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.

……

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…

Game parking...

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06/05/10
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Driving through our first game park where we have been based for at the last 2 nights. We have been staying at a campsite 18 km in and have done morning and afternoon drives from there. Now driving through the park to a different campsite 75km further in. We seem to have left all the animals behind. No more herds of springbok or zebra.

When we first entered the park gates, within minutes we had seen zebra, wildebeest, warthogs, springbok and oryx. This all supported my idea that once in the park we’d have hoards of animals wandering around us and obligingly posing for shots that’d instantly male me look like a pro wildlife photographer. Everyone’s seen the pictures of cheetahs climbing onto the bonnets of cars, and elephants walking right up to vehicles. Entering the park through the big gates and fence actually felt disappointingly like we were entering nothing more than a big zoo. I had had it in my head that being in a game park would give me a chance to see the Africa of old, that which is undamaged and unchanged by peoples poaching and encroaching habitation, but the fences took an element of wildness away.

On the first game drive it quickly became apparent that Etosha is no zoo, and there would be no animals posing patiently by the side of the truck. Etosha is about 200 km wide. Seeing animals is a lot more hit and miss than I thought. Apart from zebra, which appear to be everywhere, you have to search hard for animals, and you also have to be lucky. On the first day everything seemed to be on the horizon, or at least a lot further than my eyes are able for. Also a lot further than our 250mm zoom lens was able to capture. Definitely no wildlife photographer of the year award for me. Thankfully the posh campsite we were staying in had its own waterhole. You got to kick back and relax with a bottle of wine while watching bull elephants, zebra, giraffes, jackals and even 6 black rhinos. We slept in the tents with the territorial calls of lions about 100m away. Going to the toilet in the middle of the night was a test of character.

The second day’s drive was far more successful, with us catching more things closer to the road. We even got to watch a lioness stalk and chase a herd of zebra. The height of our truck gives us a great advantage over other cars and game trucks. We can see further and spot things easier amongst the long grass. It does however rattle, bang and hiss with open roof hatches and hydraulics as we go over rough roads. It kind of puts an end to any sneaking up on animals.

Being on a game drive is surprisingly tiring. Sitting trying to be patient and squinting into the sun for hours, trying to see stuff that’s got the distinct advantage of years of evolutionary practice to perfect the art of camouflage, can be tense and give you a headache. Watching a zebra herd pick its way round the bush where the lion was hiding, they could all smell was wrong, they just couldn’t see why. A 2 month old foal stopped just feet away from where the lioness was. We were all desperate to see action, but really didn’t want to see the baby get it. A wildebeest fine, a cute baby zebra no. The lioness watched the herd from her hiding place for about 30 minutes before giving chase. She missed, but then walked right by us so we could get the pics we’d been waiting for.

Our body clocks have changed. Breakfast at 6 am many days, in bed before 9. We are in teams to do duties, rotating between cooking, washing up, cleaning the bus and a rest day. We are now getting to know the group well enough to begin to feel frustrated with those who regularly don’t pull their weight. One lady in our team watched us wash up the other day while she took photos of flowers. Her only acknowledgement to this fact was to say “oh, are we washing up?” and she went back to her flowers. This is the same woman who wandered around a 500 metre area of bush the other day taking pics, lost her phone and then expected everyone to help her find it. It was found and she got back on the bus without a thank you. Very gracious indeed.

On the way to Etosha we stayed overnight at a cheetah farm. This is a big conservation area where they rescue and breed cheetahs. They have three ‘tame’ cheetahs that live in their garden and play with them and their dogs. They also have around thirty more wild cheetahs in the larger conservation area. Tourists get to walk around with and stroke the tame ones, then take a ride in the back of a pickup truck through the conservation area and watch the wild ones being fed. They have to feed them once a day as it’s impossible to introduce and control any prey that is introduced to the area. Cheetahs hunt both for food and for fun, so they would kill everything within weeks. Seeing the 'wild' ones is completly different from seeing the tame one. Thier eyes look like those of a different animal.

Stroking a cheetah is like stroking a sports motorbike. They are highly strung, built for speed, and vibrate with a loud bass like purr. They were tame but we were warned that one gets stroppy when it’s had enough petting, and another was young so it was likely to take a fancy to things and chew them. It set to work on Mark’s boots at one point. Seeing cheetahs in this setting is slightly false, but like the tigers in Chiang Mai, it’s an interaction and viewing opportunity that you’ll get no other way.

One observation made so far of the animals we’ve seen, is that zebras and giraffes behave just like the characters in Madagascar. Zebras all seem to mirror not just in looks but in behavior and expression. Giraffes are completely ungainly and terrified of their own shadow. It took 3 of them over 3 hours to pluck up the courage to make their way down to the camp waterhole yesterday.