At one time there was a theory put forth that elephants were telepathic. They seemed to be able control their actions when they could not see one another and neither did they make any noise. A herd would be spread out foraging when they would all stop and come together and move off in one direction. If there was a predator in the area they would gather and circle their babies to protect them. Well, we know now that they are not telepathic but they do communicate in ways we are only recently beginning to understand.
When Paula and I were on safari with Dick a few years ago, we were in a blind watching a small group of bulls at a water hole. We were within 15-20 feet of them which was exciting on its own but we could hear this low rumbling coming from different individuals. I asked our guide if that was their stomach growling and he replied “No, they are talking to one another”. I have learned since that elephant researchers have recorded these sounds and when played back they noted a reaction from specific individuals. They conclusion was that the sounds made related to a specific individual much like calling our someone’s name to a group.
Elephants are also known to communicate seismically – vibrations produced by impacts upon the earth. Foot stomping or false charges produce tremors which can be felt by other elephants up to 20 miles away.
Surprisingly, elephants produce Ultra Low Frequency sounds that are below the range of human hearing. ULF sounds can travel long distances, up to 10 miles under the right conditions, both through the air as well as the ground. Other elephants can hear and interpret these sounds. Researchers have used special equipment to record these ULF sounds and have logged over 100 different sounds and combination of sounds made by elephants. We don’t know what they are saying yet, but there is no doubt that elephants do communicate.
I’m often asked what led me to go to Africa to operate safaris, and years later create Elefence International with its Founder, Bruce Lowe of Taft Law in Cleveland.
The story all started in an Ohio hometown theatre —which I wrote about decades later for a SMITHSONIAN magazine feature as follows in the intro…
“When I was a kid in Ashtabula, Ohio in the 1950s, Hollywood was churning out one African movie after another — everything from King Solomon’s Mines and The African Queen to Mogambo and The Roots of Heaven. My own favorite adventure films in those days were reruns of creaky documentaries about Africa that had been produced in the 1920s and 30s by Martin and Osa Johnson, a swashbuckling husband and wife team from Kansas. The Johnsons’ storylines were episodic, but their film formula was irresistible: mount an elaborate safari, improvise various situations as you go along and film them on the spot….”
Decades later the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Kansas assigned me the task of finding and identifying the lost films of the Johnsons stored in an old vault at the Library of Congress.
The following video shows some of the lost footage now brought to light for the first time.
Part two by Dick Houston WHAT MAKES A GREAT SAFARI GUIDE?
Nic Polenakis with friend Dick Houston of Elefence at a waterhole with unexpected thirsty guests. Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
Part Two:
Later having sundowners by a waterhole in Hwange park, Nic and I start our stories regarding our separate experiences on operating safaris all over Africa. Nic has a quick wit and keen sense of humor, and we laugh a lot. We talk long into the night… Relaxed around safari fires with drink in hand, you can talk freely and be yourself. You really listen and get to know people. Nic is one of the most unassuming and honorable men I’ve ever known. Over the years I’ve seen he’s a devoted family man. I know his lovely wife Tracey and his animal-loving 13-year-old son Chris (who has an ever-grumbling Jack Russell named Grumpy, and a cool pet rooster named Mister Cheep Cheep!)
I ask Nic what first inspired him to live and work in the bush — and what he had to do to make his dream come true as a non-hunting safari guide. Nic thinks a moment and then tells his story to me… “You know, Dick, being trained as a professional guide in Zimbabwe, where I was born, is extremely arduous. And is arguably Africa’s toughest and most rigorous professional guides examination process.
I served my 3 year apprentice on a rhino conservancy under a fully qualified professional guide where I mastered the basics of bush lore, tree identification, animal behavior, mammals, birds, arthropods, star gazing, general knowledge, shooting, safety, advanced first aid, spoor and skull identification, mechanics and much more.
During this learning period I had many exciting forays. I lay in ambush against poachers, climbed trees to escape black rhino, was charged by elephant, stood face to face with 3 black mambas! Then, of all things, I had a close shave with a domestic Brahman Bull! Yes you heard right! I will never forget being told to go and destroy a Brahman bull that escaped its pen, and was running wild and could not be captured.
I couldn’t believe this easy task; I mean if it was a Cape buffalo it would be one thing but a domestic bull?! This was surely no challenge at all…
I finally located the ‘’wild animal’’ and after setting up an ambush I stood on a path and waited for it to approach. The huge Brahman bull ambled towards me, raised his head and charged! I was taken totally by surprise and raised my rifle and fired in time, dropping him only feet from me! This was nearly an embarrassing situation, one in which I don’t think my fellow colleagues would have let me off so lightly!
After passing the stringent professional guides written exam, I was invited to the shooting practical exam where shooting both moving and fixed targets set at varying distances, where speed, accuracy, weapon handling and safety were paramount. This is a crucial aptitude when you are responsible for the safety of your clients on walking safaris into the bush.
Years earlier and after making my mind up that I was going to be a professional guide, I purchased a .458 Winchester mag and took it to the range to try it out. Sitting on the ground I raised my rifle, took aim at the target and slowly squeezed the trigger. After the dust had settled and my ears normalized, I sat there in total disbelief and shock!! My shoulder felt like it was broken, and I think I missed the target all together! What came to my mind was how on earth was I to one day become proficient at shooting this thing?
After passing the shooting exam, I was invited to the next step: a daunting oral interview where one sits in front of his peers and is bombarded with questions. This is then followed by the dreaded ‘nature table’ where one has to identify skulls, tree pods, arthropods, bird feathers, nests and seemingly endless ‘artifacts’. Only candidates whom the panel deem competent, and ready for the last hurdle, are invited to the final practical exam.
This one-week-long practical exam is legendary, and not for the faint-hearted. Here, a total of 20 plus aspiring professional guides, are broken into groups of 4 to 5 hopefuls. They are expected to set up their tented camp and host some of the examiners. There is no place to hide and you are expected to excel. It is grueling, tiresome and nerve-racking where one is examined on everything and anything!
When I took the learner’s examination there were over 200 candidates. By the time the practical exam arrived 3 years later, there were about 20 of us left — of which only 4 passed. I was one of them.…”
Pangolins, or scaly anteaters as they are often called, are one of nature’s oddest creatures. They have a small compact body covered with scales made of keratin which is the same material as our human fingernails. Pangolins are found in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. They feed exclusively on ants and termites and roll up in a ball to protect themselves if they are threatened by a predator.
Pangolins are the most trafficked wild animals in the world, and are endangered due to poaching. Deforestation has also impacted their numbers. They are sold mainly into China where their scales and meat are touted to be a cure for everything from arthritis to warts. Their meat is consumed and the scales ground into a powder both of which bring very high prices on the black market.
When captured pangolins are intercepted by rangers and customs officials the pangolins are often undernourished and in poor condition due to injuries, With these problems they cannot be returned to the wild as they would not survive. Enter Elefence’s partner in Malawi, Wildlife Action Group which is an authorized pangolin rehab center. Any wounds are treated but the problem is how to feed them. Purina does not make pangolin chow.
The solution to getting them food is to take them into the bush and find rotten logs filled with ants and termite mounds. Dick and I were fortunate to go on one of the feeding sessions. A ranger put a blanket over his shoulder and draped the pangolin on it. In addition to the keeper there was a ranger who kept track of the pangolin feeding and another ranger to watch for elephants or Cape buffalos — two of the most dangerous animals in Thuma, especially when surprised on a forest trail. The rangers locate a rotten stump and set the pangolin in front of it. The pangolin immediately knew what to do and tore into the stump with their powerful front feet and long claws. They used their long sticky tongue to gather the insects and quickly bring them into their snout. After several feeding sessions the animal was returned to the WAG office where it would curl up and sleep off its meal. Elefence is proud to be a partner and supporter of WAG in their efforts to protect the two forest reserves and the animals which live in it.
One of the trail cameras at Thuma Forest Reserve in Malawi caught a tragic incident. A matriarch of an elephant herd had been killed for her tusks. In the video link below you will see the reaction of her loyal herd. Despite this tragedy, there’s good news. Elefence recently funded the completion of the solar electric fence surrounding Thuma Forest. The purpose is twofold: safeguard the people from crop raiding elephants: and safeguard the elephants from ivory poachers. Today, there is ZERO poaching of elephants at Thuma Forest. And Zero human-elephant conflict of the surrounding villages of Thuma. The video is only 2 1/2 minutes long but contains a powerful message.
ELEFENCE International is proud to introduce our newest Trustee to our elephant conservation foundation: Nic Polenakis.
Nic Polenakis, ELEFENCE Trustee and Owner of My Private Africa, based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Nic is one of only a handful of professional specialist guides qualified to work throughout most of Africa. His field guiding has been extensive in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Congo. He operates his own safari company My Private Africa in which he guides international guests all over the continent. National Geographic Traveler named Nic one of the best guides in Africa. He is committed to wildlife preservation and village community conservation projects in Africa as a Trustee of ELEFENCE.
Dick writes about his exciting bush experiences with Nic in Africa: ELEFENCE International is proud to introduce our newest Trustee to our elephant conservation foundation: Nic Polenakis
Nic is one of only a handful of professional specialist guides qualified to work throughout most of Africa. His guiding has been extensive in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Congo. He operates his own safari company My Private Africa based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. National Geographic Traveler has named Nic as one of the best guides in Africa.
I believe there’s no such thing as coincidence. Some people’s paths are destined to cross. This was certainly true when I first met Nic years ago at a safari camp in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
I was there to initiate an Elefence conservation partnership with African Bush Camps Foundation to help fund solar-pumped waterholes for elephants, and for a local village community bordering the park.
Nic and I hit it off immediately since we both share a passion for safari adventures, wildlife conservation — especially elephants.
When I first arrived in Hwange, it wasn’t long before Nic took me on a walking safari into the bush. I marveled at Nic’s encyclopedic knowledge of every animal track and insect. He could identify every bird sound and what it was communicating. Quite remarkable considering there are over 420 species of birds in Hwange!
One of the highlights of my bush treks with Nic was following the tracks of an old lone bull elephant which we thought was solitary. The day was to have many surprises. For safety, Nic carries a large caliber .458 Winchester. He is so good at anticipating wild animal behavior — whether elephant, lion, or Cape buffalo — that he’s never had to fire a shot!
While following the tracks, we had not yet seen the elephant. Nic suddenly waved his hand palm down to stop. Not more than a hundred feet ahead, seen just above a clump of bushes, was the back end of the old bull! Then Nic started pointing excitedly to his left. He grinned. I gulped. There was another old bull just now emerging through the thorn brush lumbering toward his 7-ton friend! I looked around. Is there a tree to climb?
Nic’s confidence quickly puts you at ease. There’s no macho swaggering to take needless risks. This guy knows what he’s doing. And he’s been doing it for 27 years in the bush. He reaches down to grab a handful of powdery dust to sift through his fingers to test the wind. Safe. We’re downwind. We trek on. The two bulls are now walking side by side, almost leaning into each other. Old buddies.
Our chuka boots step into monster tracks as the bulls head for shade. It’s noon with the sun directly overhead. Insects whine around our sweat-soaked shirts. We keep our hundred-feet distance. The bulls find two tall trees to rest under. One bull leans against a thick bole of a tree, it creaks as he falls fast asleep. The other bull stands still, eyes shut, trunk hanging straight down. We move within 50 feet and stop. They look bigger. T.Rex size. My heart’s hammering. Amazingly the bulls have absolutely no idea we’re there. We’re both grinning. Feeling really alive. One with the bush.
Our ELEPHANT TALES stories will also delve into our safari attic trunk — to exhume long forgotten treasures of the “old Africa” of yesteryear.
In our Safari Attic you will also learn about books that will feed your curiosity about Africa’s old days. We will also have links to booksellers that can find books that have long been out of print.
And lots more surprises in our safari attic…
The Old Hotels: Many of the grand old British colonial Africa hotels were torn down years ago. But the ghosts of the Empire’s past still hang out at the grandest old lady of Africa’s bygone days: The Victoria Falls Hotel.
She still stands proudly at the edge of Victoria Falls — the greatest waterfalls in the world. Twice as high as Niagara — and over a mile wide!
Here’s the story of the old Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe (formerly Southern Rhodesia)
Let’s start the story with: AGATHA CHRISTIE AT VICTORIA FALLS HOTEL “The Man in the Brown Suit”
“We walked from the train to the hotel, a big white building closely wired against mosquitoes. There were no roads, no houses. We went out on the step and I uttered a gasp. There, half a mile away, facing us, were the Falls. I’ve never seen anything so grand and beautiful – I never shall.”
The main character of the novel, Anne Beddingfield, says this about this natural wonder on her arrival at the Victoria Falls in Agatha Christie’s 1924 novel, The Man in the Brown Suit. Anne becomes involved in a murder when she witnesses a supposedly accidental death in a London tube station.
Anne’s investigation leads her to embark on a sea voyage to Cape Town, South Africa. Then she travels by train up to Southern Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe). In the typical Christie style, Anne finds mystery and breath-taking adventure in Africa. The novel ends with her living on an island in the middle of the Zambezi upstream from the Falls!
The Victoria Falls Hotel is the ultimate set piece from an Agatha Christie novel. It is easy to imagine her characters arriving in their white pith helmets and tunics.
Did you know that even today Agatha Christie is still the best-selling writer of all time? She is the author of over 80 novels and only the Bible and Shakespeare have sold more copies than her two billion!! (Now you know who is the best selling author of fiction of all time! That surprised me as I thought it may have been James Patterson as the #1 best selling author.)
Today, sitting on the terrace at The Victoria Falls Hotel, it is not difficult to imagine a bygone age envisioning some of Christie’s characters ordering high tea, pink gins, or strolling through the manicured grounds. No one seemed to offer more romance of characters, and elegance of place in old hotels, than the British.
So, where can I learn more about this fabulous old hotel? In the following book from Harper Collins Publishers. HarperCollins Publishers (Zimbabwe) [Published date: 2004]. Soft cover, 74 pp.
[The following description is from the front cover flap of the book on AMAZON where the book is available http://www.amazon.com]
The Victoria Falls Hotel is more than simply a hospitality establishment. It is an internationally-renowned institution that is one of the most important hotels in Zimbabwe, and indeed in Africa as a whole. It was also the catalyst for the creation and development of Victoria Falls town close to the world-famous tourist attraction that was named for the Queen and Empire by Scots explorer and missionary David Livingstone. From the time it was opened as a corrugated iron construction in 1904 to the celebration of its centenary in 2004 it played host to huge numbers of visitors, including some of the world’s rich and famous. Its story is one of determination and professionalism, reflecting the fortunes of the country in which it is found – once called Southern Rhodesia and now Zimbabwe. This history explains why the hotel has developed into the world-famous institution it has become and why its owners, management and staff are determined to maintain and even enhance that status in its second 100 years of operation.
Thanks for reading our first installment of THE SAFARI ATTIC.
“Pip Pip old boys and girls. A tip of the fedora from olde Bwana Tembo!”
Last week, the rangers and I heard about a large 8.6 foot female croc that had been in captivity for over 15 years in the capital city of Lilongwe. This croc was at the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust facility that takes care of rescued, distressed wild animals — then works at releasing the captive animals back to the wild.
I suggested that it might be better for the croc to be released into the Thuma Forest Reserve where we live and work. Thuma had a good spot on a wild river where it could live because our WAG rangers patrol the area for poachers. The Lilongwe Wildlife Trust agreed to allow the rangers and me to transport the croc to Thuma, about 100 miles away.
Days later, we brought the big croc to Thuma. Her name is Bush Dog! (In Southern Africa, crocodiles are called Flat Dogs.)
Since the croc weighed hundreds of pounds, we had to use 2 teams of ten men to carry Bush Dog to the ideal river spot about a mile away from the vehicles.
We released Bush Dog in a shady area, beside a stream close to a natural dam. It would be an ideal place where we hope she enjoys a taste of freedom. A croc can live to nearly100 years and can reach some 19 feet in length!
Recently, we also released 4 baby hedgehogs into Thuma Forest Reserve. They had been hand reared in the city. They were released close to our ranger headquarters camp.
Another “back to the wild” story entailed 3 beautiful African Rock pythons! They were found at one day near the city and brought here to Thuma Forest Reserve.
We have been hand rearing them ever since, including catching and feeding them live rats. Ugh! It was terrible for me to do being an animal lover, but that’s what pythons eat.
All three pythons were released at our local spring area and we hope they do well.
Thank you for reading my post from the bush.
Lynn Clifford Field Manager Wildlife Action Group Thuma and Dedza-Salima Forest Reserves
Elefence International, Inc. 