Collected Moments of Survival

So I’ll jump right in and admit that my preconception of an African wilderness certainly skewed my idea of what to expect in the Selous National Park in the south of Tanzania. On arrival however, I am in for a bit of a surprise. Heavily wooded hills that are impenetrable is not what I expected in the Selous. The early morning rays shimmer across the varied landscape and the soft Equator light gently plays on blades of grass that are dancing tantalisingly inviting a landscape orgy. Resolutely, we move forward, we are here to capture the many animal wonders of the Selous. Each morning we pass the Impala herds as they graze in the cooler part of the day. Their pelts glow bright orange and are smooth and clean.   In the nursery herds the young skip and hop and play while in the peripheral bachelor herds there is a constant interlocking of horns that reminds us that the rutting season is not far off. Unexpectedly coming out of the forest a small Elephant herd will b...

Undoubtedly you cannot ignore the sights and sounds of the birds of the Selous in Tanzania. On most safaris the moment you set foot into a reserve you will become aware of the noise that fills the air like a well orchestrated symphony. The Selous is no different in that respect, but what is surprising, is the sheer volume of visible species on show. We leave the Sand Rivers Lodge on our first game drive and not one kilometre from the lodge we witness a Tawny Eagle demolishing a Buffalo Weaver’s nest. The pieces of grass fly off in every direction while a single Buffalo Weaver tries in vain to bombard the gigantic raptor. The cacophony of calls resounds back and forth as all the nest inhabitants flap to and fro valiantly and futilely defending their home. We leave them to it and head off in the direction of the Beho Beho Hills in search of Black Rhino. All we find however, are many journeys of Giraffe and some Yellow Billed Oxpeckers. In the following days La...

The plane’s doors open and the oppressive heat is sucked into the plane. Even before I hit the runway I can feel the energy being drained from my body. I am in Dar Es Salam and it is January. Heading for the Selous National Park in the Southernmost part of Tanzania I prepared myself for the heat. Light cotton clothing, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, open shoes and other paraphernalia meant to keep me cool, but nothing has prepared me for the cloying humidity of being at sea level on the Equator. The airport building beckons alluringly only to disappoint as many African Airports have the penchant to do. I desperately try to fill in the Arrivals Forms without smudging the print on the card and join the queue. In one of the most bizarre Arrivals areas in an Airport everyone is randomly standing around in a bunch instead of lining up in queues. An officious looking gentleman is weaving his way through the crowd demanding passports. In the one hand I have my passport and the now slightly wa...