Collected Moments of Survival

Kalahari Kreetures I Kalahari Kreetures II Kalahari Kreetures III It is 5.30am and the sun is edging its way onto the Eastern horizon of the Makgadigadi Pans. We do not have far to drive. Just a couple of kilometres from Jack’s Camp is a group of habituated Meerkats, the reason for the trip to Makgadigadi. Finding a Meerkat in the wilds of Africa, or more specifically, Southern Africa is not an easy task when time is limited and expectations are high. Certainly there are Meerkats spread all over the Western climes of Southern Africa but the crucial factor determining a trip dedicated to them is that they should at least sit still long enough to be photographed and not be hightailing it off in the opposite direction at the approach of a vehicle. Each time I explore for a new experience the dilemma of my impact on the intended target has to be considered. Habituation of wild animals is a hot topic with the decision of when exactly is habituation taming and when is it not. It is the dilem...

The car shudders and rattles as we pass over each rut in the road and the trailer behind us bumps out of control despite the fact that we are traveling at the prescribed 40km per hour. The road undulates interminably as we make our way from the picnic spot at Dikbaardskolk to the next one almost 50km's away at Kamqua. As we crest yet another dune we reach Vaalpan a descriptively accurate summation of a sandy clearing with a couple of very "vaal" looking water tanks to one side. Scattered about on the pan is a rather large group of Oryx who turn their heads as we gingerly approach trying to minimize the confounded racket that our rattling vehicle is making. The clearly delineated black and white facial markings of the Oryx bear a striking resemblance to Japanese kabuki dancers making the subject a cinch for a statement photograph. As I search through the small herd for a suitable subject in the correct position there is a loud clack-clack directly in front of me ...

It's 6.30am Namibian time, the the ominous dark gate blocks our path to getting where we need to go. I anxiously watch the Eastern horizon where the sun is starting to brighten the sky. To pass the time I apply sunblock to my face and lips willing the gatekeeper to appear. Then, just as the first golden orange sliver appears the gate miraculously slides open and after some flashing of papers we are finally on our way. First turn to the right and we hit the white chalky roads of Etosha. There are few animals to be seen and soon the bush breaks into open plains that are just perfect for a cheetah. But, of course there isn't a cheetah in sight.  First stop is Gemsbokvlakte, a barren waterhole, amidst the white chalk.  We stop in the designated parking area, there is hardly an animal in sight. We're new to this so we decide to wait. Soon enough a few springbok appear and a quick scuffle around the waterhole between two rams sets my shutter off. But, that is all ...

Rather shockingly, a small amount of research about African animals reveals the following: There were once 100 000 Black Rhinos in Africa, now there are approximately 2700. In 1930 there were 5 – 10 million African Elephants and now we have less than 600 000. 100 years ago African Wild Dog packs numbered up to 100 per pack seen on the Serengeti Plains. Now a pack is usually 10 dogs and we have about 1 500 dogs left in Africa. The African Lion numbered 50 000 roaming free only about a decade ago. Now we have around 10 000. In 1900 there were 100 000 wild cheetah in Africa, now the number is closer to 10 000. Please note that the above statistics are unverified and should be taken as being approximate. On the other side of the scale the world population figures read as follows: 1800 - 1 billion 2000 - 6 billion 2012 – 7 billion Have you got out of your seat yet? The next statistic to look at is the land area of the earth. 150 ...

There is a certain quality to the African sun in midsummer that defies description. A thousand needles being punched simultaneously into skin perhaps comes closest to being accurate. Yet, here I am, sitting in the blazing sun, completely oblivious of the discomfort, on the deck of a lodge, watching keenly as a pride of lions stalks an unwitting warthog family. The elevated view of the deck affords a bird’s eye view of the hunt going down. From the right flank two lionesses move surreptitiously through the long grass, they separate and while one lioness moves directly towards the target the other starts flanking the prey by moving further south. Carefully they crawl through the blades of grass stopping every now and then to monitor the movement of the warthogs who are blissfully unaware that they are being keenly watched. North of the warthog group is the rest of the lion pride lazily spread in the cool shade of the acacia trees. The lionesses continue their hunt, stealthily they move i...

The travelbug is indeed a very bad virus to contract. Once it flows through the bloodstream it is impossible to eradicate. The four corners of the earth are scoured for new destinations and as a heroin addict searches for the next fix so the compulsive traveller will need new destinations to feed the insatiable virus its next fix. In the absence of a magical far-away destination for March 2012 the maps came out and the compass pointed north to a little reserve just down the road called Ithala Game Reserve. Research into the Reserve on the internet revealed that some tour operators will stop at nothing to hoodwink people into travelling with them including claiming that animals not on a reserve will be seen there. Ithala has no big cats other than the Leopard, a very elusive animal not easily seen in reserves where they have not been habituated. But, we should be able to see some elephants and rhinos amongst the other plains game. However, what attracted me to the destinat...