Not your average road-block

Elephants spend most of their lives eating

Despite their size, elephants aren’t always easy to spot on a safari. So, when I came across a giant ‘bull’ (male elephant) on my first-ever game drive in Thanda Private Game Reserve in South Africa, I was suitably impressed.     

According to our guide, Dave, the elephant we almost literally run into on our drive is around 40 years old, weighing between 5 and 6 tonnes. Ambling past our vehicle, almost within touching distance, it is clear this bull is a lot less impressed with us than we are with him – and little wonder given his sheer size.   

Of the many things we learn about an elephant’s life, the saddest thing is its death. As an ‘ele’ wears down its last set of teeth, normally its sixth, it begins to starve as it no longer is able to feed itself. Hence, an elephant does not die from old age, but from starvation – almost unimaginable for an animal that spends 18 to 20 hours a day eating.  

It is also for reasons of hunger that elephants are drawn to water in their old age. According to Dave, when an ele reaches the latter stages of its life, it will head to water to look for softer food to accommodate its ailing teeth. Thus, elephants usually die in or around water, and usually by themselves.

“They find comfort in water,” Dave says.

“Many years ago they were definitely water creatures.”