There are a few animals that eager safari-goers can spot in high places like trees and buildings, but most elephants aren’t typically up on the roofs of buildings for the simple reason that it’s rather difficult for them to get there.
Spotted at the Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge, this elephant clearly had no respect for the long established tradition of elephants staying on the ground,and decided that it was going to live a different kind of lifestyle.
A Cut Above The Rest
Climbing is not something which comes naturally to elephants. Their large size and weight makes it difficult for them to move nimbly, and the range of motion in their legs doesn’t lend itself well to scaling steep surfaces.
This would suggest that there was some kind of slope leading up to the roof which the elephant had taken full advantage of to get up there. Due to the thickness of that roof, the designer might have had this in mind.
It’s not clear exactly how the largest land animal on the planet managed to get up onto this roof, but the slow and casual air with which it walked along suggested that this likely wasn’t the first time for it to be there.
Thankfully the sturdy construction of the building meant that it appeared to be completely secure, and there was minimal risk to the animal. This meant the elephant didn’t have to worry about falling, and could focus on its mission instead.
An Animal With A Purpose
Although how the elephant managed to get up on the roof of the building is unknown, the motivation for it to make such a journey became clear very quickly.
It moved across the roof with the habitual slowness common to all relaxed elephants as it made its way towards a tree that had grown near the side of the building.
This tree had grown tall enough that even with the assistance of its trunk, it’s unlikely the elephant would have been able to reach any of the leaves from the ground, and it appeared to be the sole reason that the elephant had decided to make the climb.
It stood at the very edge of the building’s roof, looking out at the rather impressive view as it used its trunk to snatch some tasty food from the tree and eat it.
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A Once In A Lifetime Sighting
There are likely very few people on the planet that can honestly say that they’ve witnessed an elephant walking along the roof of a building, but now this lucky safari-goer is one of them.
Spotting one of the big five on safari is typically enough cause for celebration in itself, but seeing one of these animals in such an unexpected place as this made the occasion even more special.
The elephant itself displayed no sign that it was aware of the strangeness of its actions, being solely focused on eating the leaves on the tree, making this a true case of seeing is believing.