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nAtUre
locAl trAvel

Part of the herd on a visit to
the lodge - they respect the
flimsy fence

One of the strange consequences of lockdown
happened at Thula Thula game reserve northwest
of empangeni in Zululand. This is where Lawrence
and francoise Anthony, in 1999, took custody of
a herd of wild and traumatized elephants - and
added to the annals of Africa’s wildlife story.

My interest in Thula Thula is in the way “They come in front of my house and just
it has demonstrated that the African wait, for hours. They know something is
elephant can display unmistakable signs wrong and are wondering why no more
of empathy towards humans and how humans are around. They have never done
uncannily close their social codes are to this before.”
ours. Recent happenings at Thula Thula
indicate how relatively quickly elephants Thula Thula’s remarkable story began in 1999
can come to trust and enjoy being with when Lawrence Anthony agreed, with grave
humans – despite all we have done to them doubts, to accept a herd of 11 confused
– and how tantalisingly close we can get to and dangerously aggressive elephants –
understanding each other. survivors of poor custodianship near Kruger
Park. He knew nothing of the last-minute
I am currently working on a book on the botch-up during the capture operation
possibility of intelligent cross-species which resulted in two of the elephants being
communication and how the elephant is one shot – including the matriarch. The dead
of the few mammals that shows a desire to matriarch’s traumatised son (later called
communicate with us but doesn’t know how. Mnumzane – ‘Sir’) was one of the big young
And nor do we know how. Not yet. tuskers that were transported with the herd
Nana and family south to Thula Thula, all in a semi-drugged
The importance of the couple’s experiences condition. The second oldest cow (later to
in Thula Thula is that, on several occasions, be named Nana) had quickly taken over as
any will know the late Lawrence they came near to penetrating the matriarch.
Anthony’s 2010 best-seller, communications barrier and captured the
The Elephant Whisperer and attention and, eventually, the love of a once Elephants are like that. When a matriarch
Mthe unforgettable sequel in traumatised wild elephant matriarch who dies the next oldest, or most respected
2018, An Elephant in my Kitchen, by his wife, eventually helped them earn the respect of female, assumes control.
Francoise, who by then was widowed after the whole herd.
Lawrence suffered a heart attack. Lawrence reinforced Thula Thula’s perimeter
Francoise says that, since the COVID-19 fence and prepared, deep in the reserve,
Francoise, an archetypical Parisienne, now lockdown, the herd has been hovering a strongly fenced boma surrounded by
runs Thula Thula and one cannot help but be between the lodge, tented camp and main electrified cables carrying 8 000 volts. There,
moved by what is happening there. house, ‘non-stop’. the elephants would stay until he felt they

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DPL