Greg having just returned from a recent Zimbabwe Botswana Game Tracker ZBa16 had this experience to share. The tour runs from Johannesburg to Johannesburg and visits the highlights of Kruger National Park, Zimbabwe & Botswana. Day 2 finds us in Kruger National Park driving from Letaba Camp to Pafuri Gate. Our day started very well, from seeing giraffe and zebra to seeing two clans of hyenas on separate occasion’s right next to the road.

After a hearty lunch at Shingwedzi camp, about half way into our day, we were heading towards the gate of Pafuri, timing our exit perfectly….but then, we were met by something quite special. In the middle of the road we had a great big elephant bull on his Sunday afternoon stroll. The only thing now was to just have some patience and stay behind him at a distance and let nature decide our fate for the rest of the day, especially after the fact that we were quite pressed for time and Kruger National Park is rather strict towards latecomers leaving the park. This stroll went on a good thirty minutes and eventually I looked in the mirror and saw a good twenty vehicles in a long trail behind us. Oncoming traffic was also effected and eventually they started turning around rather than reversing for the rest of the day. What else could we do? We just had to respect this 7 ton beast and enjoy the experience because to become impatient and try overtake would be extremely dangerous and careless. Eventually he decided to take an elephant off-ramp and stop over at the closest Mopane tree to refuel, and that gave everyone an opportunity to get past and on our way. In the end we made it in one piece to the gate without being late, so it was well worth the wait!!!!! One more thing…..I’ve heard people commenting about when a truck on the highway is overtaking another it’s called an elephant race……well in Africa we have the real thing, and this is proof.

The Kruger national park is renowned for its big tuskers and there have been a few that really stand out. Known as the “Magnificent Seven” all of these giants have unfortunately passed on and have left a legacy. What makes these elephant special is that the tusks found all had weights over 50kg!! The seven are Dzombo – the only elephant to die from poachers bullets. Ivory weight 113kg, Joao - wounded by poachers in 1982 but fortunately not fatal. Ivory weight 130kg, Kambuaku – shot by rangers in 1985 after a bullet wound went septic causing extreme pain received from a foray across the Crocodile River to the sugar cane fields. Ivory weight 127kg, Mafunyane – his remains were found in 1983 after natural death at the age of 57. Ivory weight 110kg, Ndlulamithi – died of natural cause in 1985. Ivory weight 121kg, Shawu – died of natural cause after a long time of illness in 1982 at the age of 60. Ivory weight 102kg. And lastly Shingwedzi – found dead under a Sycamore fig in 1981. Ivory weight 105kg. There are now about 13 upcoming tuskers in the park which will hopefully be around for some lucky people to see in the future.