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“Yes. She’s amazing.”
I felt like the large cat was staring at me with her yellowish eyes, but then she turned around and moved back to the others.
The elephants were still standing by the waterhole using their trunks to drink.
“Aren’t elephants and lions natural enemies?”
“It happens that lions kill elephants, but they usually go for younger, smaller ones. These elephants over there are grown females and they probably sense that the lions are fed and calm the same way I do. Do you want to go closer to the elephants?”
“Sure, if we can do it from inside the car.”
“You do whatever makes you feel more comfortable, but I’m going to approach and talk to them.”
“All right.” I was beginning to trust that Fleur had a special connection to the animals and that she truly wasn’t scared of them.
I drove the car closer to Fleur once she sat twenty meters from the elephants watching them. Unlike her parents she didn’t have a camera in her hands, but simply sat on her heels. As with the lions, she wasn’t moving, talking, or calling attention to herself. The largest of the elephants walked closer and it made Fleur stand up. She didn’t initiate contact, but when the elephant reached out its trunk and touched her shoulder, she touched it back.
None of the three other elephants came close, but I caught the encounter between Fleur and the large elephant on video and I kept filming when she came back in the car.
“Did you make a new friend?” I asked, not hiding how impressed I was.
Fleur smiled. “It’s nice to be back among wild animals. It’s something completely different from puppies and goats, although none is above or below the other.”
“Are we leaving?” I asked.
“Soon. We’re waiting for the lions. They’re going to show us the remains of the poachers.”
“Did the elephants tell them to?”
Fleur shook her head. “They don’t take orders from each other.”
“What did you talk to them about?”
“I wanted to know about the attacks on the sight-seeing Jeeps and what had them concerned. These four elephants haven’t attacked anyone, but they’re aware of the attacks and feel the unease among the animals here at the park. I’m getting the same message from both the elephants and the lions. Both groups are concerned about the poachers and they insist that rangers are involved.”
“But Mike said…” I trailed off when the seven lions came walking around our car. The large male came close on my side and turned his head, looking straight at me. “Shit.”
“They understand that we’re here to help, but they’re not convinced we can change anything.”
“Then what?” I said and watched the lions walk at an unhurried pace in front of us.
“I’ve put forward my good intentions, which is all I can do at this stage. Now let’s just follow them and see where they take us.”
