National Geographic: Flight Over Africa Page #3

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so that's when I do it

by myself to practice it.

Because you don't want

to do it wrong

when you're trying

to show someone.

But the life of a bush pilot

is not all barrel rolls

and stunt flying.

With funds running low

Claytor needs to start looking for

his next paying job.

He decides to

leave Namibia

flying northeast

to Botswana.

Here, he'll visit an old friend

and fellow bush pilot...

Perhaps, with a little luck

he'll also get a line on some work.

Bush pilots everywhere

seem to have an

informal network

for news and information.

In Africa, many are

involved in wildlife

management and conservation,

like Lloyd Wilmot.

Just keep a nook out

for breeding herds

and any sign of

vultures and hyenas.

Wilmot runs a safari camp

in Chobe National Park.

In addition

he uses his plane to help

combat poaching

in the immense refuge

where he is an

honorary game warden.

Today, Claytor has become

along with Wilmot

to track a herd of elephants

just outside the park.

You've a huge herd

underneath you right now.

Roger.

I'm turning to the right.

I want to have another

look at that herd.

Okay,

I'm in on your left.

Now that they've spotted

the elephants from the air

they'll continue the

search on foot tomorrow.

Lloyd Wilmot is one

of the few wildlife experts

who routinely approaches

elephant without the protection

of a vehicle.

He and Clayton will wait

at a watering hole

for a close up view

of the animals.

What do you do if you're

surprised by an elephant?

Is there a trick to

not getting eaten?

There's no

real trick.

The thing is to try and

keep the wind in your favor.

If you

if you can see him

before he sees you

you can figure out

which way the wind's going

and then go down wind

of him and keep clear of him

but in the

ultimate analysis

if you are

confronted

you get to something

like a big tree, like that.

If you can't climb it

you just get behind it

and you have a clot of earth

like a lump over there

or a piece of wood,

and throwing that at them

often turns them and distracts them.

In their sort of terms

of reference

nothing has ever thrown

anything at them

so they get a bit

disconnected

when you actually

throw something at them.

Wow! There is

Notice how they skim

the top of the water

because that's where

it's cleanest and clearest.

The sediment sinks down

and you have about half

half an inch to an inch

of clean water on top.

So they suck

just on the top,

much like you see

them doing now...

you have to look carefully,

the ears are cocked.

Claytor approaches

a bull shoot some video of him

but the large make

has no interest

in posing for the camera.

What did you just do there?

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