July 29

Elephants! So many elephants!                                                                                                                                

                We went on an early morning hike, which felt so familiar. After two hours we finally saw elephants at the water hole below the resort grounds. Two older males were bathing in the pond. We stood for a long time and watched from a respectful distance.

                Back at the resort, after a very British breakfast of toast and tea, I saw two more elephants right behind our dorm room! All that effort over the last two days to find elephants and the elephants have found us!

                It is nice to know that a beautiful resource and a proud symbol like the elephant is being used to help the economy. This is also a nature sanctuary where the elephants appear to be living wild and healthy. Both the economy and the elephants are benefitting from this set up. But again, outside of the park staff, I wonder how much the average Ghanaian knows about elephants and how much these conservation ideas are valued?