The Lost Goat of Machaila

[DJR]

The Invisible Lions of Hwange (Part 2)

The 4 of us drove the short distance to where their vehicle was stuck. It was the darkest night I’ve ever had in Africa and as the noise of the engine died when we stopped, the first thing I heard was the deep UMPH of a lion, suddenly no longer many kilometres away, but, in my imagination at least, much closer, perhaps just behind the dense bush that surrounded us on all sides. The hair on the back of my neck stood up like porcupine quills! The idea of us humans at the top of the food chain suddenly looked very unlikely!

I moved the Landy into position and sent Daniel up the ladder onto the roof rack with the spotlight to light up as much of the surrounding bush as he could, hopefully we’d have enough warning if the lion decided to come looking for a snack! The woman ranger positioned herself a few metres away where she could watch us all, put the magazine back and racked the AK. I was impressed with how she positioned herself strategically! With her back to us she followed Daniels’ spotlight carefully while the other ranger helped me with a torchlight to dig away some sand and attach the shackles and straps of the recovery gear. I never thought I would see the day that I would have a guardian angel armed with AK47, but that night I was delighted with mine! Even so, my hair still perked up at every noise and every shadow my imagination turned into a lion.

With a bit of a roar, a tug and a pull, we managed to get the old Hilux unstuck and onto hard ground.
It was a surprise to me how glad I was that we did NOT find the missing lion we have been searching so hard for!

The thanks were profuse and the shiny white smiles miles wide, but nobody stood around outside for a second longer than absolutely necessary! They went on their way and Daniel and I drove back to our camp where we found Des and David in a total frenzy with worry! What we didn’t realize was that they also missed the woman with the AK47 until the moment that she racked the rifle and we left! They then managed to convince themselves that a poacher had hijacked us and that they were now on their own and stuck without a vehicle in darkest deepest Africa with hungry beasts stalking from all sides! The imagination is a mighty powerful thing! All was well though, we were just in time for dinner to be served and from there on we had an uneventful night. We slept well, but perhaps the extra few whiskeys I had played a role also?

The next morning, before we even had coffee, the same rangers that we helped, came around to thank us again and to guide us to where they had found the lion pride at first light. We followed them past the place where we rescued them the night before and found lion spoor on top of our own tracks from earlier………..but no matter what we did, no matter that they took us into all kinds of little tracks that are closed to the public………the lions were still just as invisible as before!

(We did find a different pride the following day, a hundred eventful kilometres away, but that is another story of unexpected good luck. Perhaps THAT was the payback for the help we gave?)

[Hairy]

Since we are talking about Hwange:

 

Masuma Dam will forever be the "place of the elephant" for us. We set up dinner in the hide at sunset. There were maybe 30 elephant around the water hole........and then more arrived.....and more......by 9pm we counted at least 200! Yes, 200, the closest ones almost at touching distance. So close in fact that you could feel their tummies rumble, not just hear it! The noise and the hustle and bustle was just something out of a spectacular National Geographic documentary.....and we were literally in the middle of it. 

My absolutely most favourite wild creature is the African Elephant, it is something about their eyes that feels like you can look into their soul, and they do the same to you

[DJR]

My absolutely most favourite wild creature is the African Elephant, it is something about their eyes that feels like you can look into their soul, and they do the same to you

Then you'll enjoy the story of how we ended up there, on that night, with those elephant! I'll post it soonish.

[Slowbee]

:clap:

[MphatiPyga]

This thread is awesome! We managed to drown a Fortuna in our group I’m Moremi on the way to one tree island! We, the 2 hiluxes had crossed already and the tuna didn’t make it leaving us stranded on an island with the tuna out of reach of the winch! Luckily the first people we had seen all day arrived on the other side and winched them out. Was rather a nervous crossing after that!

[MphatiPyga]

A bit deep!

[River Rat]

The Invisible Lions of Hwange (Part 2)

The 4 of us drove the short distance to where their vehicle was stuck. It was the darkest night I’ve ever had in Africa and as the noise of the engine died when we stopped, the first thing I heard was the deep UMPH of a lion, suddenly no longer many kilometres away, but, in my imagination at least, much closer, perhaps just behind the dense bush that surrounded us on all sides. The hair on the back of my neck stood up like porcupine quills! The idea of us humans at the top of the food chain suddenly looked very unlikely!

I moved the Landy into position and sent Daniel up the ladder onto the roof rack with the spotlight to light up as much of the surrounding bush as he could, hopefully we’d have enough warning if the lion decided to come looking for a snack! The woman ranger positioned herself a few metres away where she could watch us all, put the magazine back and racked the AK. I was impressed with how she positioned herself strategically! With her back to us she followed Daniels’ spotlight carefully while the other ranger helped me with a torchlight to dig away some sand and attach the shackles and straps of the recovery gear. I never thought I would see the day that I would have a guardian angel armed with AK47, but that night I was delighted with mine! Even so, my hair still perked up at every noise and every shadow my imagination turned into a lion.

With a bit of a roar, a tug and a pull, we managed to get the old Hilux unstuck and onto hard ground.

It was a surprise to me how glad I was that we did NOT find the missing lion we have been searching so hard for!

The thanks were profuse and the shiny white smiles miles wide, but nobody stood around outside for a second longer than absolutely necessary! They went on their way and Daniel and I drove back to our camp where we found Des and David in a total frenzy with worry! What we didn’t realize was that they also missed the woman with the AK47 until the moment that she racked the rifle and we left! They then managed to convince themselves that a poacher had hijacked us and that they were now on their own and stuck without a vehicle in darkest deepest Africa with hungry beasts stalking from all sides! The imagination is a mighty powerful thing! All was well though, we were just in time for dinner to be served and from there on we had an uneventful night. We slept well, but perhaps the extra few whiskeys I had played a role also?

The next morning, before we even had coffee, the same rangers that we helped, came around to thank us again and to guide us to where they had found the lion pride at first light. We followed them past the place where we rescued them the night before and found lion spoor on top of our own tracks from earlier………..but no matter what we did, no matter that they took us into all kinds of little tracks that are closed to the public………the lions were still just as invisible as before!

(We did find a different pride the following day, a hundred eventful kilometres away, but that is another story of unexpected good luck. Perhaps THAT was the payback for the help we gave?)

Nice one!

[DJR]

 Whose tracks are these? They are THE real-difficult-to-find thing you should be looking for in Hwange! Trick question this.

Edited December 4, 2019 by DJR

[River Rat]

 Whose tracks are these? They are THE real-difficult-to-find thing you should be looking for in Hwange! Trick question this.

Those look like wild dog tracks.

[DJR]

Those look like wild dog tracks.

Right you are,   The endurance athletes of the wild........I can imagine them running the Munga

 

Edit: I was expecting someone to fall for the "lion" primer, but of course their tracks are four times the size.

Edited December 4, 2019 by DJR

[River Rat]

Right you are,   The endurance athletes of the wild........I can imagine them running the Munga

 

Edit: I was expecting someone to fall for the "lion" primer, but of course their tracks are four times the size.

Size and the fact that they lacked the triple loops on the back pad that all cat tracks have.

 

Sorry my son is a level 3 tracker and we've just spent 10 days in Gonarezhou with him where we actually witnessed a wild dog kill. I was rather primed for this one.

[Slowbee]

Size and the fact that they lacked the triple loops on the back pad that all cat tracks have.

 

Sorry my son is a level 3 tracker and we've just spent 10 days in Gonarezhou with him where we actually witnessed a wild dog kill. I was rather primed for this one.

I dont like this thread anymore

[HeyYou]

My absolutely most favourite wild creature is the African Elephant, it is something about their eyes that feels like you can look into their soul, and they do the same to you

Elephants and killer whales!

 

If you've ever looked into the eyes of a killer whale, it's the same feeling. There's something there, some understanding, some kind of recognition.

 

I know we're not alone in the universe, we're just too dumb to see our fellow travelers.

[DJR]

For Hairy.

Picture from somewhere in Kruger. I always find it amazing how fast elephant can move. Not running, just strolling along, before you know it, they are over the horizon without them ever having looked like they were in a hurry. The way they look after the little ones is another thing I love about them.

Edited December 6, 2019 by DJR

[DJR]

Another Kruger picture. I'm a little nervous looking these big grumpy old bulls in the eye. I think they see a pancake when they look at me.

 

This one had its own personal Drongo that followed it around. The Drongo sat quietly perched nearby and as the bull disturbed insects with his grazing, the bird swooped and got a juicy meal. 

Edited December 6, 2019 by DJR

[sawystertrance]

Amazing how clever those birds are. Honeyguides too. Mutualism...

Great photo. That ele looks very content.