Angry elephants and chilled rhinos

07/05/10

This morning we left Etosha and are now driving to our last camp stop in Namibia, 500 km on in the Caprivi Strip. We then have another long drive after that to take us to the Okavango Delta.

Yesterday’s drive within the park between the camps was not as exciting as promised. We had been told to expect lots of cools stuff later in the day as we got further in the park. Instead it actually felt like we were leaving the animals behind, that is apart from springbok which are even more prevalent than zebra, yet certain members of our group still insist on shouting stop for, and must have near on 500 photos of them. There were a few birds on the drive, but it’s hard to get excited about a bird when you’re expecting a rhino. Out of desperation I think, our driver suggested we go back out after setting up camp to recheck the local waterholes. We were all really hot, tired and burnt, and most would like nothing more to start drinking by the pool, but I think we all felt that if we didn’t go something good would be spotted. It’s like those dive trips, you really can’t be bothered to get back in the water for a fourth time that day, but you know if you don’t a hammerhead will show up.

We drove around the waterholes and they were all empty. This is the end of the rainy season and the seasonal lakes and rivers have filled, so animals normally dependant on the waterholes can go elsewhere. Our last stop was a beautiful natural pond. We arrived and found about 11 giraffes milling around. One posed nicely for a reflection shot in the water, while two others even started to mate. Our driver told us later that they were actually 2 boys. Didn’t know giraffes were amongst the mammals that were that way inclined. You learn something new every day. There were also lots of springbok, impala, and elands. Elands are the largest antelope, and are more like cattle than all their other more graceful relatives. While we were distracted with them a bull elephant snuck up on us from behind. He was quite small and was obviously suffering an adolescent day, flapping his ears, shaking his head and stamping his feet. He stomped directly for us before conceding to our bigger mass and veering away, all the while eyeballing us. He then went to take out his anger on everything else smaller and skirted the waterhole stomping towards all the other animals until they ran away. He left without even having a drink, and continued to stomp off towards the forest, backside showing, tail flicking angrily. If he had had a door, he would have slammed it.

While all this was happening, a very calm and confident black rhino sauntered (as much as something built like a tank can saunter) over towards the water and then calmly posed, very obligingly on the opposite bank to drink water. The shots of him and his mirror like reflection in the water had all the cameras going. We stayed at the waterhole with the sun going down behind us until we realized the time and had to rattle, bang and hiss off as fast as we could to get back before we got locked out. A dull day turned into one of the best days we’ve had.

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Now nearing the end of the longest day on the bus so far, have been travelling for just over 12 hours with 2 more to go. Perhaps the tired brain accounts for the potentially huge error in judgment just made. Stopped at a dingy petrol station and maybe it was the news of another 2 hours driving that prompted us to buy a soggy looking, cling-film wrapped hot dog. Ate it, enjoyed it, then heart sank at realization of potential and highly likely food poisoning to come…