In December last year, Fridolin and I had the incredible opportunity to spend several weeks at Kwapa Camp, deep in the heart of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, as part of our Nature Guide training. Surrounded by reed-lined channels, the soft sound of the bush, and endless horizons, every day was a lesson — but nothing captured our hearts quite like the elephants. Everywhere we went, these gentle giants appeared: entire elephant herds crossing the floodplains, bathing in muddy pools, or slowly disappearing into the mopane woodland. And among them, the most enchanting sight of all — the baby elephants. Watching a tiny calf stumble after its mother or bravely squeeze under her belly is something that never fails to make hearts beat faster.
A Classroom on Four Wheels
During our game drives, as we bumped along in the open Jeep, we shared every bit of elephant knowledge we learned with our fellow students. Each sighting turned into a live classroom — with the Delta itself as our teacher. From the biology of elephants to their fascinating social behavior, every observation deepened our respect for these remarkable animals.
The Longest Pregnancy in the Animal Kingdom
Elephant mothers carry their babies for about 22 months — nearly two years! It’s the longest known gestation period of any land mammal. This extended development allows calves to be born strong, with fully developed senses and muscles — ready to stand and follow the herd within minutes of birth.
Birth and the First Steps
The birth of an elephant calf usually takes several hours and often happens during the cooler early morning hours. A newborn weighs around 100 to 120 kilograms (220–260 lbs) and can stand within 10 to 20 minutes after being born. The moment is pure magic: the herd forms a protective circle, the air fills with trumpets of excitement, and the newborn takes its first, wobbly steps into the world.
Growing Up in a Family
Elephants are deeply social animals. A calf is nursed for four to five years, but remains emotionally attached to its mother and herd for much longer. Other females — “aunties” and older sisters — help care for the young in a system known as allomothering. This cooperative care teaches empathy, patience, and community — qualities we humans could easily learn from them.
The Secret of the See-Through Ears
One of the most charming facts we discovered: baby elephants have semi-transparent ears! When they are very young, their ear skin is thin, lightly pigmented, and filled with tiny visible blood vessels. In the morning sunlight, the ears almost glow, letting you glimpse the delicate network beneath. It’s not just cute — it’s functional. Those thin ears help calves regulate their body temperature in the African heat. As they grow, the skin thickens and darkens, and the transparency disappears.So if you ever see sunlight shining through an elephant’s ears, you know it’s still a very young one.
How to Tell a Calf’s Age – Safari Style
Our guides at Kwapa Camp taught us a clever trick: If a baby elephant can still walk under its mother’s belly, it’s less than a year old. It’s a simple but surprisingly accurate way to estimate age in the field — and one that always brings a smile during a game drive.
Lessons from the Delta
Our days in Kwapa Camp taught us that guiding is more than identifying tracks or species — it’s about understanding relationships, both within nature and between beings. From the translucent ears of a newborn calf to the calm wisdom of a matriarch, every elephant we met had something to teach us. And as we sat in the Jeep, sharing these discoveries with our fellow students — the Delta stretching endlessly before us — we realized that learning about elephants is really learning about life itself.
Because once you’ve seen a baby elephant walk under its mother, sunlight glowing through its tiny ears, you understand that some lessons can only be learned in the wild.