Elephants take a walk through a hotel reception

The sight of one or even ten elephants taking a stroll around the Mfuwe Lodge in the South Luanga National Park in Zambia is a regular annual event.

In 1988 the Mfuwe Lodge was unwittingly built on the elephants traditional path that leads to the elephant herds favourite food - wild mangoes. Andy Hogg, 44, is director of the Bushcamp Company that runs the Lodge. Hogg has lived in the South Luanga National Park since 1982, and is used to dealing with wild animals, but has never seen such intimate interaction between man and wild elephants. The elephants start coming through the base camp in late November every year to eat the mangoes from the trees, and is the only place in the world where the wild elephants get so close to humans.

Mfuwe Lodge Zambia

Photo: Courtesy Mfuwe Lodge Zambia

image:51536:5::0

Wonky Tusk, the leader of her ten strong herd leads the way to the lodge when the mangoes are ripe. They stand about in the 9,500 square kilometer national park for about four to six weeks visiting the lodge every day or every second day. Wonky Tusk and her herd come and go as they please. This is the only herd that travels the route through the lodge to the Delicious mangoe trees.

Mfuwe Lodge Zambia

Photo: Courtesy Mfuwe Lodge Zambia

image:51539:4::0

The elephants do get reasonably close to the staff although Andy Hogg does not allow the guests to get to close to these wild animals. Although the elephants are not aggressive, it has to be remembered they are wild animals therefore the guests stand behind a barrier to see these magnificent creatures strolling through the reception area of the lodge. There are bricks and walls allowing guests to run to safety should the elephants be feeling grumpy. Andy says:

"no one knew the elephants would be coming through, which they have been doing for the last ten years, even though there are other mangoe trees in the area."

The lodge is busier towards the end of November each year due to the obvious attraction of both elephants and guests. This rare but magnificent sight is a totally natural phenomenon, all because the elephants prefer the mangoe trees in the gardens of the lodge.