to shake off ants and ripping the leaves away with the trunk. This encounter was one of the closest I experienced with an elephant in Kenya (from a vehicle). Usually at close range, elephants will either wander off or give a defensive bluff charge / trumpet. But this elephant remained focused on the acacia, to the demise of both the acacia tree and tens of thousands of resident ants.The youngest elephant I managed to see at Mpala!Elephants moving at dusk.
