Sacred Combe Safari III
Day -1
I had arrived in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia the previous evening, and dined with my old friends Jess and Ade at Flatdogs Camp in great happiness. The following morning, I went into the park with a guide called Byron and had a fine morning: getting my eye to the land and its beasts, getting my ear in to the sounds of this most wonderful place. I would be meeting the clients for Sacred Combe Safari III the following day and wanted to be on the top of my Luangwa form
Back from the drive I took a siesta in my tent: and from the weariness of travel and the five o’clock start that morning fell at once into deep sleep. Alas, I was half-woken several times in the course of the next hour or two: wondering grumpily why someone had chosen to scrub a bucket right outside my tent.
Flatdogs is a beautifully run operation, but it seemed they had slipped up here. Vigorous domestic tasks are best performed out of the earshot of the guests. But no: on and on it went, a pause, and then a fresh attack on that damn bucket, I would fall back to sleep, only to be woken by more frenzied scrubbing and scouring.
Eventually I admitted to myself that I was awake and opened my eyes. About 50 yards from my tent were three or four large elephants, all male – washing themselves vigorously in the water holes, throwing mud and water over their vast backs and sometimes getting right in for a good old wallow: emerging shiny as tempered chocolate: well-tempered elephants indeed. The sound of scrubbing was now explained.
They love water at all seasons, these big beasts, and as the dry seasons revs up towards its climax, they make the most of any encounter with water that comes along. Like everyone else they long for the rains and the times of plenty, when deliciousness returns to the world. But every now and then they wallow: and savour the anticipation of of a world mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.
But they show no consideration whatsoever for human would-be-sleepers.
Water hole –
how long will it take to eat
this chocolate elephant?
Wonderful post! I’m heading out to facilitate a session with a group in Derry about Pope Francis and the universal call to Holiness in today’s world – and this piece seems like great preparation for it!!
Great to hear more elephant tales from your and my sacred coombe. They are such a joy to watch – and I never tire of seeing these enormous beasts in what ever shade of grey or brown they present themselves. Oh to be back by the Luangwa and to be away from the twin evils of Brexit and Trump. Do hope they can be conserved and allowed to be themselves for many generations to come. We need them – and they deserve to share the planet with us.
We were lucky enough to get to Namibia earlier this year and also to see elephants ignoring people and getting on with their lives. Similarly to Simon, we saw two separate families converge on a water hole in Etosha national park (the major park in northern Namibia), mix together drinking, splashing water over themselves, etc, then move off in their separate ways, calmly walking between the vehicles (majestically ignoring them without touching a single car!) as they went away.
This idyllic scene was disturbed by a foolish young woman in a bright blue top sitting on the car door and attempting a “selfie” with the elephants. First, one driver/guide yelled at her to get back inside her car (which she ignored), then a bull elephant trumpeted angrily and our driver/guide also yelled at her and she scrambled back inside. The elephants subsided, and went on their way.
Unlike her, our group had realised very early on (without needing to be told more than once) that the animals had learnt to ignore vehicles as no threat, but people outside them were another matter.
That same day, a little later, we entered a private reserve adjacent to the national park and, as we made our way to the lodge we were stay at, came upon a cheetah stalking an impala which had become separated from the rest of the herd. Our group held its collective breath for about 10 minutes while we watched and took pictures.
Sadly, others were not as quiet, and the cheetah decided, after a while, that it would try for dinner elsewhere.
It was almost amusing to note that, as an open-sided lorry (we were in a long-base car with the soft roof raised) entered the area, with its occupants chatting away, all 8 of us (including our driver-guide) turned and “shushed” them! Fingers to lips, as well.
The whole trip was magical, seeing animals in their natural habitat. We managed at least a glimpse of almost every animal indigenous to Namibia, except for the leopard of the big 5 predators, and whales in our two trips into the Atlantic.
Maybe, if we do get back there in 2020, we can rectify that…?
More great sound pictures painted by Simon and friends, fancy being entertained by a pair of scrubbers, my own recent views are of Red Kites in Yorkshire a short while ago, we had a farmers cottage in Appletreewick for a week.As we were approaching Harrogate Red Kites could be seen, one late afternoon we were sitting in the sun lounge enjoying the view when a Kite appeared and flew very low over our heads, certainly amongst the closest I have been to a non-captive bit of wildlife! For me a truly wonderful experience.