Wouter our guide form the Netherlands returned from Botswana and had the following story to share about what happened at Hyena Pan. If you spend a lot of time in the bush, from time to time you will definitely experience things that are almost too good to be true, and people won’t believe you unless you have pictures to prove. On my last Botswana Wild Parks BTag14 tour I had one of these unforgettable moments, and I shared it with most of my clients. Unfortunately, we can’t show you pictures or videos to prove as it happened at night so we have none, so you guys just have to believe me on my word because it really happened. (Pictures below are from our image library)

We were in Hyena Pan Lodge in the Khwai concession in Northern Botswana, in one of the greatest wildlife areas on earth and really a place that I often describe as ‘The end of the world’. The nearest towns are Kasane and Maun, both about 150km away and in between there is just bush, nature and wild animals. The lodge is located in very well developed and thick Mopane forest, a quiet, eery and ghostly environment adding to the feeling that you are absolutely in the middle of nowhere. The lodge itself is a magical place with a wonderful viewing deck, swimming pool and restaurant overlooking a large waterhole which is especially favoured by Elephants to drink and bath.

Because of the nature of the Mopane forest and the soil it grows on, a thick upper clay layer, the water in this waterhole is quite murky and salty, while Elephants like to drink fresh water and in this particular lodge, they are attracted by the clean water of the swimming pool. Elephants have the ability to remember things for their entire life, so the Elephants in this area walk directly to the swimming pool to drink, leaving the murky bad-tasting water in the waterhole behind.
My clients and I were enjoying a lovely campfire just down the stairs of the viewing deck after diner when something magical happened. Some bull Elephants appeared from the Mopane forest and where on their way to the swimming pool to drink, which was about 20 meters away, a safe distance in this particular situation.

The Elephants had a very relaxed body language and were just looking for water, they were big bulls (who are normally very gentle) and not in musth, we had a campfire in between us and the Elephants and we were next to the stairs in case something happened. One bull picked up our smell, put his trunk in the air, and showed a lot of curiosity when analysing this scent. He opened his ears and raised his head making himself look bigger, and walked a few steps forward towards us, still not in an aggressive way at all, more out of curiosity as Elephants can be more confident at night. We told our clients to just sit still and enjoy, as the Elephant came even closer and closer. Nobody made a sound, we could only hear our own hearts beating faster and faster! The Elephant was now about three meters away from us, we were sitting on chairs with a giant in front of our noses! A few minutes went past as the Elephant just stood there and investigated us. I don’t know who was more excited, the Elephant or us, because the Elephant was really trying to figure out what we were and what we were doing. Luckily after 5 minutes, the Elephant lost his curiosity and went back to the swimming pool to drink some more.

It is very difficult to explain the feeling that you have when you are this close to a wild Elephant bull weighing more than 5000kg with no fence in between. You really have to come down here yourself and hope to be rewarded with a similar experience!