Elephant interaction

Many guests purport the elephant interaction opportunity offered at Kapama to be life-changing. This activity takes place between the morning and afternoon game drives and is scheduled after breakfast. After the experience, you will be returned to your lodge in time for lunch and a little relaxation, before high tea and the afternoon game drive.

To meet and interact with Kapama’s elephants, your ranger will drive you to a specifically designated location in the bush, where the reserve’s 16 habituated elephants will be browsing in the wild. The elephant herd ranges in age from calves to mature adults of over 30 years.

After a brief introduction to elephant life, some members of the herd will be brought forward for you to meet. Always accompanied by their handlers, the elephants are relaxed and there is the opportunity to get extremely close to them. You can feed them and touch them and watch their herd dynamics, as the younger elephants play under the watchful eye of the adults.

There’s plenty of opportunity for photographs during the half-hour interaction time, and handlers will provide information on individual elephants and fascinating herd behaviour. Your questions are also welcomed.

At the end of the elephant interaction, you will be driven back to your lodge by a ranger – and the elephants will resume their feeding in the bush.

The cost of a 30-minute elephant interaction is R715 per person, including transfers.

Kapama activities

• Game drives (included in the tarrif)
• Bush walks (included in the tarriff)
• Kapama Wellness Centre
• Elephant-back safari
• Elephant interaction
• Hoedspruit Centre for Endangered Species
• Romantic sleep-out in Kapama Game Reserve
• Photographic safaris
• Hot Air Ballooning