The untamed wilderness

My thoughts have again returned to my trip to Kenya in the fall of 1981, and of the highlights of that journey. There were a few other eventful incidents that come to mind, in addition to the two I described in the previous entry. One of these was fairly subtle, but again served to underscore what it is like to be surrounded by the vastness of a great wilderness. A wilderness that has many dangers, some more obvious than others, and a place where the only real safety is to be inside of a vehicle or a building. Well, not always, as the very largest of African game such as elephants and rhinos, can destroy both sorts of apparent shelters. The barrier between safety and danger there is essentially the division between the man-made and the natural. One day we were out on a game drive, and we pulled up right next to a pride of lions. Most of the windows in the van were about half way open, as the weather was pleasant. There was also an opening in the roof of the van, not unlike a sunroof on a car but with a retractable cover that served as a shade. This gave an open line of sight where one could stand up and take photographs while not leaving enough space for larger animals to get thru. Most of the lions were right outside of our window, no more than about fifteen feet away, taking their afternoon siesta in the long grasses. But not all of them were asleep. A lioness raised her head, took a look at the faces staring at her, and then turned towards us and crouched low to the ground. She was like a cat in the act of gearing up to pounce on a mouse, her pale greenish yellow eyes focused intently on us. My mom was taking some photos but quickly reached over and wound the window up once she saw the big cat crouch down. That was a sight I’ll never forget for as long as I live.

At another time we came upon two bull elephants battling it out in an open area off to the side of the dirt road. Our driver explained that they were likely fighting over a female. Both combatants had a watery discharge from a gland on their heads which was running down their cheeks. This gland only activates during the mating season. The huge beasts jousted with their tusks, charging and dodging each other several times. A trickle of blood ran down the forehead of one animal where it was apparently gashed by its rival’s tusk. Suddenly, one of the elephants turned about sharply and faced our van. He lowered his head, extended his ears wide and launched into a charge. Immediately the driver grabbed the shift knob and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. For a moment I thought we’d racing backwards along the road to escape the elephant’s assault. But then the big bull stopped in his tracks, and to our (and our driver’s) relief, it was a bluff charge. The dusty grey beast then turned back around and resumed the battle with his opponent. And seconds later, the fight was over, and both bulls went their separate ways, for the time being at least.

There was also the day that we stopped at a lodge to have lunch, which was within walking distance of a river. There was a path that went down to the water’s edge, and along the way a warning sign was posted. I don’t recall exactly what it said, but the gist of it was a strong admonishment to be aware of the presence of hippos. My mom, grandmother and I puzzled over this warning, as none of us could imagine such an apparently peaceful looking herbivore attacking anyone. We all knew that there were crocodiles in the river and that they do kill and eat people. But little did we know that this seemingly inoffensive creature kills far more people than any of the predators combined! The sign noted that in the past, some tourists had been attacked and killed right in the very spot where we were standing.

These events happened a long time ago in my life, and they are memories of fantastic adventures as well as flirtations with dangers, some obvious but others unseen and unknown. Since then, I’ve experienced more than a few instances where the threat to my life (and the lives of those around me) is but a mere illusion, as with amusement park rides. But there have also been times where the injurious and lethal dangers are quite real, as was the case during that wildlife safari. I’ve covered some of these in past entries, while others remain untold as of now. Once such time occurred last fall. This place was not unlike that river teeming with ferocious gaping jawed killers. It was also a bit like the night in the dark forest, where one step too far could mean certain doom. The hotel with the armed guards was also comparable, in that the extreme danger of the situation was conveyed simply by their presence. If there is no danger, then why take such drastic measures?