First impressions of life as an elephant researcher – by Gape

From the moment I was offered the opportunity to be part of the amazing team of Elephants for Africa it was all excitement, perhaps because of the long awaited chance to pursue my passion for applied research, especially working with wild animals. However, in the days prior to my arrival at EfA camp nerves started to appear, with numerous questions going through my mind, mainly on how exactly was I going to get along with researching the elephants. I guess these feelings are normal and are likely to happen to anyone! However, all that was history when I set foot in the EfA camp, due to the very warm welcome I was accorded with; big thanks to Dr Jess our Project Manager for making me feel at home and ensuring that my safety was a priority by explaining all the necessary measures.

During my first drive through the north loop transect, I thought “wow!” as we came face to face with the world’s largest land mammal, and I said to myself “I love this new expedition!” Ever since then it has turned into more of an adventure than anything else, for two reasons: Firstly because it is always exciting to see elephants and collect data about them. Secondly is from the conservation point of view, every day has been an opportunity to marvel at the biodiversity that is abound and supported by the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. I am thankful to EfA for the continuing adventure and learning opportunities that not many people get to experience in life.

Rebaabetswe Radinaane, AKA “Gape”