An Elephant at My Tent

Not 20 minutes after my arrival at Kutali Camp on the Zambezi River in Zambia, a large bull elephant strode through camp, walked up to the lunch table, and sampled—then summarily rejected—the cucumber salad that was due to be my lunch. Two mornings later, I woke to find him outside my tent at 4 am, walking right past the tent door (door? It was a screen with a zipper). Lying in bed, wearing neither a stitch of clothing nor the prosthetic leg that I’d need to make any kind of getaway, I felt a little more vulnerable than usual. More exhilarated too! The morning before, I woke to find adult leopard prints outside my tent. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but I was beguiled from the beginning! I’ve been guiding safaris in Africa for over 15 years now, and not until I started coming to Zambia has it felt this adventurous—this wild. These were not the only encounters. That same bull elephant was often seen in and around camp, a constant reminder that the place was untamed and belonged to someone…