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Published: November 22nd 2010
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Bliss.
Hippos doing what they like best. River Walk from Olifants Rest Camp with Wuzy and Dennis. I revelled in the prospect of a lie-in until 06.00. The river walk was short - only an hour and a half, and didn't start until 09.00. I wasn't expecting much, but a walk in the bush is always an experience and it would be good to get close to the river. Dennis was an earnest chap, he had an intensity about him, a quiet passion. He frightened me rather with his pre-walk briefing, telling us we were heading into the terrain of four of Africa's most dangerous animals - hippo, elephant, crocodile and buffalo - all of which were territorial. 'If anything happens follow our instruction without question - keep looking around you - anything could be in the long grass and Wuzy and I are only short'!
Jokes aside, I'd watched a hippo from the Olifants bridge the day before, and I'd seen how hard it was to spot in the long grass. Such a huge animal could become an indisticnt grey shape, indistinguishable from some of the boulders that littered the river bed. I felt tense. We made our way through chest high grass to the
Mmmm...lekker!
A tasty snack! waters edge. Sharp, pointed, unwelcoming, we walked with our arms held high to avoid scratches. Often we heard the contented grunting of the hippos. They sounded very close. 'When they make that sound, they're in the water'. I prayed they would stay there. Forget the Big Five, a hippo on land is the most dangerous animal in Africa. It can charge, wrap it's huge mouth around you, bite you in half or toss you aside like a dinky toy; or trample you and rip your skin to shreds with it's sharp 'toes'.
We walked along the river to a pool where grey heron nested in the reeds, lilac water hyacinth bobbed in the water, and a Goliath heron swooped overhead. What a beautiful spot. A pod of thirteen hippos enjoyed a natural spa. 'We will try to get closer - they're usually relaxed in the water' Dennis told us. 'Closer'? We stood on a tiny beach, only 20m away from the huge animals. (They can weigh anything from 970 - 2,000 kilos). They snorted, splashed, and groaned. They submerged themselves, and resurfaced - now a nostril visible, now an ear, now a head. They flicked their ears, frolicked and
moaned continuously. Every time one went under, I wondered if it was going to charge us. We wouldn't have stood a chance - hippos can move surprisingly fast for all their bulk. But I trusted the rangers. As if reading my mind, Dennis suddenly said ' we must go. Never stand too long in front of an animal and make yourself a target'.
We'd seen the elephant on the opposite bank. While we were watching the hippo they'd crossed the river and were now ahead of us. 'Stay close together' urged Dennis. Although the elephants were about 150m away from us, Dennis and Wuzy were reluctant to get much closer. 'The wind is not in our favour'. This was a breeding herd, cows with young - notoriously unpredictable and more dangerous than a large bull. We left them to enjoy the grass, tearing and ripping, they are simply maurading munching machines.
We headed back to the vehicle. 'All back in one piece' laughed Dennis. This walk was sweet, short, intense. Good things do sometimes come in small packages.
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Heidi and Elmer
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Thanks for reconnecting us
Hi Tracey and Jim, Thank you for reconnecting us. Are you now in Africa? Thought you were in India. Please let us know what you have been doing the past year.