by Sneaking out for a quick call of nature, one camper got the surprise of her life when she came across an elephant drinking out of one of the campsite lavatories in Botswana.
Despite the mess left behind by humans, the tusked ᴛᴏɪʟᴇᴛ drinker appeared unfazed by the interruption and continued taking a few long sips of water from the ᴛᴏɪʟᴇᴛ. It is thought the elephants in the park prefer drinking the water in the loos and showers at the camp because the water in their water hole is deemed too salty.
Leaning over the walls of the open roofed bathroom, the elephants come to drink the loo water during the day and night. Using their lengthy trunks to soak up the ᴛᴏɪʟᴇᴛ water, the elephants shovel the surprisingly refreshing liquid into their open mouths. Once they have had their fill of ᴛᴏɪʟᴇᴛ water, the elephants return to their herd in the ᴡɪʟᴅᴇʀɴᴇss.
Their friendly approach and close interaction with humans means that they don’t feel ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ when approached by a curious tourist. These remarkable pictures were captured by Carina Blofield, who stumbled across the elephant enjoying its unusual choice of re-hydration.
It appears the large ᴍᴀᴍᴍᴀʟs can’t resist sneaking into the lodge and enjoying a good slurp of fresh ᴛᴏɪʟᴇᴛ water. The elephants even try and grab a drink when people are washing their hair in the shower, shocking some unsuspecting tourists. The friendly elephants live in the unfenced park, with their main water hole situated close to the park’s lodge. Situated in north-eastern Botswana, the park is positioned far away from the nearest town, allowing the elephants to enjoy a free run in the ᴡɪʟᴅ.
Carina Blofield said: “The slogan at the campsite is ‘where elephants rule’, and that is definitely the case. They really don’t care if the bathrooms are occupied or not so it can give people quite a fright when a ʜᴜɢᴇ trunk taps them on the shoulder – but it’s a great experience. It’s one of the best experiences you can ask for in the ᴡɪʟᴅ and as close to nature as you’re ever likely to get.”
