|
Its 4.30pm, all the staff have left to go home after a long day of sanding the deck at the main lodge. I’m sitting here at the pool listening to the soft rustle of the grass as the breeze blows through it. The stillness broken only by the multitude of birds twittering in the bush close to me, the occasional “gnu” of wildebeest calling in the distance – the end of the first day of autumn, my favourite time of the year!
I decide to take a drive down to the Fever Tree Dam to see if I can spot Impi, the solitary elephant bull again – I had seen him earlier, grazing his way over towards the dam, and with at good hour of daylight still ahead, maybe he’s decided have a peaceful drink, or more exciting, a dip to cool off. I station myself in a good “getaway” position because I had also seen very fresh tracks left by the breeding herd (about 35 mums, aunts, sub-adults and youngsters) earlier in the day, and I certainly don’t want to find myself in a sticky situation, should I not hear them approach (as large as elephant are, they traverse very quietly!), and I wait in anticipation.
It's really strange, but for the first few minutes of arriving and stopping at any spot in the bush, it is dead-quiet – almost as though everything waits to see what the “intruder” is up to. I sit very still, and soon enough, the first bird starts chattering setting off a whole myriad of song again. Even the Frankolin starts squawking, probably rounding up her brood to settle down for the night, as the orange sun is now sinking into the horizon. A few warthog appear out of the bush, stop and give me a look, then deciding that its safe, trot to the water, have a long drink and then promptly plonk themselves into a mud hole and proceed to submerge themselves in lovely fresh mud!
A few more appear, and the same ritual is repeated – first a long, deep drink, then off to the mud pool, that the first group happily vacate. A few Nyala appear – first the females, dressed in their reddish-brown coats, glistening in the late sun. A few moments later they are joined by a magnificent bull, donning his fine-looking grey coat, strutting down to the water filled with pride and splendor. He leaves last, and with him go the last of the doves that rushed in for a quick sip. The dam is now very quiet again, its almost dark, and time for me to go too!
|
