While enjoying a sighting of the Ndzhenga Male Lions resting in the open, a gentle bit of drizzle started to fall. Being a long way from camp, we decided to get going before we got too wet, only to encounter a magical herd of elephants walking straight down the road in front of us. Finding it difficult to pass them on the road, we decided to loop around through the bush and place a GoPro down the road in front of them to get a low-angle shot of them walking right past it.
Knowing very well that the elephants would likely stop to sniff the camera, I didn’t expect them to pick it up and walk off with it! Finally, once we got the camera back, we couldn’t wait to get back to camp and review the incredible footage the GoPro had managed to capture.
Enjoy this Virtual Safari…
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That was pretty cool!
It was such an awesome angle of the elephants.
Hi Sean, It was a very impressive angel of the elephants that you got with your GoPro on the ground. Very rare to se them so close and from that angel!
Luckily it didn’t taste good and they are of course smart animals so they understood that was not for them to eat and you got it back! Thank you for this Virtual Safari!
Thankfully we got the GoPro back, I am sure it was just them being inquisitive. We know that the elephants sense of smell is so good, so they probably couldn’t resist stopping and sniffing it up close.
Hahaha! I’m glad the actual camera didn’t get swallowed, although that could have been interesting. 😳
If that happened I would have had to follow the elephants for a couple of days until it came out the other end.
Fun stuff as usual. Jim
Thanks so much, Jim.
Curiosity got the elephant, or the curious elephant got the GoPro! So funny! The are always so calm, mighty and towering anything else but
big trees, I think the one that got the camera was younger… the matriarch looked as if she got used to that. Very amusing! Fantastic Ndzenga males, top models in the wind.
Curiosity got the elephant indeed. Yes, the one that took the GoPro in the end was a young one.
Very entertaining, Sean – gives a whole new perspective!
It was a whole new perspective, and a different angle to view elephants.
That is incredible thinking Sean, to quickly leap around and place a go pro down. My goodness I thought the one that picked it up would drop it and then tramp on it. Luckily that did not happen. Such lovely upclose foto’s the elephants walking past and each one taking a look at the go pro.
Thankfully, they did not trample it and all that go damaged was the tripod. as a result we got some pretty awesome footage.
Cool video, Sean. I had to laugh about these elephants! Luckily they did not damage it or swallow it….
Elephants are such amazing animals. I would like to know what’s going on in their heads when they encounter us, people and our crazy (probably crazy inter opinion ) gadgets .
I was so relieved that they did not damage the GoPro camera. I also wonder what is going through their minds.
Wow, that is epic footage Sean! Although the gorilla pod was mangled, the go pro survived the bashing remarkably well. Given one of elephants picked it up and pulled it towards its mouth, I was hoping for a mouth view, but we got wrinkled skin and spiky hair instead. This video reminded me of a scene in Out of Africa, with the baboon and the phonograph…..curiosity at its best!
I was hoping for a view into the mouth too but anyway we got a pretty cool clip as a result.
OMG Sean, That was crazy, fun and what a fantastic video you got! Sorry your unit got crunched up, but that’s the price you pay for going for it big time!
Haha, I guess it is the price we pay, but that tripod was so old and I have a new one on the way anyway. The most important thing is that the GoPro camera was still intact.
Sean, You should submit that video to the folks at GoPro! It’s Ellie-proof!
Haha, yes we should send it through to them and see what they have to say.
My favorite anal. Thanks for posting this. Will be looking for them in November.
Elephants are amazing, I am sure you will see a fair few in November.
I can’t share it here but I have a wonderful video that Freddy took from the tracker’s seat (Talley Smith the ranger) 3 of us alone in the vehicle. Watched a breeding he’d for 15 minutes then when they crossed the road in front of us they turned…walked to and around the vehicle. Something I will never forget. Freddy was using one of my cameras that recorded video.
If you want to share it Judy, you can send it to my email, blog@londolozi.co.za. Spending time with elephants is always my favourite.
What a great ad for the durability of GoPro’s.
It is a great ad for GoPro.
Yes!
Fascinating Day in the Life of a Go Pro.
Here in England a well known Naturist called Chris Packham has built a casing for his Go Pro in a hollowed out rock and also another one in an elephant’s dropping which he called his Poo Cam. Before he put it out he would smother it with elephant poo and the elephants then took no notice of it. I think it was in Tanzania. Best wishes Louise
I have heard of Chris Packham and might have actually seen some of his footage I think if I jog my memory. Next time I will be sure to rub it around in some elephant dung beforehand.
That was quite entertaining! Glad your go pro survived. I love all, that really close up footage of their trunks.
I am also so glad that the GoPro survived and that we got some awesome footage.
Wonderful video! My daughter (7.5yo) loved it, they are so playful and curious.
Thank you so much, I am so glad your daughter also loved the video.
That’s insane!
This made me smile. Thanks Sean. A fun idea to try and I hope you’ll keep up the fun!