15 jan 2006
it had been the best weekend ever! on sat morning, we, the cheetah chicks, woke up at the ungodly hour of 2am to drive up to the khutse game reserve which is directly under the khalahari nature reserve. we wanted to get up close and personal with the lions there, after hearing stories of close encounters, such as lions coming into the camp and checking people out. Some friends of the biologist were taking their family there and invited us along. we took about 4 hours to get there and this was using the short cut! when we got there, it was about 6am and we drove around the park for another 3 hours or so looking for animals but we were tired and the animals seem to be hiding and laughing at us behind the thick bushes. just as we were giving up and heading towards camp, someone saw a lion really far away. and i really mean far away. we grabbed our binoculars and had to squint through them to see the lion. it's amazing how it was spotted in the first place! there was much pointing and excited squeals while i was desperately trying to locate it, squinting as hard as i could, when i finally saw a female lion strolling in the thickets of grass. my heart stopped for a second or so, i think, as i stood, transfixed by the majestic creature. as she walked closer, i could see her rippling muscles that could put madonna to shame. we become more optimistic about spotting more lions and headed towards camp to have lunch and set up our tents.
it seemed like we had been there for a long time but it was only about 11am when we had our tents up. we rested and relaxed for a while before heading to a nearby waterhole to try to catch a glimpse of more lions or any other carnivores. we met a guy working with the leopard conservation and he told us that there was a big pride of 23 lions around with all the cubs surviving the last season. that was really good news and it showed how strong the pride was. we were not sure where they might be so we stayed and crossed our fingers, hoping they'll turn up. some giraffes sauntered toward the water-hole for a drink and gawk at us at the same time. after a while, some of them got sick of us and moved off. ten, i spotted a springbok all by itself and we joked that we may get lucky afterall, having a bait, ie. the springbok, to lure the lions. we were not far off in our predictions cos someone spotted a lioness taking a rest under a shady tree. the lions have probably eaten since the springbok didn't seem nervous at all. we wanted to get a closer look so we drove toward her direction, following a dirt road which led us behind the clump of trees where she was supposed to be. maybe she heard us or we didn't get to the right clump of trees. in the bush, it's quite difficult to memorise landmarks when all you have are similar trees and bushes around you! disappointed, we drove back to camp for our braai (bbq), hoping they'll come visit us at our campsite while we cook our delicious and juicy meat on the grill. we took turns to shower as we were covered in grime and sand from the khalahari. i was awed by our hot shower facility which was a shower stand with gas, connected to the battery or the engine or some part of the 4-wheel. these guys also had a tent which they could pitch on top of their truck which unfolds and comes with a ladder which leads to the entrance of the tent. really, that was serious camping with style! way cool...
we also had a toilet bowl at the campsite. of course it didn't come with a flushing system. there is merely a pit underneath for natural decomposition. this is one toilet you will not want to read in.
so, we had our braai at about 7pm when we were supposed to be safely in our tents in case lions decide they need some fast food. we had a big lamp attached to the battery of our truck which we switch on occasionally when we hear a roar or any growling sounds. turns out that most of the growling came from our stomachs as we were so hungry! it was very exciting, just sitting round the fire, waiting for a lion to pounce on us, haha... we did, however, see a pair of yellow eyes fleetingly but it was a herbivore since the predators have green eyes when reflected by light. by the end of the braai, we had given up on the chance that lion may turn up. they must have eaten before so we wolfed our food down quickly and tucked ourselves into our sleeping bags. some of us stayed up and listened to the roars of the lions while some promptly fell asleep and proceeded to snore like rumbling trucks. i was quite sure no lions would visit us or even get close to us with that noise. i fought off sleep for a while, listening for lions but soon succumbed into a deep slumber.
the next morning was bursting with chatter as we traded tidbits of what we had heard the previous night; planes flying overhead being mistaken for lion calls, a few lion calls heard by some who had sleep had eluding them... so we did not have close encounters with the carnivores at night but we were determined to see them before we leave. we were driving for a while when we came across a puff adder, a poisonous snake feared by many but it was warming itself up and wasn't really in the mood to spit venom into anybody's eyes. we did see quite a bit of the hooved animals and 2 black-backed jackals. then, the highlight of this trip took form in the shape of several african wild dogs. these dogs are extremely rare, being so endangered, and we were so lucky to be able to see a big pack of about 17, resting under the cover of some bushes. african wild dogs are extremely good hunters, often working in a pack during kills with high success rates. we took many pictures and they endured our presence throughout the 45mins we were there, clicking away. i was absolutely thrilled. this was what i came for; to see rare animals and be so close to them. pardon me if i seem to be hyperventilating...
i was rather bummed at not being able to spot any cheetahs or leopards but the sight of the wild dogs was enough. one of the park ranger who had been working there for 3 years had only seen them twice!
we were exhausted and it seemed like we had been away for ages! on the way back, we came across several puddles that were so huge they covered the track. we decided to have fun and splashed our way through those monstrous puddles only to realise later that our bags were behind the truck! naturally they got all wet and muddy. we totally laughed at how silly we were and the muddy truck was quite a sight by the time we got back to camp!
as i'm writing this, baby morgan, the resident baby field mouse in the kitchen is dragging a fork and trying to take it somewhere.
also, a horse just ran through our camp! yes, there is a stable nearby so it's quite odd sometimes when we come across a horse or two in this wilderness. can be quite surreal sometimes and we never know what's going to happen next. all i know is how much i love waking up to the birds chirping and hearing the eerie calls of the jackals when my head hits the pillow at night.