Elephants without Borders

It was a pleasant slow start to the morning with everyone up well before breakfast at 8.00am. We all made our own lunch sandwiches and fruit choices. By 9.00 Laban had driven us the few kilometres to the Kasane town shopping centre and we went looking for money exchanges (it has been the Botswana Day long weekend and not everything has been open), bottled water and snacks.

An hour later we were off to nearby Kasangula where Elephants without Borders has its property which consists of offices, accommodation for some staff and a baby elephant orphanage.

We were welcomed by 2006 Old Oxleyan Dr. Tempe Adams with a presentation that explained how EWB operated and what they did. As an NGO, they have made a huge contribution with arterial surveys, community involvement and education, and now orphaned elephants.

At the end of the presentation Tempe was asked where they got their operating funds from (part government, part fundraising). She was delighted to receive the funds that Ollie, Will, Archie and Jonny had raised at their sausage sizzle.

While half the group had lunch, the remainder went to visit the three orphans in their enclosure. It was great fun being able to touch and watch them, and see them being fed.

After lunch we all helped Tempe make noise deterrents (groups of 3 used drink cans tied together to rattle in the wind when attached to a farmer’s fence) and chili bombs (a mixture of elephant dung, cooking oil and chilies which will burn for long enough to scare off an elephant herd).

Once that was done we used our safari truck to visit a local farm and helped the farmer by attaching the ‘noise makers’ to his fence to protect his cabbages.

Tempe joined us for dinner that night (after we had had a swim). For dessert, we celebrated Bella’s birthday with a cake.

It has been another great day - and a most worthwhile addition to the tour itinerary.Baca lagi