Week 4:
The adventure of a lifetime continues and “dangerous game week” did not disappoint. I managed to cut up my feet pretty badly playing soccer and possibly broke a toe but there was no way I was going to miss walking for 9 hours a day in the bush in search of the Big 5. We woke up at 5am as we did most days for coffee and breakfast before heading out in the Land Rover until we found tracks from elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion or leopard.
We immediately found and followed tracks from two white rhinos. The hot sun beat down on us as we remained quiet in a single file line while following the spoor. To our surprise we walked into a black rhino. The wind was in our favor so we grouped together hiding behind a bush and slowly backed off undetected. We continued on our pursuit and found the mom and calf white rhinos we observed earlier resting peacefully in the grass. We decided to have an early lunch that we packed that morning after pushing the Land Rover out of a ditch that Didi managed to get stuck in. While the repair man fixed the broken diesel line we ate and took a quick nap before heading back out for an encounter.
Sometimes silence can be louder than any siren and that’s when it happened. The bush was dead quiet until we heard a branch break and a snort right before a black rhino came charging out at us in a cloud of dust. I didn’t have time to feel the pins and needles or my stomach drop as survival mode kicked in. Holding my ground in that moment was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done but a moment I’ll never forget. I stood there, arms up and yelling just like we were trained to do. It was fight or flight. He came within 10 meters of us before running off to the side of us; a typical warning charge from a black rhino. My heart was pounding out of my chest as I learned the true potential of adrenaline and we backed off.
During the next day of dangerous game we followed lion tracks all while vervet monkeys, blue wildebeest and giraffe ran, walked and stood by us. It was a quiet morning until we headed back to the vehicle for lunch. We didn’t notice right away but there was a herd of over 50 buffalo right behind the Land Rover. A good reminder to never get complacent in the bush. We slowly and quietly made our way along the tree line. The wind was once again in our favor which worked out to our benefit being in the presence of one of the most dangerous and unpredictable animals in Africa. A herd isn’t as dangerous as a lone male but then a lone male walked by. It was unnerving having him walk right by us but he too was luckily unaware of our presence. The herd continued to the water and we safely made it to the vehicle.
Later that day we found the third animal of the Big 5. After following their dung, broken trees, branches and tracks we watched 3 bull elephants eating peacefully. The next morning and last day of dangerous game I woke up to heavy breathing, water splashing and chewing. After getting the nerve to leave my tent I saw that it was from a buffalo. Most likely the same one who has been making frequent visits to our camp. So far we’ve been lucky enough to see three out of the Big 5 but we really wanted to see the lions that we heard roaring that morning. We passed up on fresh elephant dung and tracks in our pursuit. It was a gamble but we took our chances. We used our senses and the direction of the wind while following lion tracks to two lions. The female watched our every move as the male remained calmly laying in the grass as we slowly and quietly walked by. When a lion stares at you it stares into your soul.
What I learned from the animals was patience. What I learned from the bush was respect. And what I learned from South Africa is that this is where I am meant to be.
Amy’s Journey Across the Globe 