Elephant Plains

Elephant Plains, like Nkorho, is a luxury lodge located in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin. The lodge is situated on the bank of the dry Manyeleti riverbed. The area encompasses clay based plains, broad-leafed, hilly woodland interspersed with dolerite ridges and mature riverine habitats, creating a fantastic diversity of flora and fauna. A natural waterhole is the centrepiece of this region that provides a drinking spot for all the big five, as well as more rare predators such as cheetah and wild dog. Upon hearing the details of this location it didn’t take the Africam team long to see exactly where their new camera would have to be.

Roughly 20 metres from the waterhole is a large Jackalberry tree. Fortunately for us it houses a large branch extending completely parallel to the ground, with nothing between it and the bush. The camera has been mounted underneath this branch providing a perfect vantage point of the waterhole and the surrounding area. In addition, its ability to rotate 360 degrees will give our viewers the ability to observe wildlife in all directions, including from above. Just imagine the sight of the elephants, which this area is famous for, passing UNDERNEATH the camera.

Of course the location of this new camera made for an interesting installation process that took almost a week - the highlight of which was an encounter with a hyaena. The team had elected to stay at the waterhole after dark in order to properly adjust the infrared lights. It wasn’t long before a young hyaena came to investigate what this strange new group was up to. We kept an eye on him while we finished our work, and watched him observe us as he circled the entire area. He eventually lost interest and headed over to the waterhole for a quick drink before departing, and in doing so, provided us with our inaugural sighting on the new camera.

To visit the Elephant Plains website click here