Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
Just Back From…
Reader Claire Roadley looks back on rescuing baby elephants
A safari in Zimbabwe
The highlights: We visited Hwange National Park after a harsh drought. On one of our game drives, we came across a dehydrated newborn elephant calf struggling to get on its feet in the blazing sun. Our rangers diverted a little water to him and when we returned for sundowners we were elated to discover he’d made it! A small act of empathy we will always cherish.
Must see: If you’re an ‘eleph-anatic’ put Hwange top of your bucket list! Not only is it home to all the Big Five, but if you book a lodge overlooking a waterhole you can watch the action from your bed or deck. Don’t be surprised if elephants gather enviously around your tent when they hear your shower running!
Top tip: Temperatures can exceed
40°C so be sure to pack sun cream, a hat and light, cool clothing. Hiking boots are essential for guided bush walks at dawn. Pack lightly in soft-sided bags for small aircraft! I wish I’d known: Pack some ear plugs! The elephant activity at the watering hole in front of Verney’s Camp where we stayed was so unbelievably noisy that we could barely sleep for all the schlurping and trumpeting of ellies.
Anything else: After facing this catastrophic pandemic, it has never been more important to travel responsibly and to support eco-friendly establishments with conservation and community upliftment at their core. You can find low impact, sustainable safari camps in pristine wilderness areas in Botswana and Zimbabwe – we stayed with the family-run Machaba Safaris – and they have probably never needed support more.