When Elephants Make Their Own Plans

With water aplenty all around the Reserve, you’d think our breeding herd of elephants would head to one of the large, water-filled pans to take a cooling bath during the hotter hours of the day. But sometimes, they clearly have other ideas.

Maybe it’s because of the many baby elephants in the group who need a bit of rest and space to play—or maybe they just can’t wait to enjoy the fun of water and dust-bathing. Who knows?

So, it came as a surprise when some of our co-owners stumbled upon the breeding herd splashing and playing—not in a big pan, but in the tiniest bit of water collected between some rocks. There was some serious pushing and shoving going on around a rocky plate with a small pool in the middle, but the elephants didn’t seem bothered at all. This was serious fun!

The young ones were the wildest – jumping in and out, climbing over each other’s backs, and playing hide and seek between the legs of their mothers and aunties.

Being so close to this breeding herd felt like a true privilege. The elephants took their time, and so did we, observing without disturbing their natural behaviour. That’s what makes Limpopo-Lipadi so special: no crowds, no rush, just the African bush – your own way.

Want to be a part of Limpopo-Lipadi’s adventures? For discreet information on share sales, contact generalmanager@limpopo-lipadi.org. To book a safari, request our rates via reservations@limpopo-lipadi.org or via WhatsApp: (+267) 76770191.