Posts Tagged ‘Snake’

Swear I could hear the cats laughing at us, playing there cat and mouse (excuse the pun) laughing and talking amongst them themselves in lion talk, “come try and find us”

Here in the north where grass is as high as an elephant’s eye, ok so not that high but still well above my door, Grass that is covering a few square kilometers, grass that was as high as a man’s shoulder if you were unlucky enough to be walking in the north. And here I was, here I was suppose to find the pride of lions? The guests I had were really keen to see the big cats. Out there somewhere maybe around the next barely-can see-corner was 16 of them.

And as usual, persistence pays, found them lounging in the only open area amongst that tick ridden grass for a kilometer in every direction. Doing what big cats do, try to look like small cuddly cats. Lording it over the plains in that typical “I could give a…” look that lions have. Guest’s happy, tracker happy and I beaming from ear to ear.

This with an afternoon drive with the dogs being back in town. Looks like one or two of the pack are pregnant, watch this space.

The following 3 days had a couple from Belgium on honeymoon, and they not only brought with them, sunscreen and fear of the bush (that fear that says we will be eaten, fear things are out to get you, but we are here anyway, the ranger will protect us, type fear)

Believe me, things are not out here to get you, safer here than most big cities. Animals fear us and our greed more than we need to fear them.

They brought all this and some heavy luggage from Belgium (did they think they needed to bring there entire wardrobe for the African bush?)And they brought luck with them, oodles of luck as we I went about my business of driving around giving an interpretation of the bush and finding the four legs and a heartbeat for the cameras, this we did at a phenomenal rate. We found wildlife sightings like those guys who work at a driving range, find golf balls. Elephants, rhino bulls, buffalo and buffalo herds, impala and zebra enjoying the late season green grass, a journey of giraffe or two and those 16 lions devouring a wildebeest. All that and so much more. Birds coming out of my ears.

Luck was with us, as we found the five most sought after animals (big 5) to see in the bush one after the other, and all of them posing nicely for photographs. Along with all the other of gods creations. Normally I could stretch this over a few days but we bagged up all good sighting on the first days and first morning. This including an elephant encounter on a bushwalk after breakfast. That was a time for rational fear and caution.

Of course know that we had see most on the first time to Africa honeymooners list, we could spend the rest of the time cruising around, anything else being a bonus, and I could spend time showing off knowledge on birds and trees, but did we get that bonus at this slow pace, you betcha! Two leopard cubs in a drainage line, oblivious to the vehicle, just playing around. Awesome and beautiful. Click, snap whir goes the cameras. Best leopard sighting of my career.

However we were not done, as the two cubs then sighted  a puff adder, a venomous snake and proceeded to investigate it, I of course called this on the game drive channel, and the response from all those that were listening, was that just this once against the rules out here, I had to interfere and separate them. They all asked me to go against the grain and interfere with the natural order of the bush. Long story short, you have me about 20 meters from the safety of my car, a large irritated puff adder 2 meters away and one of the cubs, being cheeky sitting watching me about 6 meters away. And where was mommy leopard? Never in my life did I expect the cub not to run, to sit there, and watch me whilst on foot! Insane! And still were was mommy leopard with here cub so close to a human on foot! So now what goes through my head?

1. Retreat and risk a cub getting a snake bite that will kill it. This is no good!
2. keep eyes in the back of my head for mom leopard, chase the snake and save the day

No real choice there, the Belgians had a good eyeful of my backside in the air whilst I was knees down under the bushes chasing a venomous a snake and a bemused leopard cub was watching. Worst of all, gave my camera to my tracker and he didn’t even take a photo!

Belgian honeymooners bought me a few beers that night.

The rest of this week has been manual labor, no guests this side, so slashing of fire breaks, fixing of roads, blisters on hand, tick bitten feet and sweaty t-shirts. Not all good all the time. Only a hand slasher, grass a meter high and a hundred meteres to cut.

At least I can know say bring on the fires season.

Right know I am going to take my very sore from unaccustomed labor, body back to my bed, crack a beer and remember that one time with the leopards…they will be around for a few more photo sessions.

Back from leave and almost back in the saddle. Been a rest in the big smoke, the big smoke being Johannesburg. That is if you can rest in the big smoke? Had a chance to reflect again on the last couple of weeks in the bush, some funny moments and then some more funny moments.

Rock Python

Had to chuckle when I think of our poor trackers, those that sit on the little seat on the front on top of the bonnet, looking for game and spotting spoor, indicating to us rangers where to possible go according to the tracks they find. They (the tracker) and I work as teams to try come up with the four legs and a heartbeat. Most have amazing eyes and can spot a green snake in a green tree or a lion swoosh its tail at 50 yards.

Shame, I have lost count of how many spiders have built there web across the road and I have driven my tracker right through that web, leaving the poor spider hanging onto my tracker for all it is worth, until he gentle deposits it on the next tree close to the road. They never complain , my trackers no matter how many spiders they get a face full off nor when I take the corner (we go back later and out it back) and they are halve buried in the tree that was on that corner. How many close brushes with thorn trees I give these guys every drive is embarrassing and they do not moan.

They need these thorn trees in there lap like I need to take a bowling ball on drive with me, some of these encounters are close though, I had been driving down a particular “tall grass on the side of the road” patch with the sun below the horizon, visibility not so good, out the corner of my eye I saw a snake crossing , just at the last minute, that is to say, he was about to go under my front left wheel should I continue, so naturally what do I do, I hit anchors. But on the front left is where my tracker was, and I say was, as I hit brakes hard, he went flying off the vehicle, almost onto the snake. Managed just to doge the snake as the car flung him forward. Not a word, just a look in my direction, a look that said it all and back onto the bonnet with a smile just reaching the corners of his eyes.

I have had my tracker sit patently on the front whilst lions were a mere two or three meters from where he sat. All exposed on the front and all. Never forget Devance (a tracker) and myself tracking (no pun intended) the group of 7 lions down by the big dam, we saw where they walked, we saw where they stopped and lay to rest and where they were heading. After a half hour further along there chosen route, we bumped into them (they is they were obscured by grass until the last minute, then I was on top of them) engorging themselves on a buffalo cow they had killed no more than a half hour before. Here with fresh meat and nervous lions eating, all deviance did was sit back on his seat in front and enjoy the show. Having munching and crunching lions 2 meters away, glancing up and growling every know and then and all he does is seat back on his perch on the front of the Land rover , throw a cheeky grin  at the guests and smile. Gotta love the nerves!

Buffalo herds, elephant herds, rhino, male buffalo dagga boys and coalitions of cheetah and more, all no sweat for our trackers, there “office” on the front of my vehicle gives them the best seat in the house.

Poor Phillip (another tracker) on route home, him with the spotlight, tying to get the eye shine, when a bushbaby (small nocturnal monkey type) jumps the tree and lands no less than in his lap, Phillip of course unceremoniously dumps the bushbaby off his lap, onto the nearest bush, this little nocturnal creature then turns and jumps again onto Phillip, he of course now things this is a estranged  bushbaby out for vengeance? Attacking him? Yes even grown up trackers can shriek like girls. This poor little bushbaby attacked Phillip three times before I could control my laughter and speed of away from the scene, of the almost violation by a bushbaby. Elephant charge he can take, but an attacking bushbaby?

All respect to the guys who sit in front and take it all in.

I deserve a beer and a smoke after the snake in a tent incident (see below)

Having not driven for a few days you would expect there would not be too much for me the report on. On the contrary. There is always something happening in the bush. I also have guests in my camp even though I am not driving them myself. I still have to host (I enjoy hosting and meeting guests from all over our little planet.) Read the rest of this entry »