Close encounter of a very special kind

In my previous blog I promised to tell you a true and wonderful experience I had with wild elephants. I would like to share the story of this wonderful encounter.
It was late in 2009 when I accompanied a group of Belgium tourists in one of South Africa's East Coast Private Game Parks. We had a very successful morning and we spotted a great variety of wildlife, yet the group where not satisfied until they had the opportunity to see elephants. we finally found a small breeding herd having a bath in a bushy gorge with very limited view of the elephants.  We managed to take a photo or two but with little success.  Our nature guide did not need much persuasion to try the other side of the river for a better view. This led to our amazing encounter with these spectacular beasts. Our Jeep followed the narrow path through the river, and as we started to drive out our route was blocked by a big female with a very young baby as well as a sub adult bull of about 8 years of age. Our Guide stopped, and started to retreat, because forward would have been foolhardy. Our retreat was suddenly blocked by the rest of the herd, what followed was truly an amazing experience.
Our Guide stopped as near as possible to the side of the road so as to leave some form of passage for the oncoming elephant and her young. he gave strict orders that no sound not even the click of a camera were to be made. He then started to talk in a very soft tone to the elephant and with his hand he slowly beckoned her to come past the stationary jeep. At first she showed that she was not happy to have us blocking her way, but the soft voice of the guide kept on calling her to pass us.
She nudged her very young baby and the little fellow came past us within touching distance, unbelievable, we barely had time to breathe when she herself came down the pathway, only to pass us so close that I could marvel at her beautiful eyelashes and the teak coloured eye that looked at me during her stroll past the Jeep. the young bull was a different story, with a special warning to keep still we waited for him to leave or pass the jeep. After what seemed like centuries that have passed he came past us and then just to show who is boss, the young bull broke a thick branch from a tree directly behind our jeep.
That was a encounter of a very special kind, and it also proved that wild animals can and will coexist with humans provided we grant them the respect that they deserve.