The Elephants of Amalinda

In 1985 a severe drought in Zimbabwe's second largest nature reserve, Gonarezhou took a mighty toll on wildlife. Fortunately 3 young orphaned elephants were rescued and translocated to our private ranch where they were cared for and bottle-fed back to health.

12 years later these three orphans have built up an incredible relationship with man and they revel in the pleasure of carrying people on their mighty backs.

They are extremely social animals. Love and physical contact is a very important part of their daily routine. Guests are encouraged to spend a good deal of time interacting with the elephants. This includes walking with them during feeding hours, swimming, bathing, grooming, resting and of course riding. During the full moon phase, a moonlight elephant back ride is a truly magical experience.

These gentle creatures are extremely intelligent and all training has been implemented by using a reward system. At no time have they been subjected to any form of physical punishment.

The three "boys" already have quite distinctive characters. The biggest is Tusker. He has always been more adventurous and whenever mischief is brewing, you can be sure that Tusker will be at the centre of it. Duma is "Mr Cool, calm and collected" and very laid back. Nothing much gets him excited. Ishe is the smallest of the family and is a bit shy initially but once he gets to know you its guaranteed "mates for life".

This intangible bonding between human and elephant is probably one of the most touching and memorable wildlife experiences you are likely to encounter.

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