After the Rains

It is the nature of the safari guide / guest relationship that the guide feels a responsibility for his guests to see the animals they came on safari to see. Dare I say it? The Big Five for starters. Not that he or she can really do much about it. Wild animals have a territory and a terrain they prefer. They sometimes leave clues, and there is some predictability in their movement. But basically that is it. Weather is a factor. Water availability. The thickness of the bush. The last kill or the amount an animal needs to eat to survive. After that, it is just luck.

And yet there is the palpable undercurrent of responsibility that weighs heavy on the safari guide and a (mostly) unspoken expectation of the guest. I cringe when I hear someone say, "If I do not see a leopard, I will not be satisfied!" And I am sure it sends a chill up the spine of the guides as well.

giraffe in the mist

But even though I know in my heart that it is only the wild animal itself that is in control of its movement and viewing availability, I have felt the responsibility as well when I bring guests on safari. I want them to see all the animals I have seen. I want them to come away from Africa feeling full of love for it as I am. And I have even less control than the guides do.

When it is just Vince and I, we have the luxury of taking on the attitude that we will see what the park wants to show us a la Peter Hall. We can come back anytime. But when Alex was visiting from California for a finite amount of time, I felt much more of the pressure to deliver.

So I knew Bert, our guide at Tambuti Lodge, was feeling the pressure too on the morning after Boxing Day. The Boxing Night drive had been pretty much a wash-out. The mist and fog had made game viewing difficult and the subsequent rain made it impossible. The animals had all taken cover and were shut in for the night. Only the hippos did not seem to notice the rains!



But just as every cloud has a silver lining, there is a bright side to a game drive wash-out. Even the animals get cabin fever!

So the next morning they were out in full force. We saw the elusive leopards, more rhino, elephants, a couple of male lions (up to that point, we had seen only females and cubs.) And much, much more.

I will never forget the sounds too. The bush sounded alive with a cacophony of birds all singing their individual songs.

Bert was visually relieved. And quite frankly, so was I!