To begin with it, it is worth mentioning that canoeing down the Zambezi River is a little more than an adrenaline rush. Around every corner lurks a hippo waiting to bump your canoe or a crocodile that eyes you hungrily before disappearing beneath the murky water. That said, the bird life is phenomenal and it is a treat to get away from the noise of the vehicle.
On this particular afternoon we were floating down river with the sun setting behind us. It was the perfect scene of Africa; the reeds along the river were golden in colour and we floated towards an elephant bull who was enjoying a late afternoon bath.
Moments later all hell broke lose! The elephant’s head disappeared underneath the water and when he bought it up again there was a crocodile attached to his trunk! The elephant swung his trunk wildly through the air five or six times.
In the excitement of watching the scene before us unfold we floated closer and closer to the action without really realising.
Thankfully for the elephant the crocodile released it’s grip and the elephant tenderly brought his trunk up above the water. Water escaped through the holes in the elephant’s trunk like a watering can, though there was no blood. By this time we were so close to the elephant that when he smacked his trunk on the water in agitation we got splashed.
We did our best to manoeuvre around him, all the while aware that the crazy crocodile that just took on a fully grown elephant lurked unseen beneath us.