The campground lights the waterhole -- an extraordinary place. The floodlights imbue a yellow hue that pools out to the vastness of the savanna. The yellow hue is overwhelmed every few seconds by the brilliant cuts of lighting across the night sky, as storm makes it way steadily our direction. The burst of light reflects in the waterhole in a color that is transcendent.
Back to the the Rhino, who makes his way to waters edge and take a short drink, reflected perfectly in the still water. I am barely breathing and my heart rate has sped up, this is one of the coolest experiences we have had during our trip. After a drink, the rhino ambles around, casually grazing on the plants along the ground. Up close in this setting, the animal is unbelievably massive, long, powerful and primordial. It is easy to picture a rhinos roaming the same land as a triceratops. With the calm of night, the stillness of the waterhole and the approaching storm as nature's fireworks, Mu and i don't talk for ages, totally absorbed in the wonder of this rare and massive wild animal in its natural environment.
Etosha National Park is one of the largest parks in Africa and home to a menagerie of animals. In the middle of the park sits Etosha Pan, a massive 5,000 square kilometer salt bed, which has been a seasonal oasis to many migratory birds and animals and is the keystone of the protected area. This is one of the jewels for preserving open space in the entire continent and it is one of the only parks where our overland truck can enter. As a result, we game drove over two days in the park aboard our rolling home, quite a contrast to the rinky dink 4x4 Land cruisers, hi-luxes and land rovers that are de rigor here. Since safaris can get quite pricey, well over a hundred bucks a day, this is a wonderful situation for the entire group. Free safari!
 |
| Our lux safari rig |
Animals we will see over the two days include black rhinos, white rhinos, lions, hundreds of flamingos, giraffes having intercourse, elephants, zebras, mongoose, suricate, at least six species of entelopes, jackals, hyaenas and dozens of types of birds, including a peregrine falcon. Beyond the night viewing of the white rhino, two other animals stand out.- 23,935 square kilometers
- 144 mammal species the park
- 3,551 kilometers of roads
- 850 kilometer perimeter fence
- 86 waterholes
- Over 200 hundred black rhinos, largest concentration in the world
- Game Driving Day 1 Highlight - Black Rhino
We have to head back and have not seen anything that we did not see in the morning, even though the temperature is cooler and as a result better game viewing. Also, all of the gates in the park at the entrances and campsites close promptly at 7:30, and you have ot be inside or incur a stiff fine. Hence we have a hard stop for tonight's game drive.
Then, someone yells out that they see a rhino, and we hit the buzzer to stop the truck. In amongst a few giraffes, there is in fact a rhino, big and seemingly indifferent to anything but the food it is chomping along its meander. As it get closer, we try and determine whether it is a white or black rhino. The black rhinos are solitary, more dangerous, and rarer of the two. They have a square jaw and eat leaves in a fashion similar to elephants, ripping leaves off shrubs with their prehensile mouths as opposed to grazing like a cow. White rhinos are more of communal animal, are also incredibly rare, but have a more passive temperament and are not prone to charging when they feel threatened. We eventually settle on this being the rare black rhino, based primarily on the food it is eating and the shape of its mouth. It gets quite close to the rig and we are so lucky to be in the presence of such a noble animal. Unlike the rhinos, mu and i waled among in Motobos National Park, Zim, this rhino has an intact front horn and that thing looks like it could really pack a punch.
Having such a cool experience together with our friends on the trip is wonderful, a shared bond. There is a palpable sense of energy and an emotion high for the rest of the day, and for good reason, as we have been in the presence of one of the rarest and most endangered animals on earth.
- Game Driving Day 2 Highlight - Lion Pride
It has been an early start, 5:15 am alarm and on the road at 6:15, and the truck shows. People are a bit listless, myself included, starting out the truck and wishing they were still sleeping. That changes in an instant as I spot a lioness and we buzz to stop and check it out. We are in for a treat. There is not one lioness, but rather 5 big, calm hunters and 3 of the most adorable baby cubs. The little cubs are so adorable, romping around with the adults and getting licked majestically to clean their fur.
One of the moms is carrying an antelope head in its jaws, with the horns still attached to the skull. She will spend the next 15 minutes gnawing on the head, but will walk away without a fight when another lioness wants to have a go at the marrow. I am reminded of the fights between our two dogs, Zeus and Brigham, over the favored chew toy of the day, a battle that never resolved as well as these lions worked it out.
A jackal is also trying to get in on the carcass and circles the perimeter of the lions--giving them a wide berth. This was prudent as we saw 2 of the lionness begin to stalk the jackal -- their hindquarters twitching as they got ready to make another kill if the jackal proved too foolhardy.
Suddenly, the heads of all 5 female adults snap to attention, all pointing in the same direction. You can faintly hear the purring moaning rumble of a lion's roar in the distance and the pride quickly gathers the remains of the kill and heads off. It all happens quickly, purposeful but not frantic. As the pride moves off, the jackal scores a bloody 7 inch stump.
Our truck starts and we head down the road -- two massive, healthy and magestic male lions are strolling in our direction. These lions do not appear to have a care in the world, and clearly know they are the top of the food chain in a park where there is no shortage of food. We watch as the lions, who could easily be brothers, stroll within 20 or 30 feet of our overland truck, eventually sniffing around the area where the lionesses were a few minutes ago. They have some work to do if they want to meet up with the pride. Different theories arose whether the lionesses and lions were part of the same pride or whether the male lions were nomadic lions trying to form their own pride by taking lionesses from an existing pride. We eventually carry on, but mu and i never tire or get bored when we are in the presence of these cats on their terms.
The rest of the morning is spent game driving to the other end of the park from where we entered, and we are on to points south in Namibia. Etosha is not a park i knew of before this trip but it certainly is one that i enthusiastically recommend, it has the special vastness that one pictures as emblematic of this continent. And those lit waterholes.
No comments:
Post a Comment