Leal enters Udawalale National Park like all the other safari drivers, but when they all turn left to follow 3 elephants, he turns right and stops. What's he looking at? The elephants are back there. But Leal is a birder as well as a driver and safari guide. He spots a blue-green bee-eater. "Haven't seen one in weeks."
We see juvenile white eagles months before they will turn brown, painted storks with their concentric yellow and pink banned eyes, spoonbills dredging through the lake's silt, turtles sunning themselves, herds of water buffalo lounging in the water, even a croc before we see what we thought we came here for..... elephants.
We see very few jeeps, for Leal senses where the elephants will be, where the hawk-eagle will fly, where the herds and elephant loaners hang out and at what time. It's 6pm? They must be near the log for the grass came in last week and it's time for them to dig up the grass and munch down. Besides there are 3 baby elephants and they need to learn how to dig up the grass and encircle it with a trunk, letting the dirt fall away before putting it in their mouth. 4pm? It's still warm, so the mamas are taking the little ones to play in the water. 7pm and he drives us to a bank and says "Get out of the jeep for 5 minutes. You'll be safe." He doesn't want us to miss the orange sunset, the maquecas coming to the river, the owl waking up, the branded and wild and newly wild water buffaloes heading to their evening spot. This is what a safari should be...more than 70 elephants, in groups from 1-10, seen in a 5 hour period. But better yet, we get to experience a true naturalist loving what he does and sharing it with folks every day of the week.
Elephants have their mammary glands up front like humans. Isn't it glorious to see the babies tilt their heads back when nursing, says Leal half to himself.
First generation of newly wild water buffalo sired by branded and domesticated mother and wild father
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