Elephant Encounters in Kenya and Malawi

Seeing wild African elephants in their natural habitat sits near the top of many travellers’ wish lists. Kenya and Malawi both offer remarkable opportunities to meet a herd on a game drive or bush walk — and sometimes far closer than you might expect.

First Encounters in Northern Kenya

The first elephant I ever saw appeared at the start of a long journey from Moyale to Marsabit in northern Kenya. I was cold, damp and had been awake since before dawn, dreading a twelve-hour drive over what remains the worst road I have ever travelled. About an hour in, two majestic grey shapes emerged among the green bushes to our left. A buzz spread through the truck. We had been on the road for two months, and this was our first real wildlife encounter. We could not stop for long, but it was enough to leave me captivated.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Nairobi

For anyone wanting to get close to baby elephants while supporting a worthwhile cause, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi National Park is the obvious choice. The trust takes in orphaned elephants and rehabilitates them for return to the wild. Poaching is increasingly the main reason these calves end up orphaned.

Each morning at eleven, the public is welcomed in to watch the babies being bottle-fed and to learn about their stories. Visitors jostle for position behind the rope that separates humans from elephants, waiting for the hour to begin. Then the calves emerge from the bush in single file, ears and trunks swinging with excitement, breaking into a run as they spot the keepers waiting with their milk. They shove and jostle for the best position, and will happily steal milk from one another until a keeper intervenes. They are full of character — elephants share a life cycle similar to our own, and nowhere is that clearer than in the nursery, where two-year-olds cause constant mayhem.

Once they have spent time in the nursery, the elephants are moved to Tsavo National Park and gradually released back into the wild. Tsavo now holds wild herds of once-orphaned elephants — a genuine success story and an experience not to be missed.

South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

I have watched elephants traverse the plains of the Masai Mara and the Serengeti for hours at a time, but two encounters stand out above all others. The first was in South Luangwa National Park — a jewel that few appreciate, since the better-known parks of East Africa attract most of the attention. Its wildlife is wonderfully diverse, and the chance to take night game drives makes it a superb destination. The river marks the park boundary, with most camps and lodges on the opposite bank. These elephants are known for wandering through camp at any hour.

While cooking dinner on my first night, I spotted a group of five elephants rounding the end of the truck. Having been warned, I had only what I needed out, and managed to throw the potatoes I was peeling into the back of the truck and shut the door. Another group in the campsite had not heeded the warning, and their lockers stood open with food everywhere. A bull meandered slowly towards their truck as people scattered, diving onto the back of the overland vehicle. I watched him work methodically through the food, discarding what he did not want and tearing open bags of sugar and cornflakes. Having made his point, he turned and continued on his way with the rest of the herd.

We sat around the bar that night recounting the story, hardly able to believe our luck. The best was yet to come. I fell asleep quickly, excited for the morning game drive, then woke with a start at about five o’clock. An elephant stood a foot outside my tent, looking straight through the door. A full-grown elephant is imposing at any distance, but at ground level, looking up at one, you truly grasp its stature. Time seemed to stop as we watched each other. I could hear him breathing, his stomach rumbling. Then he was gone, moving off slowly as the sun rose. I felt privileged that he had chosen to share that African sunrise with me.

Vwaza Wildlife Reserve, Malawi

Malawi is not widely known as a safari destination, and those who visit tend to stay by the lake. Travel away from the shore, though, and you are rewarded with some spectacular wildlife. Vwaza Wildlife Reserve is a beautiful park with very few visitors — when I signed in at the gate, I was the first person to do so in a fortnight. The rangers and staff could not have been more helpful, and are rightly proud of their patch of paradise.

We were allowed to camp on the flats by the river, with the water 150 metres in front of us and the sun going down: a perfect, picturesque view. I had just prepared a beef fillet and set it to roast slowly on the coals when a lone bull elephant appeared from the bush to the right of camp. We watched him move along the bush line and disappear. Moments later, we heard the bush behind us stirring. Our friend was back, keeping a close eye on us, clearly wary and unsure what we were doing in his home. Then he made up his mind: we were not welcome.

He came crashing through the bush straight at us, ears and trunk swinging. In a split second, three of us had dived through the same open car door, hearts pounding. He stopped short of the car and trumpeted his annoyance. For an hour we watched in awe as he inspected our vehicles, our camp and my makeshift kitchen — by which point my lovely succulent fillet was thoroughly well done. Once satisfied, he gave a brief trumpet: we had passed his approval. Out of the bush came a female with a small calf, perhaps only a few months old. They greeted each other, turned to greet us, and moved slowly off into the bush.

We emerged from the cars in silence, absorbing what we had just witnessed. Later that night, after I hastily assembled dinner, we sat around the campfire with a beer, relaxing after an eventful day. Out on the flats beyond the camp light, lit now and again by sparks from fireflies, we could hear elephants splashing in the water.

A Final Thought

I have been lucky with elephants, and I have great respect for these creatures. Things can turn in an instant, and that is worth remembering whenever you are in their habitat. We are their guests, not the other way round.