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jestic mane and a female nearby. Despite drives. I wore a T-shirt, shirt, sweater and
the noise our vehicle made, they still slept. sweat shirt, and a hat and gloves, but I was
Our driver said their stomachs were full be‐ still happy to have the blanket that was
cause he had found the remains of an ante‐ provided for each of us.
lope they had eaten nearby. Hwange is known for its extensive ele‐
After a quick trip to a viewing spot, we phant population, and we saw hundreds of
returned to the sleeping lions. The male them. We watched them fan themselves
turned over on his back with his paws in the with their massive ears as they pulled grass
air, much like how my cats at home sleep. with their trunks to feed themselves. We
The female woke up enough to turn her saw them rub themselves against trees and
head toward us and pose, but otherwise to‐ walk in a line in front of their vehicle, let‐
tally uninterested in the vehicle full of peo‐ ting a younger elephant know they needed
ple in front of her. to get back into their place in line.
I soon realized this is a trip I could never We pulled up to a waterhole where more
do on my own. Our guides were trained in than 20 elephants of all ages were frolick‐
tracking wildlife and knew out-of-the-way ing in the mud. The elephants wallow in the
spots to find animals for us. I never would mud as a form of sunscreen and a mother
have been able to navigate my way around elephant patiently tried to teach her baby
Hwange, the largest natural reserve in Zim‐ how to lie down in the muddy water. Lying
babwe at more than 5,600 square miles in down, she kicked her baby and wrapped
area. her trunk around the youngster, trying to
Because our July trip occurred during get it to bow down in the water. She never
southern Africa’s winter, it was briskly cold could, but the show was highly entertaining
when we started our early morning game for the humans watching.
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