Seeing Elephants in The Wild

Seeing elephants in the wild is unlike encounters with other animals. They carry a presence that feels familiar, yet larger than life, and a consciousness and emotional depth that mirrors our own. During 33 years of leading safaris across Africa, I’ve watched these magnificent creatures move through the landscape with a wisdom and awareness that leaves me both humbled and inspired.

“Elephants are like us, but better,” Daphne Sheldrick once said. They share emotions, elaborate communication, memory, and social bonds that echo our own. Perhaps this is why elephants have become symbols of the conservation movement. Qualities we recognize in them make it easier to admire, relate to, and protect them.

Elephants are Africa’s gardeners. Tearing branches as effortlessly as peeling a banana, they reshape forests into grazing lands. They create watering holes in dry dirt that sustain other wildlife, and spread seeds through their dung, supporting hundreds of plant and animal species. Their presence sustains entire ecosystems. Without them, the balance of life in their habitats would collapse.

As a visitor, I feel honored each time I witness elephants in the wild. I’ve sat with lone males in musth, waited as herds of over a hundred elephants ambled past our truck, and felt the earth tremble under the low-frequency rumbles they use to communicate across miles. Their trumpeting alarms, shaking heads, and flapping ears convey messages with clarity and emotion.

We instinctively relate to their feelings. We feel their joy as they rush down sandy hills toward water, playfully submerging themselves, swimming, and splashing in delight. We marvel at their intelligence: the way they use rocks and trees to scratch an itch or knock clumps of grass from their legs before eating. I’ve captured many of these moments on video for my YouTube channel.

Meeting Gentle Giants

One of my most memorable encounters was at the Living With Elephants Foundation, (now closed) where I met Jabu and Morula, (who have since passed away) two human-habituated elephants. (This is the only place I would ever recommend having an up close encounter with an elephant).

Stroking their wrinkled, leathery skin, holding their heavy trunks across my shoulders, and watching them trumpet, squirt water, and even “kiss” me, I felt the power and gentleness of their energy. Strong and independent, yet nurturing and aware, elephants exude a presence that is both grounding and humbling.

 

 

Of all the amazing things I understand about elephants, what persists is the feeling I experience whenever I’m in their presence. They exude a powerful but gentle energy. They are strong and independent, yet comforting and caring. They are fully present and highly aware of each other, their surroundings, and me.

It’s how I feel in the company of a spiritual guru. Or similar to how I felt years ago when I touched a wild baby whale in Mexico’s San Ignacio Lagoon as she maneuvered her body towards me to look deep into my eyes. One soul acknowledging another soul. That’s how I feel being among elephants. There is a wordless harmony, as if I’ve found a missing piece of myself.

Every encounter in the wild reminds me why elephants matter, not just for their beauty or ecological role, but for the reminder of what it means to be fully present, aware, and connected to life around us.

Find out More about Seeing Elephants in the Wild

If you want to experience seeing elephants in the wild up close and learn how to respectfully witness them, you can reach out to me: LoriSavingWild@gmail.com.