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Imagine yourself... In the heart of the Okavango Delta wandering slowly and silently along game paths through forests and flood plains, watching out for game, listening to the calls of birds - and on the back of a majestic elephant. This truly has to be the ultimate safari experience |
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The Safari - departs twice weekly for a 3 night trip - Saturday to Tuesday and Tuesday to Friday and runs with a maximum of 12 people.
On your daily elephant rides, you can see any of the plains game that are abundant in the area, from giraffe, zebra, elephant, impala, tsessebe and lechwe to wildebeest, warthog and buffalo. The camp's resident pride of kions are likely to announce their presence at some point and you may be lying in bed listening to their call carrying through the night.
The knowledgeable guides will point out even the smallest of details - from insects, plants and tracks which help to make it all so unique, whilst the mahout will be able to answer your questions as you meander through the floodplains at the elephant's steady pace. From the back of an elephant you are always assure of seeing something, and an amazing world reveals itself from this high and secure viewpoint. The elephants move through the forests and plains, stopping frequently to borwse on plants and trees, giving guests a close-up of how these incredible animals use their trunks, tuskes and bulk to provide themselves with the large amount of vegetation that they need.
One of the most enchanting and entertaining aspects of the ride is to watch the antics of the baby elephants as they accompany their elders through the bush. They are constantly miming the actions of their mother or other family members and revel in the water of the lagoons, playing and squirting each other as the herd progresses.
Guests are offered morning and evening rides and the opportunity, if they wish, to accompany the elephants on foot with the guides, or when the seasonal flood is up, in the mokoros (traditional poled dug out canoes)
Other activities include night drives in 4x4 vehicles, boat trips in flat bottomed boats or even fishing.
How often will you have another opportunity like this to really get up close and personal to one of the most truly magnificent beasts on this planet and have the chance to interact and understand a little of its ways?
Each guest leaves Abu Camp not only with a greater knowledge of the largest land mammal on Earth, but an in-depth, intrinsic understanding of what it means to be an elephant, the pressures and challenges of pachyderm life from within the herd. To be an elephant is to be an intelligent, emotional being with complex social structure, a deep capacity to feel, and a bone-vibrating ability to communicate across miles of African bush. Once you've been to Abu Camp, you will always be a part of the greater elephant herd |
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Abu Camp - is situated in an ancient riverine forest in the heart of the Okavango on a half a million acres of a private concession area, a tranquil wilderness threaded with crystal-clear rivers, streams and lagoons flanked by gigantic hardwood trees. The area is rich in animal, bird and plantlife. Abu Camp itself has six family tents all with en-suite bathrooms. The unique sytle of tent is high, wide and airy and each has its own distinctive furnishings and fittings, many of them antique, with a private elevated deck sculpted around one of the lofty sycamore fig or jackalberry trees.
Well-marked paths link the tents with the main lounge, bar and dining areas which are on an elevated teak decking molded around the trees and a giant termite mound, a distinctive feature of the Okavango. There is an extensive library of reference and pictorial books, along with an adjoining swimming pool which enables guests to cool off and relax in the heat of the day. |
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Shortly after arrival, guests at Abu are introduced to the riding herd of elephants, led by the gentle and obliging but imposing matriarch called Cathy. Mahouts, who tend to the needs of the elephants on a daily basis, introduce them giving a short biography of each one and a summary of their highly individual personalities and characteristics.
Dress at Abu Camp is casual but in keeping with our ethos of complete harmony with our surroundings, we recommend subdued, safari-hued clothing. A sweater is advisable for alfresco evenings in the camp and on night game viewing drives. |
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Villa Okavango - is an original concept, affording total privacy and luxurious living for one family or two couples in the total seclusion of a picturesque corner of the Okavango Delta wilderness. Overlooking a large perennial lagoon rich in birdlife and a resident school of hippos, teh villa is set amid a grove of ancient trees, including one magnificient specimen of the extraordinary "sausage tree" with its distinctive elongated fruits.
The Villa was developed from the private retreat of Randall Moore, the pioneer of elephant back safaris in Africa. The Villa is an elevated teak deck house with two large bedrooms, both en suite, with a luxurious living area in the tented accommodation, there is also a dining and lounge area, a library and of course, a well stocked bar - not to forget its own pool. There is a resident chef to provide excellent meals, a private guide and other staff to help make your stay as comfortable as possible and every need catered for.
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Seba Camp - is one of the latest and most exciting bush retreats in the Delta. Seba has two distinctive features - its a child-friendly camp offering parents the opporutnity to introduce their children to the magic of the African wild and it's also the home of the one the most fascinating elephant research projects on the continent.
The camp has been designed to blend in with an ancient riverine forest with majectic hardwood trees such as sycamore fig and leadwood overlooking a perennial lagoon with its prolific birdlife and resident hippos.
Each of the elevated tents has its own secluded corner with a private deck overlooking the lagoon and surrounding flood plains. Well marked paths lead to the communal dining and lounge area as well as a secluded swimming pool.
Despite its location in the middle of the Okavango Delta, one of Africa's last remaining wetland wildernesses, the emphasis at Seba is on luxury. An expansive lounge and dining area open out onto elevated communal deck, again with views over the lagoon. There is a pool for guests to cool off in the heat of the day. It is the ideal place for honeymooners and families alike.
Day and night game viewing in open vehicles is available as well as trips, when water levels allow, in mokoros, the traditional poled canoes used in the Okavango Delta. The area is rich in game - elephant, giraffe, buffalo, impala, tsessebe, lechwe, reed buck and warthog - and the ever present predators, lion, leopard and cheetah that prey on the herds of plains game. More than 500 species of birds are found in the region. Trained guides will be on hand to help with identification and to advise on all aspects of the Okavango ecosystem. |
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In January 2002 Elephant Back Safaris, Dr Kate Evans started an ambitious project that focuses on adolescent male elephants and the transition from herd to bull life with an emphasis on research into the viability of releasing elephants from a captive environment. The idea was to release some of the young bull elephants from the Abu herd into the wild, with the permission of the Botswana Department of Wildlife & National Parks (DWNP). This project is now in it’s sixth year and is providing data that is highly beneficial to the study of elephants and their behavioural habits.
On the 1st February 2002, Mafunyane, a 14-year-old from the Abu herd was released. He is doing very well, and associates with wild males and other herds in the area. On occasion he can be seen in and around Abu camp Due to the success of Mufunyane’s release the DWNP gave permission for two more adolescent males to be released. Thando (15 years old) and Seba (9 years old) were released on the 10th February 2003. They spent the first two years post release together but have now gone their separate ways joining up on occasion. They are very adventurous, exploring areas outside their natal range, as is expected of adolescent male elephants.
Unlike the females, which remain with their natal herd, the natural instinct of male elephants is to leave and become independent when they are adolescent. Although our work primarily focuses on males, a unique opportunity arose to see how a female elephant would integrate into the wild upon release. Nandipa (16 year old female) was released in September 2003 and is surprising us all with how quickly she is adapting. In May 2006 she gave birth to a male calf, which has been named ‘Ntongine’ (which means he who has everything in the local language). This really was proof that her release was a success.
In 2005 we got permission to release another elephant, this time it was a mature male. At 46 it was time for Benny to enjoy his retirement, and on the 9th July 2005 he was free to go where he pleased. Unfortunately in 2006 he died after sustaining wounds from a fight with another male elephant. In the time he was released he taught us an amazing amount about how an elephant can adapt to changing situations. Our most recent release was of Pula, a seven year old male, born to Sherini of the Abu herd in 2000. He was released on the 16th May 2008 and is doing extremely well. He is being helped in his transition by Nandipa who he has joined up with.
Whilst in the Abu herd Nandipa was a wonderful ‘aunt’ to Pula and it seems that this relationship has sustained the 4.5 years that they have been separated since Nandipa’s release. It will be exciting to see how Pula adapts.
All the six elephants were fitted with satellite radio collars upon release. These enable us to pinpoint their positions daily. They are tracked from the ground when possible, but as the Okavango Delta is their playground as such, they are able to go wherever they want, and so we sometimes have to make use of a plane to be able to see them. For regular updates visit the research website at www.elephantresearch.co.uk or our blog at http://elephantsofbotswana.wildlifedirect.org/.
Botswana is home to the largest remaining elephant population in the world. This project provides information to enable a realistic elephant conservation program to be implemented in Botswana, ensuring that the population remains for generations to come.
— To address a priority research concern of the Department of Wildlife and
 National Parks (DWNP).
— To investigate the viability of the release of adolescent habituated (captive) males into the area.
— To address the long-term issues that face Elephant Back Safaris and other
captive elephants, as well as the ethical implications of translocation and
repopulation programs throughout Africa.
— To monitor and analyse the behaviour of adolescent males. In particular, the departure and subsequent integration of
pubescent males from their natal herd into the complex social structure of adult males, an area of research that has
received little attention to date. Information on this important aspect of elephant ecology can only advance our
understanding and therefore, the conservation of these majestic animals.
— To monitor and analyse the population dynamics and movements of elephant in and around Abu Camp.
— To record and analyse the vocalisations of male elephants from different age groups. These will be used to investigate
the theory that the more solitary adult male elephants are less vocal than younger more sociable males. Good quality
recordings will be submitted to a ‘library of calls’ to be utilised by other researchers and may have the potential for use in human-elephant conflict issues as well as conservation management.
— To determine habitat utilisation. All encounters with elephants are logged, recording location, numbers, sex and age and habitat selection. The affects of season, sex and age on habitat utilisation will be analysed. |
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