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“I have seen a herd of elephant travelling through dense native forest…pacing along as if they had an appointment at the end of the world” Isaak Dinesen
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No dense forest here, only a rare scatter of thorn trees on the Maasai Mara plains. And yet early one December morning, when we found ourselves in the path of an elephant herd, the sense of their concerted purpose flowed round us like a slow tide. They did move as one – elders, adolescents, infants. And so softly too. An elephant mirage then.
As they passed on by, not one member of the herd showed any reaction to our presence. And so there was that moment – the urge to follow, to walk with elephants, pace for pace. How astonishing might that be? (Or how invasive).
Of course we were not on foot, but in a truck with our driver-guide, Dan. He drove quietly away and parked on a ridge above the thorn trees; even suggested we should get out and eat our picnic breakfast while we watched the herd fan out below us.
Some members climbed over our ridge, but again seemed not to acknowledge our existence.
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“The herd moves as one, yet each elephant knows its place.” African saying.
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At sundown the herd met up with us again, travelling at the same slow, purposeful pace, but now in the opposite direction. We were on our way back to camp. Dan stopped the truck while they moved on and on around us. So close we felt their presence as they passed. The musky smell of them.
copyright 2026 Tish Farrell
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Lens-Artists: favourite quotes illustrated This week Ann-Christine asks us to illustrate our favourite quotations (No more than 5 photos). She has some stunning examples. Go see!
