Hotel guests amazed as elephant strolled through the reception in search of its favorite food

A hungry elephant has been filmed casually walking into the reception of a hotel in Zambia to reach its favourite fruit tree.

The incredible sight was filmed by Ian Salisbury, 68, a safari guide at Mfuwe Lodge, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia.

The elephant was heading for a Wild Mango (Cordyla africana) tree in the lodge grounds.

Despite an abundance of mango trees in the area, elephants often make the trip through the hotel in the period of October to December in search of one specific tree on the property.

Three generations of a single family of elephants make the yearly trip.

Ian said: 

Even though there are many of these trees in the area to choose from, some elephants have, for many years, laid claim to this particular lodge tree.

Although there are a number of routes to reach the fruiting tree, there is one particular pathway that is favourite- up the entrance steps and straight through the enclosed, reception area of the building, with hardly a care for the lodge's human inhabitants.

The elephants obviously remember from year to year that certain trees provide abundant food at certain times.

Even though I have been watching elephants for forty years, and have seen just about every aspect of their behaviour, I still find the fact, that they will willingly come into such close contact with us, to be quite remarkable.

I think anyone who spends time around elephants appreciates their intelligence and almost human characteristics.

I tend to believe that this particular behaviour, of happily entering the lodge, reinforces the rather unique relationship that exists between elephants and people, especially those that they trust us not to harm them.

This unusual behaviour is something that all our guests want to witness and photograph.