Elephants at the Waterhole
Etosha is a national park that was originally created as a sanctuary for animals from the trophy-hunting Germans. Originally, it was 80,000 km long and 200 km wide. Now it is 23,000 kn long and 200 km wide. Etosha was presented to us as the highlight of the trip and we were not disappointed. We saw almost all the animals we've seen on the whole trip plus some. The animals were closer than any other place too! We saw plain zebras, lappet-faced vultures, blue wildebeests, springbok, a chameleon, a corrie bustard, kudu, oryx, impala, elephants, a lilac-breasted roller, warthogs, giraffes, and flamingos! The zebras, wildebeests, springbok, impala, and elephants all had babies with them too! The corrie bustard was a unique bird because it's the heaviest flying bird in the world. We saw 13 elephants at the waterhole cooling off and then watched them cross the road in front of us. The abundance, vitality, and variety of the animals was breathtaking. These animals all seem so rare in the US because you can only see them in the zoo, but here they are everywhere! I feel really blessed to see these animals in their natural habitat. Etosha is the perfect place for all these animals because there are waterholes everywhere and the landscape is extremely lush. We're definitely not in the desert anymore.
This trip has blessed me in so many ways. I've realized that I actually can survive without running water and electricity and I can set up a tent--but more importantly, I have a greater appreciation for wildlife and its ability to survive in the harshest of conditions. Even though Etosha provides the perfect conditions and thus has abundant plant and animal life, plants and animals also survive in the harshest regions of the Namib desert. Biological adaptations abound. As as biologist, I don't think I could have chosen a better interim. I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.
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