Sadie's Journal: Addo Elephant Back Safari

August 26, 2015

Addo Elephant Back Safari!

Sadie: You’ll never believe it, but today I went on an elephant back safari!

Reporter Johnson: What in the world is an elephant back safari?

Sadie: An elephant back safari is a safari, but instead of a big safari vehicle, you ride an elephant!

Reporter Johnson: Wow! Are the elephants trained? Do they have names?

Sadie: Of course the elephants are trained! They do have names. Two of the elephants were called Muqua and Duma. I rode one named Taba. Taba means “happy” in Zulu.

Reporter Johnson: Did you ride alone?

Sadie: No. I wouldn’t know what to do if I were alone! On each elephant there was a guide, and mine was named Donald. We rode in pairs, and I rode with my mom. My dad and Ben rode on Muqua.

Reporter Johnson: Oh. What did it feel like? Smooth? Bumpy? Fun?

Sadie: Fun but bumpy. Taba bump-bumped along as he walked. We bump-bumped along with him! It also hurt a bit. Taba’s hard spine dug into us. Ouch! It was almost like doing the splits for me because Taba was so wide!

Reporter Johnson: Interesting! Did you see any animals while riding Taba?

Sadie: Not many, but some! We found vervet monkeys, a giraffe, impala antelope, and, of course the other elephants!

Reporter Johnson: My! Did you see animals on the way to your elephants?

Sadie: Yes! In addition to what we saw on elephant back, we spotted chickens, blesbok antelope, a different elephant, and BABOONS!

Reporter Johnson: How absolutely fascinating! Did you pat the elephants? What did they feel like?

Sadie: We did pat the elephants! Taba’s skin was wrinkly and hard. Sometimes his flapping ear tickled my leg as we rode! I thought his trunk would be soft and floppy, but actually it was hard and prickly.

Reporter Johnson: Nice! Did you do any other activities with Taba, Muqua, and Duma?

Sadie: Yes! We fed them! I fed Taba. We put the pellets of food in his trunk, and he dumped them in his mouth. He would only eat when I gave hem food, not my mom! There was also another way to feed Taba called the trunk-up way. I did not like that way much. Taba has to hold his trunk up, and we have to dump the food in his mouth. “Now just throw in the food,” my mom told me. I literally threw it in! The only good part about the trunk-up way was that I could see Taba’s huge back molars and his slimy tongue. Feeding was fun!

Reporter Johnson: What was your favorite part of the Addo Elephant Back Safari?

Sadie: Feeding. I really liked how Taba just dumped the food into his mouth. His tongue was really cool. I felt his prickly trunk. We gave Taba elephant chocolate made of fruit and molasses.

Reporter Johnson: Cool! How would you rate your experience with Addo Elephant Back Safari out of 5?

Sadie: 5 and a half!

Reporter Johnson: Would you recommend it to friends?

Sadie: I would highly recommend it! Calling all elephant lovers!! J

Reporter Johnson: Folks, that was Sadie M. Kiel of Memphis, Tennessee, interviewed for Addo Elephant Back Safari! Thank you!