African Wildlife
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Band of Brothers
As I write the stories related to the photos, I wonder if I ever felt cold in Africa. Well, I did, just not on this occasion.
It is October in Tanzania, Katavi National Park to be more precise. The heat is pressing, draining all energy and leaving you longing for a refreshing dip in the pool. Unfortunately, there is no pool, though there are tsetse flies. Plenty of tsetse flies to keep you occupied during the quieter parts of the drive. The tsetse flies are so relentless at times that you resort to your fly swat instead of your binoculars or camera. Even so, it is a privilege to be here, and I enjoy every bit of it.
The sightings are insane, and plenty of wildlife is drawn to the freshwater springs, the only water source in the area at this time of year. The drought is at its peak as humidity builds up, leaving you with an even greater longing for the coming rains. The above is the stage we find ourselves in as we drive along the edge of the thicker vegetation surrounding the dry riverbed. There is a sense of anticipation as we round each bend in the road, expecting hunting lions or perhaps a grazing hippo. Only a couple of days before, we got chased by a hippo cow, coming at us at full speed. Driving a converted Suzuki Maruti, we felt outweighed by the hippo and made for a quick exit. Perhaps not surprising, but our adrenaline levels soared up high.
On this drive, however, we found two big male lions lying in the shade. The heat must have been even more pressing with their thick, long manes insulating their necks and chests. Here they were, the reigning kings of the area. Laying side by side, their heads and paws touching one another. A tranquil and even endearing scene as they lay there, vulnerable and exposed.
To me, they are the embodiment of companionship. It is a powerful bond in which you are comfortable with one another, being a solace for one another, as well as able to be vulnerable towards the other.
These lions themselves are a symbol of strength and brute power. But as they lay there, the soles of their paws exposed, they looked vulnerable and frail. Vulnerable towards one another and frail in their place and time in this world.
Photo taken in Katavi National Park – Tanzania.
Accepted by Respect
Temperatures are soaring as the sun continues its arc toward the West. The bush is quiet as the animals await the cooler hours of another African day.
We are out on a boating safari and slowly make our way upstream as two elephant bulls slowly, almost lethargically, make their way down the steep embankment of the mighty Selous River in Tanzania. We steer out of the mainstream and switch off the engine. At the water’s edge, they give us but a glance before they stop, side by side, and suck up the cool water in their trunk. In a slow-motion way, they lift their head and squirt the water in their mouth. Sunlight is dancing off the water droplets falling back into the river. And so they stand, side by side, quenching their thirst until one of the bulls moves forward.
Soon, both males find themselves in the cool river water, turning from side to side to submerge themselves completely. Only the tip of their trunk or a raised bum shows at times as they frolic in the cool water. The water has a positive effect on them as they soon become energetic and boisterous. They start to play fighting, and the clashes of ivory on ivory ring clear across the water. It is astonishing to watch their tremendous strength but also the delicacy of the touch of their trunk. The two elephants lose interest in their game far too soon, and both head back out of the water into the hot midday heat.
As quietly as they appeared, both males vanished into the bush, leaving only wet footprints on the steep embankment. The atmosphere in the boat is electric after this unexpected gift of Nature. We head further upstream and, once more, glance over to the steep embankment, wondering if it had happened at all.
Photo taken on the Rufiji River in Selous Game Reserve – Tanzania.
Life Lessons
This Von der Decken Hornbill probably was caught off-guard as a summer rain shower rolled in.
We continued our drive after the passing of the rain and spotted this bird in a dread tree. His one wing stretched out to dry in the midday sun. It almost seemed like he was giving us directions.
Hornbills, in general, have interesting breeding habits. During the nesting period, the female is solemnly dependent on the male for her survival. After finding a suitable nesting site, the male and female start sealing the entrance to the nest together. As soon as the nest opening gets too narrow for the female to pass through, she will enter the nest and help seal the entrance from the inside. Only a narrow slit will be left open for the male to carry food in and the female to pass droppings through. Once sealed in, she will molt her flight feathers and use them as nesting material. She will break open the nest with her bill to free herself and her chicks once the chicks are ready to fledge. The first time the chicks spread their wings, is when they take flight from the nest opening. The male and female unitedly will fend for their chicks until the chicks go their separate ways.
Life is hard, and it does not always go this way. I once saw a juvenile African Harrier Hawk sitting on a branch of a dead tree. A male hornbill was mobbing the large bird of prey, in an attempt to scare it off. To no avail, as the hawk deliberately made its way to the trunk of the dead tree. Only then did we discover the sealed entrance to the nest, and we understood the calamity of the situation. The efforts of the male became more desperate as the hawk’s talons tried to enter the nest.
The breeding habits of hornbills can teach us valuable lessons, I believe. To see them work together to achieve a communal goal is a blessing. They share and divide responsibilities while ‘acknowledging’ each other’s qualities. Throughout the whole process, they focus on the task ahead and the well-being of the other.
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa
Ruaha Elephant
Long white thorns line the branches of many different tree species in Africa. I have been so unfortunate to step on such a branch while wearing flip-flops.
Elephants had wandered through the camp, and being elephants, they left enough evidence. Unfortunately, I was not paying attention to the discarded branches lying around. The thorn went straight through my flip-flop and ended up embedded nicely in the sole of my foot. It sat there as if it were quite comfortable, with no intent of leaving anytime soon. I yanked it hard to dislodge the thorn before I could continue with a sore foot. Imagine what it would do to your hands if you were to break off a branch without gloves.
Elephants, however, have no difficulty tearing off a branch with their trunk and then seemingly, without any pain, consume that branch with leaves and thorns attached. After effortlessly pulling off a tree branch, I have seen elephants putting the thick branch end in their mouth. They then wrap their trunk around the base of the tree branch that sticks out their mouth and carefully pull away from their mouth. In this way, all the thorns align away from the mouth. Their teeth function as grinding blocks when they slowly work the branch into their mouth and out the other side. The tree branch leaves the mouth stripped of bark, thorns, and leaves. It is truly a fascinating and mesmerising sight, time and time again. During moments like these, when you take time to observe, you will get in awe and longing for more.
The elephants drop the stripped branch onto the ground, and the process starts again. In some instances, they only eat part of the branches this way. One of these torn-off branches caught me unaware and pinned me to the ground.
Photo of the elephant taken in Ruaha National Park – Tanzania.
* I painstakingly set the elephant and branch free and placed it in another picture.
Background photo taken near Satara in Kruger National Park – South Africa.
Without pretence
It has been a hot day in the African bush. The heat is lingering in the air, although the sun has already dropped behind the horizon.
We sit with the pride of lions as they slowly wake up. They have spent their day sleeping and sleeping some more. The lions now start to lick their paws and stretch their lean bodies as we spot the occasional yawn. This is the routine of lions waking up and getting ready to move off.
Only a small distance away, some buffalo bulls are unaware of the imminent danger they find themselves in. With the wind in favour of the lions, their scent and sound drift towards the pride of lions. Without any hurry, the lions disappear into the darkness of the night in the direction of the unfortunate buffalos.
The time has come for us to have our dinner, and we start the vehicle.
Though dinner is not on our minds and so we slowly follow the last lioness into the darkness. Only after a few minutes is the night packed with action and chaos. The thunder of fleeing hooves breaks the silence. Our spotlight illuminates glimpses of lionesses running in different directions. The air fills with dust as we try to grasp what is happening. A lioness is captured in our light while heading in a specific direction, and we follow suit. It’s not easy navigating a vehicle off-road in the darkness of the night at some speed. Our tracker uses his spotlight to show the safe route ahead, show me where hidden dangers are while keeping an eye open for the lioness. We round a bush, and I hit the brakes as we stare directly into the eyes of a male lion. The buffalo utters a last, long stretched bellow before the lion gets a better hold on his throat.
Sightings like this are intense and take you right back to yourself. In moments like these, all masks we might put on crumble. We sit in silence and watch as life fades from the eyes of the buffalo. Some of us are in tears, but all of us with our senses wide awake. With tingling skin and hairs standing on end, we witness the unfolding scene. That night, through death, once more, life flourishes.
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa.
Without a Word
The pressing heat has made way for lower temperatures and higher humidity. The dust has settled, and yellows and browns have made way for vibrant colours.
The time of need is over, and the rainy season is in full swing. Insects, frogs, and migratory birds have once again made their appearance. Their songs and sounds fill the atmosphere, and the bush has come to life. The vibrant green color of new grasses and trees is almost too much for the eyes after months of monotony. It is a welcome sight and an exciting time in the bush.
Flashes of orange dart through the air, and form a stark contrast with the green bush. The African monarch butterfly, with its orange color and black and white wingtips, is readily recognised. There is no effort needed in spotting these beautiful creatures. That goes for us, but so too for potential predators. Being a tasty morsel with flashing colours is asking for problems. In this case, though, the colours serve an important function. In the animal world, contrasting colours like orange and black or black and white serve as a warning. Aposematic coloration serves as a warning to potential predators against foul taste, poison, or even danger. As if to say: “Leave me alone or else….”. Many insects carry these warning signals, as do some frogs and even some large rodents like porcupines.
The rain and abundance of food have dispersed the larger animals. With the larger animals having moved off the stage, the smaller animals of the bush step into the spotlight. We stop and enjoy their fluttering flight in search of nectar. They land on a flower to drink quickly before heading to the next flower. African monarch butterflies are indeed poisonous. The females will lay their eggs on an African milkweed plant. As the caterpillars eat from the leaves, they store the toxin from the milkweed in their body, which is still present in the adult butterfly.
Time, patience, and perseverance are the ingredients to get a decent photo of these beauties. One of the butterflies gives me just enough time as if granting me the privilege of capturing its beauty. Shortly after, they flutter away, leaving us with a smile.
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa.
Unwinding
The time of abundance has arrived. Grasses stand tall with bobbing heads, their culms heavy with seeds. Abundant rain, in combination with sunlight, makes for perfect growing conditions.
This particular morning, temperatures soared despite the cloud cover. We could hardly discover any tracks on the damp dirt roads. Due to the abundance of drinking water in the bush, most herbivores had dispersed. With them, the predators had been hard to find. Their soft paws hardly left any tracks to follow and the lush bush swallowing up their lean bodies in the blink of an eye.
This time, we found an old ‘dagga boy’ ruminating in the thick mud of a wallow. An old male buffalo is often referred to as a ‘dagga boy’. This expression has its roots in African languages, where madhaka and udaka mean ‘mud’. These old bulls tend to lie up in mud wallows for prolonged periods. The expression ‘dagga boy’ also implies a grumpy, old, and unpredictable buffalo bull. Coming across a dagga boy during a walking safari is synonymous with a higher heart rate.
We sat with him for some time, watching him from the safety and comfort of the vehicle. A contently ruminating buffalo bull, lying up in cool, muddy water. Can there be a more relaxing companion to be with? After some time, for unknown reasons, the old bull got up and slowly disappeared into the tall grasses. He gave us enough time to get a photo of his disappearing behind.
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa.
From a Different Angle
Wrinkles and loose skin seemingly make up most of the exterior of an elephant. When you watch closely, there is more than meets the eye. Although it looks thick, the skin of an elephant is sensitive too.
The summer is a time of abundance, although it holds some challenges. The sun beats down on the earth, evaporating the water in the top layers of the soil. The air fills with moisture, and cooling down becomes a problem. The heat and humidity bring out all sorts of spiders, scorpions, and insects. Life, in general, is flourishing, but with that are ticks and blood-sucking flies. The relentless sun, flies, and ticks are challenging for the elephants. With the challenge, Nature also provides the solution. For the elephants, this comes in the form of madhaka! This word comes from a local language, which means mud. Taking a mud bath cools the elephants down and forms a protective layer against the sun, insects, and ticks. The drying mud cools them down even further, and once the mud is dried up, it will form a protective layer on the elephant’s skin.
Elephants at a mud wallow exude an atmosphere of joy, assuredness, and calmness. The elephant will suck up the muddy water in its trunk and spray it behind its ears. Or an elephant will take up mud in the fold of its trunk before tossing it over its head and onto its back. At times, with a flick of the trunk, the elephant will fling the mud against its belly. During most of this time, elephants slowly swing their tail from left to right. A steep riverbank next to the wallow allows for even more activity, to the enjoyment of the elephant and onlookers.
Sightings like these help me slow down, unwind, and help me start noticing details I have not registered before. It does bring me closer to myself and puts life into a different perspective than the one we live in. An elephant at a waterhole or mud- wallow has no packed agenda of things still to do. The elephant is there, in the moment, content with itself and its surroundings. Finally, when the time has come, it will continue its path. The elephant will walk off, with slow but deliberate steps, and vanish into the bush.
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa.
In the Moment
It is March, and the rainy season slowly makes way for the dry winter months. The rains have been sufficient for the grasses, and they are now reaching for the sky with halms full of seeds. In this area, the red grass (Themeda triandra) has shot up high and gracefully bowed in the wind. Seeing the grassland move like a single organism is a mesmerising sight. It is as if all the grasses are working together to perform a choreographed dance.
We were driving through the moment where wind and grasses interacted until we stopped. We took time to slow down, to stand still, and let Nature direct the play. We were now in the moment where wind and grasses interacted. It is at times like this that things become more clear, and more in focus.
It took some time before we even noticed her. But in amongst the red grass, a small antelope stood there, motionless. Half obscured by the tall Red grass, a female steenbok carefully observed us, her big ears turned towards us. Every once in a while she turns one ear away from us, picking up distant sounds of interest and importance before turning her ear back at us. She just stood watching us, in a moment together, until it was her time. She cautiously tiptoed back into the tall grasses, closing behind her like a curtain.
What a blessing to have experienced what we just did. Imagine we would have moved through this moment and missed the moment altogether.
How many moments do we miss due to being ‘on the move’?
We were in the moment on this occasion, and Nature gifted us with a little gem.
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa.
Impala Portrait
They have big black eyes with long eyelashes, large black-tipped ears, a slender neck and body, black stripes on their bum with a white belly and orange back.
We see them often as they are prolific and thrive in ecotones. Impalas are mixed feeders, able to browse and graze, and therefore have more food available than antelopes that only browse or graze. Because they are so prolific, people often take them for granted. What a sad fact, while these slender, gracious antelopes are truly interesting to watch and a delight for the eye.
About five months prior, this young male, with many more lambs’ greeted the world. Impala lambing season is around October, coinciding with the approach of the rainy season. In a matter of weeks, the bush is teeming with impala lambs. With their long legs, tiny bodies, and big ears, they look cute but oddly out of proportion.
I once have been blessed to witness the birth of an impala. Shortly after birth, the lamb tried to get onto his long, stilt-like legs. Still having no control over his legs, they gave way underneath him. It wasn’t long before his legs would hold out, and now his body unsteadily rocked from front to back. The lamb’s next step was to learn to control his legs and let them work together. It was an endearing sight as we were all rooting for the tiny lamb. In a matter of minutes, the legs started listening to the brain, and the lamb was walking through the green grass shoots. He lifts its hooves high off the ground as if afraid to trip over something. With her lamb on its feet, she let him suckle before leaving the area of its birth.
Many young lambs don’t make it to adulthood. I have seen a female leopard take out two calves in about thirty minutes. She stashed her first prey, to return to it later, and continued hunting. As the mother and newborn lamb walked away, I wondered if it would survive the first few weeks of its life.
Photo taken in Kruger National Park – South Africa.
A Secure Place
Leopards, like humans, have different characters. During our life, we develop skills that are part of our behaviour.
This seasoned leopard was known as ‘Sandriver’ and roamed the Southern parts of the Sabi Sands Reserve in South Africa. We got to ‘know’ him as a calm leopard, steering away from disputes with other males. One of his skills that set him apart from other leopards’, was his ability to catch burrowing prey. He had the patience and stamina to dig into burrows of warthogs and porcupines and overpower them underground. He would then take his quarry up in a tree for safety. Here ‘Sandriver’ was out of reach from the ever-present opportunistic hyenas, always keen on a free meal.
It was dusk and daylight fading fast as we entered the sighting with ‘Sandriver’ high up in a Marula tree. Wedged up high, in a fork of a Marula tree, hung the porcupine on which he was feeding. We watched him silently as he carefully moved away from the sharp end of the porcupine’s quills.
A porcupine will protect itself by turning its bum, and thus its quills, towards danger. The sharp quills are a formidable defense and give the porcupine a chance to escape predators. Quite often, during a porcupine hunt, some quills will get lodged in the paws, chest, neck, or head of the predator. ‘Sandriver’ had done well, as he got off unscathed.
Porcupines are nocturnal and sleep underground during the daytime. We assumed that ‘Sandriver’ had dug out this porcupine earlier that afternoon from its burrow.
He now took a break from feeding and casually made his way down the tree towards the lower branches of the Marula tree. Eric, our tracker, had turned on his spotlight, illuminating this beautiful cat. It was as if ‘Sandriver’ was posing for us as I took this photo. I love the contrast of the black tree silhouette, the dark blue sky, and the brightly colored leopard. This photo, to me, captures the essence of ‘Sandriver’ in his elements. He exudes calmness and confidence in the place he knows he belongs.
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa
Hidden Depths
This photo is indeed an edited version. Although a far cry from reality, this photo still depicts a wild lion resting in the shade during the hotter hours of the day.
During November the days are already hot shortly after sunrise. The chances you find lions sleeping are increasing as the day grows older. Although the sun had made its way up into the sky, this male still looked wide awake as we stood there.
The big difference between a photo of a captive lion and a wild lion is the scarring on their face, particularly their nose. Wild male lions have to fend for themselves as young as 2-3 years of age. They then leave their family and their territory to start their own life. Most males die before they reach maturity, and only a fraction will one day rule a pride. In the years in between, they hunt for themselves and need to fight off other males defending their territory. As said, many die on the road to adulthood.
Territorial males with a pride of lionesses are the strongest and have been through a lot during their time as bachelors. These pride males are excellent hunters and far from lazy, contrary to popular belief. They need to patrol their territory regularly to ward off any intruding males. During their patrols, they hunt for themselves before they re-join their pride.
You could see them as CEOs, having earned their stripes and having gained privileges. Securing a territory and providing safety is paid with the lion’s share of a kill.
These eyes are not just the eyes of a lion. These eyes are the eyes of a warrior.
Photo taken in Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa.
I turned the original photo into black and white and gave the eyes their blue color.
Visualizing the Unseen
A photo out of focus is like a flashy car covered in bird droppings. Unless, of course, it does emphasise the message.
Working in low light conditions comes with extra challenges, especially when your subject is moving. Besides the challenges, it gives unique opportunities. One of these opportunities is to create photos that capture the motion of animals. The blurry stripes and lines depict the speed and direction of the different body parts.
The light was fading fast when I took this photo. We were heading back to the lodge from an afternoon game drive. Here in Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania, you are only permitted to be out on drive until sunset. We were almost back at Rufiji River Camp when a few impalas came trotting past our vehicle. The fading light and running impalas were the perfect conditions to create a blurry shot and capture the motion of an animal on the move.
It does look simple, but quite a few factors contribute to the success of a blurred photo. Take changing light conditions into account, as well as the speed of your subject, and distance from you. At that very moment, you might need to adjust the camera settings like ISO, diaphragm, focal length, or even the shutter speed. To say it differently, if the shutter speed is too fast for the speed of your subject, the blurring will not be sufficient. With a slow shutter speed and a fast-moving subject, the burring will be too great, and valuable details will be lost.
The best I could do was to prepare my camera settings in anticipation of moving animals in the given light conditions and alter these settings during the shooting if I had a chance. It took me quite a few afternoons in which I did not have the ideal settings, or we never came across fast-moving animals. Finally, my perseverance paid off, and I captured the photo I envisioned.
Photo taken at Selous Game Reserve – Tanzania.
Life Giving Water
Having left his mother’s territory he was more than just alone. He was alone, in a foreign country, and passing through the territory of mature males. Territorial males do not tolerate any other male competition in their domain and will fiercely defend their turf.
Only a few males survive their youth and adolescence to become territory owners. This young male sure had the looks, although he was more slender than the dominant males in the area. We learned that he came from the Northern parts of the Sabi Sands and was named Nyaleti, meaning ‘Star’.
As a guide, one of the objectives is to see the animals in their natural habitat behaving naturally. The placement of the vehicle is crucial to achieve this. Knowing the behavioural patterns of animals helps to anticipate the movements of animals. It is still a draw of luck as you position the vehicle before the arrival of an animal.
In this case, we knew a waterhole was in the general direction Nyaleti was traveling in.
We drove ahead, anticipating he would come to the water for a drink. We switched the vehicle off and waited silently, although some of my guests were complaining about leaving the leopard. I had not informed them properly. They otherwise would have known that this would make it possible to sit silently and let Nature unfold before our eyes. This way, we gave Nature the space and respect to be and reveal herself as she wishes.
Finally, Nyaleti appeared from the bush. He takes a minute to take in his surroundings before cautiously and gracefully making his way to the water. He glanced at us as a few cameras broke the silence. After having his fill, he got up and disappeared once again.
Nyaleti wandered through the reserve for some time and disappeared again as unexpectedly as he had arrived. I recently found out that he made it into adulthood and became a beautiful and strong male. I am sure of this fact, as leopards can be identified with relative ease by their spots and rosettes. The spot pattern and even placement of the whiskers are unique to each leopard and are identifying features. His torn left ear is another distinctive feature, as only a few leopards have torn ears.
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa.
The Key to Survival
The beautiful young leopard male is named Nyaleti, meaning ‘Star’. He came from the Northern parts of the Sabi Sands and made his way into Sabi Sabi.
For a short period, he roamed the territories of the dominant males in the area. He knew how to keep a low profile and steer clear of the dominant males. We caught up with him, as he was moving through the green grasses. Although it was already getting warm, he was still on the move. Slowly but deliberately, he walked towards the edge of the open area where the grasses gave way to shrubs and trees. One of the large Marula trees overlooked the surrounding bush and up he went.
Elephants are fond of these thornless trees for their fruit, and their branches. Around February the fruits drop to the ground where they ripen from a green to a yellow colour. The thick skin is waxy and covers the white flesh and large, thick-walled stone. The flavour of the fruit can be described as tart, sweet, refreshing, and rich in Vitamin C. During this time, during walking safaris, we often make little detours to check for any ripe fruits, as they are a real treat! As do elephants, which can make for an interesting detour in search of these sought-after fruits.
Nyaleti got up in one of these trees and used a large, lower branch to rest. The green foliage of the tree provided shade but was open enough to keep an eye on the surrounding area. On his elevated spot, he relaxed and put his head down to rest. We settled too and tried to make ourselves comfortable. And so we sat in silence, enjoying the sounds, the silence, and the presence of Nyaleti. Suddenly he lifts his head and watches intently at something in the distance. He must have heard something as he had his eyes closed.
In my years in the bush, I learned how little we see, hear, and understand from Nature. We have distantiated ourselves from our surroundings by adapting our surroundings to ourselves. In today’s world, we see the result of our inadaptability and tendency to make ourselves the center of the universe. How far have we strayed from ourselves by becoming this way?
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa
I turned the original photo into black and white. I created a cutout from the leopard and the branch thereafter. The next step was to isolate the leopard and tree branch from the background, by darkening the background (second photo). Lastly, I created more space to the left by lengthening the tree branch (third photo). The leopard now has more room to ‘look into the photo’.
Everything in Moderation
It is hot! Not just a little hot, but hot, like HOT HOT!
The high humidity worsens the effect of the heat while my energy is leaking away at a staggering rate.
I occupy a room made from large sand-lime bricks, covered with a corrugated iron sheet roof. Makuti mats go over the corrugated iron sheets, made from sundried leaves from the coconut palm. My windows, made from mesh weld panels with mosquito gauze, seal out the insects. During the daytime, the walls absorb the sun’s heat and still radiate heat throughout the night. The mosquito gauze prevents wind from blowing through freely but is a lifesaver with the ever-looming danger of malaria. I sleep on the somewhat cooler cement floor to combat the heat and cover myself with a wet kikoy towel. The evaporating water helps me cool down just a little and allows for a restless sleep. With the break of day, my pillow is wet with sweat, and my body is stiff from my uncomfortable, cement mattress.
Nature longs for the rains to arrive, to finally break the heat and the dry spell. This drought has lasted many months already. I too long for the cooling rain, and the respite it will bring us. The rains are late this year, and the heat is pressing down relentlessly. Thunderclouds are building up to our West, and North. With might and power, they release their life-giving rain, only shortly though, and far away from camp. And so the weeks progress, with hope building as the thunderclouds around us do too. This hope then fades again as the thunderstorms dissipate into the night.
Then, during a hot afternoon, the dry spell is finally broken, and rains arrive in full force. The temperatures drop, and within a matter of days, the brown colours have made way for vibrant greens. It is such a dramatic change that my eyes ‘are sore’ adjusting to so many colours. The rain has brought life back to the bush and cooled down the walls of my room. Besides the bush, the rains have also brought back my energy. I feel alive again and, once again, feel the energy surging through my veins.
Life itself got a soft edge with the arrival of the rain.
Photo taken at Selous Game Reserve – Tanzania
Lion Eyes
Staring into the eyes of a lion always does something to me. Depending on the circumstances, it might make the hair on my neck stand on end, might make me feel small, might make me feel insignificant, or might make me feel blessed. Staring into the eyes of a lion always makes me feel connected to Nature. Every time, it feels like the lion is looking right through me. A lion’s stare is intense and enthralling, but over before you know it.
The core of this wall art piece consists of a photo of the eyes of a male lion, taken in Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa. This male lion sat upright in the shade of some bushes while the temperatures were soaring. It is common for lions to sleep up to 18 hours per day to conserve energy.
We were fortunate to find this lion still wide awake. A gaping wound in his upper lip immediately caught our attention. His upper lip and cheek became distended at the side of the injury. The lesion itself looked painful and probably was due to a territorial battle with another male. Whatever the case, it did not seem to bother him, as did our presence. He just sat there, assured of the importance of being under that bush as he accepted us into his life.
I have composed this art piece intending to convey a feeling of mysteriousness and some fear. As I described above, it always feels like a lion looks right through you. It is often a chilling experience as it is impossible to know what goes on inside their head before they break eye contact and ignore you altogether.
Back to Life
By purchasing this art piece, you help bring a part of history back to life. A way to remember the Bushman and the lessons we can learn from their connection to Nature and their view on life.
Furthermore, by purchasing this piece of art, you directly help the surviving Bushman of Namibia as 10% of the purchase amount will go to the Naankuse Foundation to aid the remaining bushman in the Khomas region of Namibia.
For more info: https://naankuse.com/support-communities/clinic/
The core of this art piece consists of a photo of a rock painting made by the Bushman. In the bottom left corner, the parent bedrock is visible, depicting the head of an elephant. The colorful clouds are part of our modern-day art. The rock paintings, however, were probably made a couple of thousand years ago. The depicted giraffe once wandered the rocky area of what is now known as the Matobo Hills in current Zimbabwe.
The Bushman once roamed freely throughout Southern Africa. These nomadic people were in tune with their surroundings and lived off the land as hunter- gatherers. With the arrival of the Bantu tribes, their range decreased, although they mostly lived in peace with their fellow man. With the arrival of the white man, their fate took a turn for the worse. Their movement got restricted, and at some stage, the Bushman were regarded as fair game to hunt and kill.
Needless to say, these ancient people nearly got wiped out to extinction. And as it goes with many native tribes, the change of times forced them to give up their traditional way of life. They were forced out of the bush, against their own will, and deprived of their culture and spirit.
Sadly, alcohol, for many of them, seems the only way out of their captivity.
Photo of the rock art taken in Matobo Hills – Zimbabwe.
The Insignificantly Small
Do you know the feeling of being content, relaxed, with inner peace and calm? When you know that you are as insignificant as any other human, but more valuable than anything on earth.
I feel this way when I walk in the shade of these giants, straddling the riverbank with their roots. Imagine walking here, in the cool shade on the banks of a meandering river, with the sounds of Nature soothing your mind. A place where generations of elephants have slowly ambled past to pick up fallen fruit and cool themselves in the refreshing water of the river. These giant trees have stood here for centuries, lining the water’s edge, and will do so for coming centuries, if we allow it. I realise my life is but a whisper in the slow, constant, and steady pace of Nature. It is a place where ancient rules govern the land. These are rules that date back to the beginning of Creation. In our modern society, we have replaced these rules with our own rules. We have replaced the horizon with the screens of technical devices. We have altered the meaning of ‘valuable’.
I sometimes need to remind myself to look up, as I did with this Sycamore fig tree. A gnarly trunk with a few holes, flaky bark, broken-off branches, and leafless in some parts. Still, with all her imperfections she is priceless. She provides shade, food, and housing for a myriad of mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, and fish.
Although she is the Queen of trees, her survival as a species depends on a most vulnerable alliance. The tiny fig wasp is the sole pollinator for this giant tree. Even more remarkable is that every fig species has its pollinator species of wasp. This Queen of Trees is a striking image of the quote:
‘No man is an island, entire by itself’ – By John Donne.
How do we value these tiny wasps and Nature in general?
Photo taken in Kruger National Park along the Olifants River – South Africa
Absorbing Essentials
His mother left him about six months prior.
He was still roaming the area of his birth and his parent’s territory. He would soon leave this area and search for his place in the world. But for now, he was still around and slowly strolled through the bush before taking a short moment to relax. The cold winter morning was slowly warming up as we followed him at a distance. His tail held low, although the beautiful white tip was still visible.
No animal or bird made its presence known as he continued further North. The bush was quiet except for the occasional distant and frantic call of a francolin greeting the new day. He found a spot to lie up for a short while. Nothing stirred, and we relaxed as we soaked ourselves in his presence, the quietness and the glow of the rising sun. What can be better than sitting quietly in the thick of the bush in the presence of wildlife?
After some time, he started licking his paws, a clear sign he was about to get active again. He got up and, for a moment, seemed to contemplate his next move. Perhaps he just sat there and enjoyed the warm sunrays. Whatever the case, he seemed indifferent to our presence, and shortly after, he continued his way and disappeared in the thick of the bush. He left us in awe and silence, wondering if this all happened.
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa.
This very leopard was born just outside the Selati camp on the reserve. That is why we referred to him as the Selati male. Male leopards eventually move out of the area of their birth to try and establish a territory of their own. Female cubs often stay in the surrounding area and often ‘confiscate’ a portion of their mothers’ territory, leaving her with an ever-dwindling space the more female offspring she raises.
From Within
A chill went up my spine as the lioness seemed to look straight into my soul. Our eye contact lasted only a few seconds before she ignored me and walked off to the rest of the pride.
I was sitting in an open Landover without a roof or windows. Sitting in the driver seat, I am closest to the ground, with my chest, shoulders, and head sticking out above the car door. Lions often don’t make eye contact and will ignore you altogether. She was only a few meters away when she looked me right in the eyes. There was no confrontation, no intimidation, or aggression in her posture. There was just a moment of eye contact before she moved off. She left me to deal with my thoughts and feelings.
This lioness made me realise what it means: to be who you are supposed to be. This lioness was a lioness in the thick of night, being a lioness. She was without arrogance or ego, just a calm assurance that she was at home in the bush and at home within herself. Through her posture and demeanour, she radiates strength and self-assuredness. This self-assuredness and strength I see in many animals, but I often feel lacking within myself.
She is what she is meant to be, but what is holding me back from living the way God meant me to be?
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa.
Stationary Passerbies
She came out of the thick blackness of the African night. The darkness gave way to the light of the tracker’s spotlight that kept her in its beam. She quietly and determined made her appearance only to walk past and disappear like a ghost.
We were on an afternoon drive, but the sun had dipped behind the horizon long before. During sundowner drinks, we had discussed what we still hoped to find, as the sun sank below the horizon. With the setting sun, the temperature had dropped too. Out came the warm blankets, and quickly wrapped around bare legs. My tracker had taken refuge in his beanie and thick jacket to keep warm, and I followed suit. We were each with our thoughts as we drove through the increasing darkness.
Suddenly, we were looking into the glooming eyes of an approaching lioness. I halted the vehicle at the side of the road and switched the engine off. The night sounds, and silence filled our ears as she approached. We even held our breath for a moment as tension was building with every step she came closer. We heard her paws on the gravel as she walked past. It felt like a moment frozen in time, although she walked past in a matter of seconds.
She veered off the road onto a game path leading into the thick bush. For a moment, the veil of darkness was lifted before she disappeared into the night again. Adrenalin was pumping through our veins, and with her disappearing presence, our tension faded to make place for excitement. I was wondering why she would be out here all by herself. She seemed determined in her stride and sure of her direction. Did she come into our lives, or did we come into hers?
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa.
Everything Matters Most
What is water to us?
Perhaps you have lived in a place where clean drinking water is always a given. Or you might live in an area with plenty of rain and hardly think anything of it. Or perhaps, you know the struggle of too little or too much water.
Either way, water is one of the key components of our life, and combined with sunlight and air, are formidable components that together shape our planet. All three components are lifeless but are essential to life itself. These three components together shape, maintain, and sometimes destroy our lives.
Often, in life, it is the small things that matter most. That is why I find it sad when people are only out there to see the ‘big game’. It is enriching to have a closer look at a big waterdrop balancing on a blade of grass. To me, these are the small things that matter most.
All we experience in the bush is connected through the small ’things’. Not only in the bush, for that matter, but anywhere on earth. Nature is like a spider web, everything links together, and in that way, it acts as a whole. Taking out one little thread will leave a gap in the structure. The absence of that little thread will put a strain on the threads closest to the gap. The whole web will be under stress due to a missing link.
When we only have an eye for the ‘big game’ we lose sight of their place in this ‘web’. It is like looking at a single thread without having an eye for the beauty of the web as a whole. As we do not see the beauty of the web as a whole, we do not understand the function of the different threads in this web, and value them accordingly.
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa
Clueless With Knowledge
With the rains, the animals disperse due to abundant water and food. Taking guests out on safari can be hard work if they specifically look for the larger mammals. It can be even more challenging when they want to focus on the big cats in the area.
During this drive, this was indeed the focus of my guests. The bush is alive with lush green grasses, trees, and shrubs heavy with leaves. During November you have to work harder to find the herbivores and carnivores. We did our best and saw some general game, although far in between. Finally, we saw some impalas as we drove into open grassland. It was something in their behaviour that caught our attention. The impalas moved through the open area, quite nervous. We stopped, switched off the engine, and sat there while observing these impalas.
Sometimes antelopes or giraffes will stare in a specific direction with cocked ears. That is an almost sure sign that they have sight of a predator. In this case, the impalas sensed a predator nearby but did not know its location. We scanned the whole area, or so we thought but had no clue where the predator was. The impalas walked away nervously as we searched the open grassland. We decided that my tracker and I would go on foot to explore. Eric, my tracker, took out his machete, and I took the rifle. And so we walked through the lush grasses while we tried to find whatever should be there. We carefully checked some shrubs, and a fallen tree, and traversed the open area. We decided to get onto an old termite mound for a better view.
As we approached our intended point of elevation, to our surprise, we noticed that we were not the first one up there. Half hidden in the tall grass, a young male leopard was observing our approach, and probably had done the whole time. It is incredible how well these stunning cats can hide themselves, almost in plain sight. Or maybe it is more remarkable to notice how little we observe while watching. We were thrilled to have found a leopard, so we returned to the vehicle for a safer viewing.
Photo taken at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – South Africa.
More to follow soon. Check regularly!
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