Good-Bye, Zimbabwe

From Victoria Falls, we take the bus through the Zambezi National Park towards Botswana. The road seems to stretch endlessly straight ahead – which doesn't stop our driver from bringing us to the border at quite a brisk pace. 😅

And then suddenly there’s a giraffe by the roadside. 🦒
However, our speed isn't enough for a photo – by the time the phone is ready, the giraffe has already passed us. 😂

The further we drive, the more we notice the landscape itself. Many trees are damaged, branches broken, trunks stripped of bark, some trees completely toppled. Traces of elephants, as we learn. 🐘 They don't just eat leaves and twigs, but break branches and peel bark – and can thus completely change landscapes. What initially looks like destruction to us is likely part of the natural dynamics of the savannah. However, with a very large elephant population, the impact becomes unmistakable.

Fenced fields keep appearing at the roadside. And suddenly wildlife protection takes on another aspect: For us, elephants are fascinating creatures that must be protected at all costs. For the people who live here, whose fields and crops are directly affected, living alongside them means restrictions and probably very real damage.

And I can't help but think of our discussions at home about a few wolves. The world expects Africa to protect its elephants, lions, and other wildlife – and for the people here to learn to live with them.

That sounds easy to demand from a safe distance.

How much wilderness are we actually willing to endure when it takes place right at our own doorstep? 🤔