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TRAVEL FEATURE - SOUTH AFRICA MARCO GHEZZI & FRANCESCA CALTAGIRONE
SEARCHING FOR FRUIT
We could already glimpse them from afar , over there , dotting the wide clearing with their unique bulk and slow walk , grazing the tastiest grass and shrubs ; they were elephants , fascinating pachyderms that seemed to come from a distant age . They watched us quietly and relaxed , and fortunately they were used to the presence of humans , here , within Knysna Elephant Park , a reserve created to protect pachyderm found orphaned or victimized by violence , which could not return to the wild .
The reserve allows a remarkably close encounter with elephants , which is difficult and risky in the wild . We ’ d stopped a few metres from a group of young males , and we were excited because they had seen our bucket and already knew what was going to happen .
Suddenly a large trunk , capable of breaking a large branch like a twig , reached out greedily to pick out fruits and vegetables from our hand with incredible delicacy . We really were feeding elephants ! It was incredible because these , as the rangers reminded us , are nondomesticated animals . Now that we were " friends ," we could get even closer , even pet them , and then walk together , side by side . A unique and unforgettable experience !
This was just one of great emotions we ’ d experienced exploring the Western and Eastern Cape , two beautiful and attractive South African provinces . We ’ d gone from the beautiful coastal landscapes , dominated by the ocean and endless beaches to the more desert-like , wild , and typically " African " environments of the interior territories . Here we ’ d visited pretty seaside towns but also lonely remote villages that looked like the last outposts of the savannah . Then reserves and national parks allowed us to discover unspoiled nature and
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