The
Elephant Company 
– For the Ride of your Life -
An
Elephant Back Safari is an experience that you
will never forget. Ride, learn about and interact
with these majestic creatures. Meet Lundi, Tatu,
Moka and others in their natural surroundings
of the game-rich Nakavango Estate just 15 minutes
drive from the Victoria Falls. NOT TO BE MISSED.
About
the Elephants
All the elephants at the Elephant Company are
rescued orphans from the necessary culling operations
which took place in Zimbabwe’s Lowveld in
1988. They were taken in by Mr Clem Coetzee, an
authority on African elephants, who began training
them. It was thought to be extremely difficult
if not impossible to train African elephants,
but with great patience and understanding our
elephants have been trained to a very high degree.
We use the reward system where the animal is rewarded
with a molasses cube if it responds to a command.
The Elephant Company gives us a chance to give
something back to the elephants by using orphaned
animals from the 
Zimbabwe
Lowveld. It also gives us a chance to understand
and appreciate the magnificent legacy that is
the African Elephant.
History
of Man and Elephant
5000
– 11,000 BC : The first recorded observations
of African Elephants made by man are cave paintings
in the Sahara Desert.
1,
200 BC : In the tomb of Rhekmere at Thebes, a
painting depicts an elephant being led by an Indian
Mahout.
331
BC : In the battle of Hydaspes, King Porus used
200 elephants against Alexander's army. Alexander
triumphed but acknowledged that that the outcome
had been a near thing.
300
BC : Ptolemy, the master of Egypt after Alexander,
was forced to capture and train African elephants
after his supply of Indian elephants was cut off.
285
BC : Ptolemy II established a settlement on the
Red Sea, Ptolemais Thermon, for the purpose of
capturing and training elephants for battle and
hunting.
218
BC : Hannibal Barca annihilated the Roman army
by the use of elephants. These elephants came
from the same stock of Ptolemy’s but were
later destroyed in his attempt to cross the Alps.
The Ptolemies continued to use war elephants until
the Romans became too powerful when they figured
out how to kill war elephants, and so they were
no longer terribly useful for warfare.
200
BC - 100 BC : Elephants in Africa were eventually
eradicated completely. They were killed for their
tusks in their thousands.
1900
: British and German governments put prohibitions
on hunting and game reserves were created. 
1910
: King Leopold of Belgium started a school in
the then Belgian Congo to use African elephants
in forestry and agriculture. This survives to
this day at Gangala na Bodio in The Democratic
Republic of Congo.
Elephant
Profiles
All our elephants are rescued orphans, either
from the necessary culling operations that took
place in the Zimbabwe Lowveld in 1988 or the
drought in Gonarezhou in 1982.
Meet these gentle giants…
| Name |
Sex |
Age |
Important
Information |
| MBANJE |
MALE |
16 |
Rescued
during the 1988 culling. Joined The Elephant
Company herd in May 2003 from the Gwayi
River conservancy. |
| KANESE
|
FEMALE |
16 |
Missing
part of her trunk, this gracious lady was
rescued from the captures during 1988 culling.
She joined The Elephant Company herd in
May 2003 from Gwayi River conservancy. |
| DOMA |
MALE |
23 |
Captured
during the 1982 drought in Gonarezhou. Doma,
one of the oldest and the largest of the
males, arrived at the Elephant Company in
April 2003 from Matopos. |
| TUSKER |
MALE |
23 |
Captured
during the 1982 drought in Gonarezhou. Arrived
at the Elephant Company in April 2003 from
Matopos. |
| TATU |
FEMALE |
18 |
Captured
during the 1992 drought at Mabalauta in
Gonarezhou. |
| JIMMY |
MALE |
7
|
Orphaned
on the Nakavango estate in 1999. |
| SWEETY |
FEMALE |
16 |
Captured
during the 1992 Gonarezhou drought operations.
Joined the Elephant Company herd in April
2003 from Matopos. |
| DUMPY |
FEMALE |
14 |
Captured
during the 1992 Gonarezhou drought operations.
Joined the Elephant Company herd in April
2003 from Matopos. |
| MOKA |
MALE |
19
|
Originated
from the captures during 1988 culling in
the Zambezi valley. |
| MAKUKWE |
FEMALE |
14 |
Captured
during the 1992 Gonarezhou drought operations.
Joined the Elephant Company herd in April
2003 from Matopos. |
| LUNDI
|
FEMALE |
22 |
Captured
in the 1986 cull in Gonarezhou. Arrived
at the Elephant Company in June 2033 from
the Wild Horizons Elephant Camp. |
Elephant
Back Safari Guides
Ian David Dupreez
Operations Manager
Qualified
as a Vet, Ian has worked with elephants and
their translocation since 1990. Passionate about
the elephants’ well being, he has implemented
many unique training methods which have become
recognisable world-wide. These methods concentrate
on devising training methods more in-line with
the elephants’ natural habitat.
Dr
Donald Ray Sibanda
Assistant Operations Manager
Donald
has been with The Elephant Company as Assistant
Operations Manager and Vet since September 2002.
He has introduced new methods of training behaviour
motives, new feeding schemes and a healthy herd
- safe to staff and clients in terms of zoonitic
diseases.
Jumbo Junction - Elephant Safaris
Learn more about Africa’s greatest mammal
during an interactive, memorable and enriching
experience. Enjoy refreshments as your guide gives
you a short presentation on the history of man
and elephant. The elephants then join you for
a memorable “lunch”, where you can
interact with them in their natural environment,
touching and feeding them. The aim of the Jumbo
Junction is to provide a better understanding
of the African elephant, at the same time promoting
their conservation and the fragile habitat in
which they exist.
Elephant
Back Safaris
Upon arrival, your guide will give a quick introductory
talk and safety briefing. You will then be introduced
to your induna (elephant carer) and the elephants
themselves. On mounting the elephants, the safari
begins – view game whilst riding game, savouring
the experience of crashing through the African
bush atop a gigantic pachyderm. Your safari ends
with a short traini
ng
session and interaction with the elephants followed
by breakfast, lunch or snacks (depending on the
safari).
Sunrise
Safari
Operating all year round, this Safari begins from
06:30 and finishes at 12:00 with a continental
breakfast in summer and a full English breakfast
during winter.
Sundown
Safari
This option also operates all year round, with
pick-up from 15:00 and drop-off at 19:00. Snacks
and refreshments will be provided after the interaction
with the elephants.
Jumbo
Junction
Operating all year round, your interaction with
these majestic African creatures begins 11:00
and ends after lunch at 14:00. Transfers, lunch
and refreshments will be provided.
Please
note that the Jumbo Junction does not include
a ride on the elephants, merely the chance for
you to interact with the elephants.
Elephant
Back Safaris includes:
•
Educational presentation
• Refreshments and either breakfast, lunch
or snacks depending on the Safari
• Bottled water on the ride
• Transfers from all major hotels
• Medical Air Rescue Service
What
to bring:
•
Neutral coloured clothes: avoid white and bright
coloured clothes
• Long trousers, long sleeved shirt and
closed comfortable shoes
• Wide brimmed hat
• A sweater is recommended for the months
of May to August
• Sun block
• Binoculars
• Glasses and/or sunglasses
• Camera
• Personal medication Insect repellant
Please
bear in mind that guests will be responsible for
their personal effects whilst they are on the
elephant ride. It is therefore advisable that
belongings are kept to a reasonable limit.
RATES
Half Day Trip (am or pm) - Victoria Falls - Nakavango
Estate - Every day - All Year - Free (excl Zambia)
- USD $ 100
Jumbo Junction (minimum 10 pax) - Victoria Falls
- Nakavango Estate - All Year - Free (excl Zambia)
- USD $ 60
**
For any Zimbabwe based activity,
transfers are available from any Sun International
Hotel in Zambia
at a rate of USD $ 10 **
