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Hei!
Gottfriedt and I went to a waterhole close to Okaukuejo for a sundowner. We had brought beer and Hunters dry to enjoy our self. The sun was still shining when we saw our first visitor. A rhino was walking towards the waterhole to get a sip of water. Then two giraffes also appeared. Suddenly they both stopped and looked in the same direction. I took my binoculars to check what they were looking at, and then I saw them. Elephants! When I first saw them, a big tree was in the way, so I couldn't really see how many they were. The rhino started walking again, but now back the same way he came. I have seen rhinos and elephants by the same waterhole before, so I wondered why he didn't want to stay. But I soon witnessed why!
A big bull appeared, he was walking fast to get to the waterhole. Then I saw the rest, the biggest herd of elephants I had ever seen! Even Gottfriedt hadn't seen so many at the same time before. 46 elephants was walking towards us, in different sizes! It was just an amazing experience! When we didn't think the waterhole could fit any more, there were still elephants arriving. It was so cool.
After looking at the amazing creatures for a while, I noticed it. A tiny little baby elephant! It was a new born, and it was so little compared to its mother. It was walking close to the mother all the time. I later read in a book I have that the birth weight of an elephant is 120 kg and that they remain in constant touch with their mother during their first year. Actually, a 9 year old elephant will still spend half its time very close to its mother, and the bond between a mother and a daughter lasts up to 50 years! That is just amazing!
Elephants are really cool animals and their lives are so interesting. It was so amazing to experiencing all these elephants at the same time, and it triggered me to read more about this wonderful animal. Here are some fun facts: the gestation period of an elephant is 22 months, the female get their first calf at 10 to 11 years, the bull begin competing reproductively from the age of 25 but normally bigger bulls over 35 years monopolize matings, elephants can not run or jump, they drink and bade daily (but can last many days without water), no land animal is safer from predators (lions and hyenas can take baby elephants).
Karianne :)
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