Elephant wanders into hotel lobby through the front door

No elephants allowed.

A hotel manager in Zambia says he was surprised when he looked up from his desk and saw an elephant standing in the front lobby. 

Apparently, the large animal had entered the building looking for snacks.

Andy Hogg is the managing director at the Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia. He spoke with Southwest News Service (SWNS) about how a bull elephant recently entered the main lobby through the front door and briefly explored the room.

This isn’t the first time the lodge has had to deal with an elephant snooping around the premises, according to Hogg.

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The large animal was seemingly looking for snacks or other food items.
(TheBushcampCompany/KennedyNews)

“We are careful to make sure we don’t leave any fruit or food behind the counter for when the elephants come in,” he told SWNS. “During the time that the wild mango fruit is in season, we get elephants in the courtyard and in reception several times a day. It generally happens from late October through mid-December.”

Apparently, the elephants are popular with visitors at the lodge.

Andy Hogg, managing director of the lodge, told SWNS that employees know to keep food hidden to prevent the elephants from taking it.
(TheBushcampCompany/KennedyNews)

“Guests love it, as you can imagine, but we are very careful to keep them well back from the elephants and very safe,” Hogg said.

This particular elephant didn’t cause problems and left without any incident.

“He didn’t stick around for too long. He was on his way from the courtyard where he’d been eating wild mangoes before going back to the herd,” Hogg explained. 

“I have seen this happen many times over the years, but it doesn’t make it any less special.”