Amboseli National Park and the Amboseli ecosystem is known for its elephants. In my previous post I showed a series of images of Craig one of the best known “Super Tuskers” who spent much of his time in Amboseli and its surrounds. This post is about herds of elephants and the scenes they create. The Amboseli ecosystem spans from Africa’s highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro to the rugged wilderness of Chyulu Hills and the fauna-rich Tsavo West National Park, all the way back to the Kenya-Tanzania savanna borderland.

“For the 99 percent of the time we’ve been on Earth, we were hunter and gatherers, our lives dependent on knowing the fine, small details of our world.  Deep inside, we still have a longing to be reconnected with the nature that shaped our imagination, our language, our song and dance, our sense of the divine. ”  ~ Janine M. Benyus

The ecosystem’s backdrop to the south west is the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak at 19,600 feet, adorning three scenic peaks: Shira, Kibo and Mawenzi.

The swamps of Amboseli National Park are a lush oasis fed by underground springs from the melting icecaps of Mount Kilimanjaro. Permanent wetlands sustain the park’s iconic megafauna, most notably the hundreds of elephants that feed, drink and bathe in the marshes daily.

There are three main swamps in the park. The Enkongo Narok Swamp is located in the western section of the park and features the central Lake Kioko which is a prime spot for viewing wallowing hippos.
The second is Longinye Swamp which is situated towards the east. This is a major wildlife magnet and a productive place to photograph elephants against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro. 
The third is the Ol Tukai & Olokenya swamp. It is smaller but is an incredibly species-rich marsh teeming with hundreds of bird species.

The swamps act as a lifeline for the famous “super tuskers” and large breeding herds, which migrate from the dry savannah grasslands into the marshes to drink and feed.

The park has wide open savannah grasslands, acacia woodlands and wetlands which include swamps, marshes and lakes.

“Elephants are, like humans, autonomous beings. They have a past and a future. They have minds of their own. They make choices.” ~ Dr Joyce Poole

The ecosystem is typically hot and dry with a habitat mix of wooded grassland and shrubland with spots of riverine and natural forest cover. It is often referred to as the “Land of Giants” for its large herds of elephants. The ecosystem has an estimated elephant population of about 1 800 and is also home to large carnivores such as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, jackal and civet. It has a rich herbivore population of giraffes, gerenuks and lesser kudus and supports zebras, gazelles and wildebeests that migrate to the landscape in search of water and pasture during the dry season.

The exceptional intersection and coexistence of ecology and the indigenous socio-culture of pastoralism is what has made the ecosystem recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The ecosystem is a delicate balance of ecological corridors and dispersal areas, connecting the Amboseli National Park with adjacent group ranches and neighbouring conservation areas like Chyulu Hills, Tsavo West in the south east and Kilimanjaro in the south west in Tanzania.

Like an oasis in the dry savannah, with emerald-green swamps beneath towering Kilimanjaro, this is the best place in Africa to see elephants in all their combinations.

“Nature is a reward in itself. It is there to be appreciated, to be understood, to be lived and loved. And in its way it gives us everything-the bounty and goodness of the earth, the sea, the sky. Food, water, the air we breathe. All the things that we take for granted.” ~ Ruskin Bond

It is a relatively common sight to see two young elephant bulls sparing with each other. Nothing serious just pushing each other around trying to establish who is stronger.

There is ineffable magic about spending time in the company of elephants. Nothing else in the world compares to the ethereal emotions felt in their presence – a complex awareness of ancient wisdom and profound intelligence. Of all creatures, elephants perhaps best epitomise a wild sense of the divine. Nevermore is this the case than in Amboseli National Park, where these imposing animals stand against the backdrop of ice-capped Mount Kilimanjaro – one of the most iconic images of Africa. (Source: Africa Geographic)

Elephants crossing the dry Amboseli lake bed in the late afternoon when the wind is blowing can create wonderfully moody images.

“The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask.”~ Nancy Newhall

The elephant herds feed in the grasslands north of the park and walk back across the dry lake bed to find water in the swamps.

“Nature is painting for us, day after day, a picture of infinite beauty.” ~ John Ruskin

In the middle of the day, it can be hot on the dry lake bed and the heat creates mirages and a heat haze. Early in the morning or late in the afternoon is much cooler. In the afternoon there is the possibility of cumulus cloud formations and the sun setting to add drama and vibrancy to the images.

“To me, the rumbles in elephants are like speech in humans—that’s where a lot of the really interesting stuff is going on. Elephants call each other by name. They grieve. They remember. They communicate across distances in frequencies we are only beginning to hear.” ~ Dr Joyce Poole

The family elephant herds stay close together as they cross the dry lake bed, especially when they approach the fringes of the lake where predators often lie in the tall grasses in wait for the unwary.

One of the advantages of being on the Elewana Tortilis concession is that we could get out of the vehicle to lie on our bellies to improve the perspective. When the setting sun paints the sky above clouds with yellows, apricots and oranges it makes the photography even more enticing.

“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountains and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach us more than we can ever learn from books.” ~ John Lubbock

Photographing in Amboseli in the afternoon especially with a wide angle lens helps to convey the openness and the big skies.

The eastern part of the park is much busier from a tourist numbers perspective. We found the western side much quieter and more productive. Without the crowds of tourists and their guides driving them madly from one sighting to the next we could sit quietly and let the animal behaviour quietly and naturally unfold.

“Nature rewards patience more than speed. In the bush, success is not rushed — it is earned through observation, discipline, and deep respect for the environment and wildlife. Every moment in the field is a lesson in timing, awareness, and restraint.” ~ Chris Nortje

It does seem that one would need to be based on the eastern side of the park to improve your chances of seeing one of the “Big Tuskers” as they seem to spend quite a bit of time feeding in the concessions just outside the eastern part of the park. Beyond the eastern concessions are corridors down Tsavo West and the Chyulu Hills. Many of Amboseli’s adult males are known to travel out of Amboseli National Park into cross-border bull areas like the Enduimet Wildlife Management Area in Tanzania, where they forage and find sustenance.

“Travel while you are fit and able. Don’t worry about the money, just make it work. Experience and the memories it creates are far more valuable than money will ever be.” ~ Unknown

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike