WILDLIFE | African Painted Wolves of iMfolozi

The excitement didn't end there, I suddenly heard the most horrific gut-wrenching screams from afar, and they seemed to be getting closer.

Minutes later a trunk popped out from behind a bush, then another..... and another. A large breeding herd of elephants had made their way to the pan, and I now found myself in a slight predicament, parked between the vocal and unsettled herd and a pack of wild dogs.

I realised that the elephants could smell the wild dogs but could not see them as they had lay down on the other side of my car.

I decided to move to distance myself from the herd ....the trumpeting, screaming and hype coming from the herd of elephants had already reached it's peak with heightened tensions between herd members and increased levels of stress and aggression as a result of the scent indicating the presence of predators.

Once the herd had a visual of the pack they frantically moved off in another direction and the dogs, who at that stage had already rolled themselves in the dung they were resting on, were happy to settle down again and continue lounging around.

*END*