A Ba’aka (pygmy) guide brings me into their forest full of WILD elephants 🇨🇫[S7-E77]

Summary

The video chronicles an exciting wildlife adventure in Central African Republic. The narrator travels through the jungle to reach Dzanga Bai, said to be the best place in the world to see forest elephants. After a journey fraught with car troubles, the payoff is immense - a magical, unforgettable sighting of over 100 wild elephants at the clearing. The narrator is awestruck by the elephants' rumbling, sounds, and footprints surrounding him. Despite past hardships traveling there, this once-in-a-lifetime experience with the endangered forest elephants makes the challenging journey completely worthwhile.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video shows the host's journey to see forest elephants at Dzanga Bai in Central African Republic
• 🐘 Dzanga Bai is considered the best place in the world to see forest elephants in the wild
• 🌿 The forest elephants create and maintain the clearing at Dzanga Bai to access mineral deposits
• 🚗 The host faced vehicle issues getting to Dzanga Bai due to the rough terrain
• 🏍 The host hitched a ride on a motorbike back to the lodge after the car broke down
• 🐘 At Dzanga Bai the host saw over 120 elephants at one time
• 🌳 The forest elephants have smaller ears compared to savanna elephants
• 👣 Elephant footprints can be seen frequently on the trails around the lodge
• 🍽 Local ingredients like mushrooms, pumpkin and breadfruit were served for dinner
• 😊 Seeing the elephants made the challenges faced by the host worthwhile

Q & A

Where is the lodge located that the narrator is staying at?

The lodge is called Sangha Lodge and it is located in the Central African Republic.

What magical place is the narrator going to visit?

The narrator is going to visit Dzanga Bai, which is considered the best place in the world to see forest elephants in the wild.

How many elephants did the narrator see at Dzanga Bai?

The narrator counted over 120 elephants at Dzanga Bai during the visit.

What makes Dzanga Bai a good place for elephants?

The soil at Dzanga Bai is rich in minerals that the elephants need, so they come to dig holes and access the mineral layers.

What happened to the car on the way back from Dzanga Bai?

The car overheated and broke down about 4 km away from the lodge. The narrator had to get a motorcycle ride back.

What kind of elephants live in the forest where the lodge is located?

The forest is home to forest elephants, which are different from savanna elephants and have slightly smaller ears.

What did the narrator eat for dinner at the lodge?

For dinner the narrator had a green papaya salad, mushrooms, local pumpkin, aubergine gratin, breadfruit, and fillet steak.

What did the narrator say made the difficult journey worthwhile?

Seeing the elephants at Dzanga Bai made all the past hardship getting there worthwhile according to the narrator.

How does the rainy season normally end at the lodge?

The owner said the rainy season normally just stops suddenly one day, marking the beginning of the dry season.

What do you do if you encounter an elephant while walking in the forest?

The rangers told the narrator to hide behind a tree if they encounter an elephant while walking in the forest.