Wolfgang Praegler & Gudrun Mirbach-Praegler
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Photos of the Week
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Fascinating: Elephants next to your safari tent - baby elephants
      The   Tarangire   Safari   Lodge   in   Tanzania   is   located   on   an   elevation   along   Tarangire   River,   where   an   ancient   game   pass goes   down   to   the   river.   Elephants,   antelopes   and   other   game   passes   by   at   sunrise   and   before   sunset   to   leave   the   feeding grounds   in   order   to   go   down   to   the   river   for   drinking.   They   cross   the   campsite,   passing   the   tents   and   the   people   sitting there at arm’s length. After drinking, the elephants enjoy bathing.       The   trunk   of   the   elephants   is   a   universal   tool   for   lifting   heavy   loads,   tearing   down   branches,   knocking   down   trees,   or picking   up   tiny   bits.   For   this,   the   trunk   has   more   than   10,000   muscles.   Newborn   elephants   have   to   learn   to   coordinate   all these   muscles,   which   may   take   one   or   two   days.   Only   after   this,   the   baby   elephants   are   able   to   drink   milk   from   mother’s breast: They have to learn to put back the trunk over the head. Before, the trunk dangles around without control.   By the way: The teats of elephants are between the forelegs, as in humans.
New arriving guests can see elephants among the tents At sunrise this elephant appears out of the bush A whole family group walks through the lodge The family is on the way down to the river This family is walking towards the river The experienced matriarch is leading the family group The young ones are always protected by the adults The mother and her calf are drinking and bathing together Bathing is great fun for elephants This young elephant is looking around in the tented camp A mother elephant with her calf is standing at the entrance of Tarangire Safari Lodge The little elephants have to learn how to drink from mothers‘ breast The trunk of this very young elephant is dangling around without control Newborn elephants have to learn to coordinate their trunk This little one is training its trunk The whole day they practise using the trunk in a targeted manner When the little one wants to drink from mother’s teats, the trunk is in the way The trunk always blocks the way to the teats Now it works: The trunk has to be put back over the head Drinking milk from mother works with the trunk back on the head An elephant cow passes with her calf This is the view from the tents down to the Tarangire River