Knysna Elephant Park

Things have been relatively quiet down my end of the world, I have been trying to focus on my writing, sometimes more successfully than others. Yesterday I went with Kelly and the kids, and Kellyn to Knysna Elephant Park for a free 'touch tour' in celebration of their 20th birthday. Knysna Elephant Park has received some bad press of late regarding allegations of maltreatment of the elephants so I imagine this was a well timed open day. Thankfully we arrived early and although the tour was free (usually R250 for adults) we were encouraged to buy vege buckets (R40 each times two kids) to feed the elephants, needless to say I imagine they made a tidy sum judging by the number of tours they were doing and the number of people walking around with vege buckets.

During an introductory talk it was stressed that the animals are all rescued in some way, and were not abused in the training process at the elephant park. Unfortunately the whole experience was otherwise minimally educational, with the focus on getting groups out to feed the elephants (a group of about 6 animals) and then you could have a brief touch and photo with one of the younger males.

It was a fascinating experience, and one I enjoyed, to be able to see these majestic large animals up close and personal, and feel the strength of an elephants trunk as it deftly scooped up an offering of carrot, orange, apple, gem squash, or sweet potato. The elephants are well trained and used to the rigmarole, they all walk to stand behind a metal barrier, jostling for position as the eager group and their vege buckets descend. If you are not careful your bucket may be ripped from your hands by an over eager trunk and so there is a tentative meeting of stretching trunks greedy for food, and nervous hands quickly retracted once the offering is taken.

Unfortunately there will always be a market for tours and activities such as those offered by the Knysna Elephant Park, but I do feel that the tour could be more educational. I, for one, will continue to prefer to see elephant herds in large national parks roaming free and wild!