Miroslav Bobek, 24 April 2009
Andrea Turkalo has been living in a small camp at the Dzanga Baï clearing in the midst of a tropical rainforest in the south-west of the Central African Republic. It is a thirty-minute walk from her camp to the clearing. “I have walked 33 thousand kilometres along this path,” says Andrea who left the comfort of the East Coast of the USA for her great passion – forest elephants.
The Dzanga Baï clearing is absolutely unique. Some say it is the only place in the world where you are always sure to see Forest Elephants. In any case, it is indisputably the absolutely best place in the world to watch them. Elephants, Forest Buffaloes, and Bongo antelopes come to the clearing regularly to drink from springs that contain salt and other minerals.
You can hear countless times about the view of the Dzanga Baï clearing yet the reality will take you aback. Giant trees set the stage for an unbelievable elephant show. You can see dozens and dozens of elephant cows with calves of all ages, as well as some huge bulls with two-metre tusks; altogether fifty, seventy, or maybe a hundred forest elephants in one place.
“There are some four thousand Forest Elephants in this area,” Andrea told us with a muted voice in her shelter, “and I meet around six hundred of them here”.
Andrea gave each of the six hundred elephants a name and keeps detailed records about them. Watching Forest Elephants in the clearing is one of few opportunities to learn something about them; it is impossible to track them in the forest… (By the way, the African Forest Elephant is a completely different species than the African Bush Elephant; one of the differences noticeable at first sight are orange to brown-coloured downward pointing tusks.)
Andrea introduced several of “her” six hundred elephants to us from her shelter at Dzanga Baï. While Khalil was recording a video, she commented on what was going on in the clearing. At this point I can only promise the same as I did in the previous article about Makumba’s troop: you have definitely something to look forward to when we return and post videos and photos from Dzanga Baï on this website, together with an extensive interview with Andrea.
You can see more photos from Dzanga Baï on website of The Revealed.
Donations made here are
Dec 29th Brigitta S USD 50.00
5 Comments
Thank you for sharing these fantasitc pictures,
Wow!
What an amazing, informative site!
Thank you for caring so much!
Eric
Just saw what work you are doing and want to thank you and wish success forever in to the future..I am reading Silent Thunder by Katy Payne and recomendng it anyone I know .it enriches our knowledge of this sentient being and allows us to take measures to be part of the sollution not the problem..I hope this year to vist an elephant sanctuary as a volunteer in Indonesia, we are in Australia..I am still anxious when I see chains on these majestic animals, even babies..it seems very wrong..and I have just become aware of the removal of 2 young elephants from their mothers in Sri Lanka..what grief and stress this is causing them, I hope a conscientous effort is made to return these”children” very soon..how cruel people are..in ignorance..but thank you for the sanctuary you offer..we are moving into a new centry..perhaps technology will help draw atention to the urgent protection these animals require and others..
Yours sincerely janette
Hi there.
I saw i.t from CBS 60 minutes in Jan.2010.
I enjoyed the story and thank you for your dedication.
You are the real mom of them.
Keep up the great work. Young Choi
Ditto from the last comment. 60 Minutes was excellent and gives us great admiration for your work. God bless and thank you.
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