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Incredible moment hungry bull elephant clambers onto safari lodge roof to feed from succulent tree

The hungry elephant had managed to get onto the roof of the lodge to reach leaves growing high on a tree: SabiSabiReserve
The hungry elephant had managed to get onto the roof of the lodge to reach leaves growing high on a tree: SabiSabiReserve

Guests enjoying cocktails at a safari camp bar could have been forgiven for thinking they were seeing things – after an elephant clambered onto the roof.

The new arrivals were enjoying welcome drinks at the Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge, on the edge of Kruger National Park, when a ranger pointed out that their first “visitor” had come to say hello.

The hungry bull elephant had managed to get onto the roof of the lodge to reach green leaves on a tree growing at the front.

Management student Magin Govender, 21, said: “It was just totally incredible. Guests were enjoying drinks and sandwiches before the afternoon safari.

“And then this elephant just walked onto our roof and began to feed from the Marula tree. It was up there for about 30 minutes just helping itself to the most succulent leaves.

Guests at the lodge were surprised to see the 'visitor' (SabiSabiReserve)
Guests at the lodge were surprised to see the 'visitor' (SabiSabiReserve)

“All the guests came out to watch it and had a truly remarkable interaction experience.”

Marketing manager Louise Barlow said the lodge was built to form part of the surrounding natural environment and that elephants and lions have been on the roof before.

She said: “The lodge is built into a natural slope of the earth so that it doesn’t detract from the bush and allows the animals roam freely so we do get animals up there.

“We often get wildlife around the lodge itself and elephants come to drink out of the various water sources around Earth Lodge and sometimes they go on the roof.”