GABORONE (Reuters) - The scrubby plains of Mokolodi Nature Reserve on the fringes of the Kalahari Desert look a lot like Crawford, Texas, to President George W. Bush (news - web sites) -- except for the mating elephants.
.From the back of a yellow pick-up truck, Bush also saw rhinos, warthogs and two cheetahs pacing about in fenced enclosures during a 90-minute tour -- the White House has been careful not to call it a safari -- of the park on Thursday.
His convoy cruised past a fenced enclosure where two cheetahs paced about restlessly but he did not stop. The big cats were raised from infancy at the reserve and can be petted by guests.
Further down the dusty track, Bush came face to face with a rhinoceros and her calf munching on a bale of hay. Moments later they spotted four elephants surrounded by a gaggle of attendants.
Although the animals appeared to have been pre-positioned, their carnal instincts were beyond official control. After Bush posed for photographs with his hand on a tusk and climbed back into the truck, one of the elephants mounted his mate.
That prompted the president to whisper something to his wife. The first lady responded by slapping him on the leg.
Later, Bush remarked: "It looks a lot like Crawford, doesn't it?" That would be the tiny town in Texas the president calls home where the heat in summer soars past the century mark and the grass is often parched brown from lack of rain. --- Sent from UnionMail Service [http://mail.union.org.za]