Archive for June, 2009

New Discovery – Rare Pink Elephant

Posted June 19th, 2009 by Jim Bendt



pink-elephants-new2I came across this article from the Botswana Tourism Authority.  I hope you find it as interesting as I did.

Ever heard of a pink elephant? Well, now you can see one! A rare sighting of what appears to be a partial albino calf was recently captured on film in Northern Botswana. Mike Holding, a wildlife cameraman who captured the sighting while filming for a BBC wildlife program, said: “We only saw it for a couple of minutes as the herd crossed a river in the Okavango Delta. This was a really exciting moment for everyone in camp. We knew it was a rare sighting – no one could believe their eyes.”

Experts believe it is probably an albino, which is an extremely rare phenomenon in African elephants. Albino elephants are not usually white, but instead they have more of a reddish-brown or pink hue. While albinism is thought to be fairly common in Asian elephants, it is much less common in the larger African species. Ecologist Dr. Mike Chase, who runs the conservation foundation Elephants Without Borders, said: “This is probably the first documented sighting of an albino elephant in northern Botswana.”

You may not be lucky enough to spot a ‘pink’ elephant on safari in Botswana, but you will be sure to spot many other elephants while there. Boasting an elephant population of over 130,000, Botswana has the largest population of elephants on the African continent.

Article Adapted from BBC News / Photo Credits: Mike Holding.

Posted in Africa, Botswana, Southern Africa | No Comments »


African elephants prefer luxury lodging

Posted June 19th, 2009 by Jim Bendt



We’ve all heard the adage “an elephant never forgets.” If you’ve ever had the slightest doubt about that statement, this story is sure to turn you into a believer.

Wilderness Safari’s Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia happened to be built next to a very special mango tree. Even though there are many mango trees in the South Luangwa National Park, a group of ten elephants prefer to eat from this particular one. In fact, their migration route now goes directly through the lobby of the lodge!

Mfuwe Lodge is one of the only places in the world where wild elephants get so comfortably close to people. It’s a rare and magnificent sight, offering guests once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities. In celebration of this event, Wilderness Safaris also has experts on hand to share their knowledge of elephant life and behavior.

The group of elephants returns every November to eat the ripened mangos (sometimes coming back up to four times a day). They are not aggressive, but guests are kept at reasonable distances to ensure their safety. Over the last ten years, there have been no incidents involving the elephants. They simply enjoy coming back to dine on the succulent yellow fruit from their favorite tree.

Posted in Africa, Southern Africa | No Comments »