This morning I was thinking back to one of my first trips to Africa years ago. I was in Mkuze Game Reserve in South Africa; one of the first non-fenced camps I stayed in. After we pitched tents and got situatuated I asked my guide if it were okay to walk around a bit. I wanted to see primates of any kind. My guide pointed to a path saying that I could walk that path but to stay alert and to come right back and I was off.
The path was a dirt winding trail that never ventured too far from camp but meandered around some large trees and termite mounds within shouting distance of where my tent was. The trail curved a bit and when I came out of the curve I saw a family of warthogs in my path staring at me with these large upturned tusks that I imagined would be usefull while they were ripping my calves open. I froze. They froze. It was a stand off. I was completely still except for my heart visably pounding out of my chest. Do I scream? Do I run? Are they going to charge? I had no idea what to do nor did I have much information about warthogs from which to base my decision.
After what seemed like enough time passed to watch a full length movie I decided to go way around them and stepped cautiously off the path still headed in their general direction. I bravely kept a steady pace around them. Only their heads moved keeping me in their direct line of sight. As I got back on the path behind them they just trotted off in the direction they had originally intended.
I realized then and there that I needed more information if I intended to spend more time in Africa. I needed to know what to be afraid of and what to do should I encounter a dangerous animal.
I never saw any primates. I quickly forgot that was the purpose of the walk.
The path was a dirt winding trail that never ventured too far from camp but meandered around some large trees and termite mounds within shouting distance of where my tent was. The trail curved a bit and when I came out of the curve I saw a family of warthogs in my path staring at me with these large upturned tusks that I imagined would be usefull while they were ripping my calves open. I froze. They froze. It was a stand off. I was completely still except for my heart visably pounding out of my chest. Do I scream? Do I run? Are they going to charge? I had no idea what to do nor did I have much information about warthogs from which to base my decision.
After what seemed like enough time passed to watch a full length movie I decided to go way around them and stepped cautiously off the path still headed in their general direction. I bravely kept a steady pace around them. Only their heads moved keeping me in their direct line of sight. As I got back on the path behind them they just trotted off in the direction they had originally intended.
I realized then and there that I needed more information if I intended to spend more time in Africa. I needed to know what to be afraid of and what to do should I encounter a dangerous animal.
I never saw any primates. I quickly forgot that was the purpose of the walk.
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