Several years ago, Etali Safari Lodge workers found themselves up against a baffling mystery. Each day, one of the resort’s hot tubs lost its water. No leak was found, but the water kept vanishing. Where was the water going? Let’s take a look back at this mystery from 2010.
Resort guests broke the case, offering photos as proof. They caught the moment a local elephant snuck into a fancy safari lodge to drink the hot tub water. Workers filled the tub each morning, and she drained the hot tub by evening.
Troublesome Was Helping Herself to Fresh Water Each Day
Clean, bubbling hot tub water proved too tempting to the fancy safari’s local elephant.
©N K/Shutterstock.com
The elephant was well known to the Etali Safari Lodge’s staff and owner. This local elephant liked to hang around the resort, often getting closer to vehicles than employees liked. They named her Troublesome and kept an eye on her to ensure she didn’t become aggressive.
What they didn’t realize was that she was the reason behind the empty hot tub. The truth was revealed when a guest heard slurping and caught her extended over the rail. She was helping herself to the water from the suite’s open-air hot tub. With staff filling the hot tub with fresh water each day, Troublesome had plenty to quench her thirst.
After plumbers spent hours searching for a leak and workers continually refilled the tub, the truth behind the baffling mystery was quite humorous. The resort owner felt a lot of relief and opted to make sure the local wildlife could access water. Today, the Etali Waterhole sits on the resort’s property, offering water for the reserve’s animals.
How Much Water Does an Elephant Need?
Elephants require up to 59 gallons of water per day, and freshwater sources aren’t always easy to find.
©Udo Kieslich/Shutterstock.com
Elephants weigh between 6,500 to 12,000 pounds (3,000 to 5,400 kilograms) and require up to 59 gallons (225 liters) of water per day. They can drink up to 26 gallons (100 liters) at one time. In hotter months, fresh water becomes hard to find, which is what drew Troublesome to the hot tub.
If an elephant cannot find enough water, she will uproot trees and dig holes to access water below ground level. A freshly filled hot tub is far more appealing than working to find an underground spring.
Where Is Etali Safari Lodge?
Elephants are just one animal at the Madiwe Game Reserve. White rhinos also live here.
©Daniel Mminele/Shutterstock.com
Etali Safari Lodge is located on the Madiwe Game Reserve in South Africa. The resort offers luxury suites set in the small hills of the game reserve. They’re nestled in the bush, so animals come close to the decks where guests enjoy outdoor showers and hot tubs.
Elephants aren’t the only animals that guests may see during a stay at Etali Safari Lodge. These animals all call the reserve home.
During a stay, guests are welcome to arrange a safari excursion through the resort. Expert guides offer walking tours or excursions via the resort’s off-road vehicles. It’s an amazing way to see wildlife up close in their natural habitat. Who knows, you might even get to see Troublesome drinking water from a pool!
The photo featured at the top of this post is © Geoff Gallice, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons – License / Original
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