Flushing Egrets-Elephant Calf

One of the greatest field trips I ever did was a ride on the back of an African elephant in the Okavango delta in Botswana. People who say that one cannot ride an African elephant are wrong. I did it! An American working with three African elephants in a circus. Dream of bringing those magnificent animals back to their native continent Africa. He could realize his dream, and the three elephants now walk through the jungle with people on their back much more interesting than doing stupid things in a circus.
In the Kruger Park in South Africa they have to kill an amount of elephants every year to save habitats for the other animals. The babies go to zoos or to other places, like our safari man. He had seven. He had seven 3 year old youngsters and they accompanied the three professionals to learn the job. So, we always were surrounded by the little ones, and we always had something to see if no other wildlife showed up. That’s the inspiration for this painting. Little elephants, when excited, run with the ears wide open. Like children they want to play with everything, like here chasing the cattle egrets. A more charming scene is difficult to imagine.