How an elephant experience touched an American
Text by Shawna Chaffee-Havanga. Photographs by Christy Strever
Coming from the snowy town of Bridgewater, just outside Boston, Shawna is in Plettenberg Bay for a week of relaxation. Not only is Plett her favourite destination in South Africa but it is also the first place she will recommend to any traveler she meets.
The Elephant Sanctuary in the Crags gave Shawna a once in a lifetime experience to walk trunk-in-hand with their elephants Marula and Thandi.
‘Growing up in America I naively believed that elephants roamed wild all over South Africa, the older I got the more I realised that this wasn’t the case at all. From being close to endangered due to poaching, I never imagined that I would look one in the eye and get the opportunity to walk trunk-in-hand with one of these majestic giants. The first half of my walk was with the matriarch Marula and the second half was with the quieter elephant Thandi.
The Elephant Sanctuary provided me with one of the most amazing experiences of my life
Being able to brush them, walk with them and learn about them taught me that each and every elephant has their own personality and unique characteristics which make them so special. I would highly recommend that any family coming to Plett should not pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity to experience a trunk-in-hand walk at the Elephant Sanctuary.’
For more information please visit The Elephant Sanctuary
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