Hello Ellie!
Monday, July 10th, 2006An “Ellie” is elephant in British English. I have had a few close calls with them so far. The first occured at Lake Manyara N.P. in Tanzania. The truck in front of us was close to a family and most of the family cut across the road to get to more food (the life of an elephant basically consists of eating). There was a very young one and as they moved closer to us in the second truck a situation arose where the first truck was between the small one and a very large one. That’s not a good situation and the big elephant started to charge the first truck. Both guides through the trucks in reverse as the elephant attacked. A charge is basically a run at the intruder with the elephant shaking its head and trumpeting its trunk. We were all a bit shaken up and I was reminded that I had been within ten feet of elephants the day before in Tarangire N.P. when the guide decided we were too close. I got a photo of the charging elephant, but it was over-exposed due to lack of time to adjust. Maybe that makes the encounter have that much more meaning.
vagabondrick