Slow down and smell the roses...., or rhino as the case may be!

One of the first things you realize when you go on safari in Africa is the guide – if you have a good one – will be able to spot an animal on the fly; a talent that may take you a while to acquire mainly, I believe, because we have forgotten our senses.  No, not our senses like we have gone loony, rather ours senses of hearing, seeing and smelling.  These days seemingly everyone is looking down at their IPads and IPhones, checking Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what’s going on in what they see as the world.  But they are missing what is really going on around them in the real world and Africa is just the place to remind you of that fact.   

You see, some of the largest and tallest creatures on this earth can be so camouflaged that if you don’t regain use of your senses while on safari you will not see them even if they are right in front of you. 

Over the years various guides have taught me things to look for; a break in the scenery or on the horizon; the twitch of a black tipped tail in the tall amber grass; a sudden musky smell; a branch of a tree that just doesn’t conform….  If you drive through a game park too fast and not fully aware of your senses, you won’t see any wildlife at all unless the animal is either (a) crossing the road in front of you forcing you to slow down or (b) attacking you!

Early in my adventures to Africa while still learning these lessons I was in northern Kruger National Park with a guide who stopped the vehicle and said, “Giraffe”.  Like you looking at this picture I said, “Where”.  Hard to believe an animal sixteen to twenty feet tall can be so hidden from view.  There are seven of them in the photo below staring right at you.  Yes, seven.  Do you see them?

 

I was alone in a car when I spotted these wildebeest.  I stopped to watch them for a while; on full alert, all senses in high gear.  If I would not have been paying attention I would never have seen the leopard that was stalking the wildebeest.  A leopard is not the size of your house cat; he’s about a hundred and forty pounds of spots hiding in front of your very eyes!  Do you see him in the center of this photo to the right of the bush, his back turned to us watching the wildebeest?

 

On a trip to Tanzania I was with a fantastic guide and we were going down a spiraling road towards the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater.  My guides’ accent was very heavy so when he stopped the vehicle and pointed up in the tree to show me something I couldn’t for the life of me understand what he was saying nor could I see what he was pointing at.  Finally, he pulled out his bird book and pointed to the same bird he was trying to show me in the tree, then he pointed back into the tree.  What he was saying was “Bird of Prey”.   Yes, of course you see it easily now because I told you what you were looking for.  If you were driving a windy road would you have seen this owl sitting on that branch?  I think not unless you too were a very experienced guide and had every sense on high alert.  I can only aspire to be as good of a spotter as he.

We all know chameleons are camouflage experts.  But even they can amaze as the one below in Madagascar who appeared to be one with the road.  Anyone not paying attention, driving too fast, not aware of their surroundings would have ended this creature’s life then and there.

 

 

Having to use all of my senses is one of many things I love about Africa.  If you want to see the wonders of nature the continent has to show you, you have to slow way down and really take in what is around you.  In Africa I am reminded not only to slow down but also to listen and to smell.  I am reminded to not just look, but to really see.  If you try you can smell a rhino or elephant before you see them.  You can hear the beautiful ground horn bill before he makes his appearance.  You can only see these amazing things if you take life out of our fast pace frame and slow it way down.  That's true in Africa as it is in daily life.  So get your head out of your new age toys and look around, smell the roses, hear the birds and see what nature has to show you today.