You asked, what are my favorite animals? I like most all animals, wild and domestic. Well, I’ve never really been wild about camels, but they serve their purpose. For years, I enjoyed going to the Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup. I loved little baby pigs, big Brown Swiss cows, Clydesdale horses. sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens. You name it, I liked them. Kittens and puppies and gentle old dogs are special to me. But my all-time favorite animal is the elephant. I had only seen them in zoos and in the circus until we went to Bangkok in 1985. I rode one in an amusement park there. Those were Indian elephants and seemed quite gentle. They have smaller ears than African elephants.
In 2019, Bob and Judy took Emmett and me to see the elephants at The Preserve at Stonewall. This was after Bob was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had been given months to live. Bob wanted to share elephants with Emmett. I hope Emmett remembers, at least through pictures and hearing the story. The elephants were well trained and put on a great show. Emmett was able to pet them. We all did.
In 2016, my friend, and travel companion Elizabeth, and I took a Road Scholar Wild Africa Safari to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. I was there for my birthday. I’ve taken many wonderful trips and seen many beautiful places, but Africa was my favorite! We saw many animals, from several in the antelope family to zebra. Velvet monkeys to hippopotamus, crocodiles to giraffes, lions, and leopards. Wild dogs. Birds, from small brilliant colored bee-eaters to weavers, hawks, and eagles. Too many to name. The sights and sounds were a thrill to the senses.
Accommodations were comfortable – from tents to Five-star hotels. Our guides were friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. The food was an excellent dining adventure. Everything we had hoped for, and more! Early morning game drives, with breaks for coffee and biscuits, cruises on the Zambezi, with sundowners (gin and tonic) to toast the setting sun, and the mighty Victoria Falls.
We heard the story of Dr. Stanley Livingstone, who discovered the falls and named them for His queen, and who said his heart would always be in Africa. He had walked across much of Africa looking for headwaters of the Nile. When he died, his heart was buried in Africa before his body was carried to a port and returned to England. Africa gets in your blood and lives in your heart.
When all was said and done (it felt like we had said, heard, and done it all), most of all, I loved the elephants. So protective of their adorable babies. I enjoyed watching the families bathing in the rivers, the little ones just learning to use their trunks. I don’t think elephants are deliberately destructive, but they shove trees over. We were reminded that they’re wild animals and not to get too close. Yet they came into our camps and walked alongside our tents. We were warned not to walk alone after dark. Even now, when I’ve gone to bed but am waiting for sleep, I can hear the sound of hippos in the lagoon and elephants walking alongside my tent. Africa calls.
Tess Todd
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