Day 13, Stalking Prey

Day 13, I’m driving down the road as light is fading in Hluhlwe I come over a hill and I see a shape in the distance walking in the middle of the road. It’s trotting along quite slowly and though the thought crosses my mind, but I tell myself it must just be an impala, it cannot be this easy. I slowed right down to see if the shape is perturbed by the presence of four people in a Toyota yaris. As I edge closer it keeps on walking but I am catching up to it. Now I’m too close to disbelieve, but she is actually right in front of me marching along the road, without a care in the world. She waddles slightly with a very full middle, either having just fed or pregnant.

I try to keep pace with her, edging ever closer, juggling my camera with the steering wheel as my friends lean out the windows. I am wary even as she is, care free, she could easily turn around attack if she felt threatened. I see a car in the side mirror coming along at some speed about to overtake me, and I drift to the middle of the road to block them for fear that they will scare her off. They slow down near me and slowly realize the extraordinary situation we have. The Clio pulls up beside me and we continue to stalk her side by side across the breadth of the road. She turns around every now and then in disdain but carries on walking.

We carry on fixed on her for what seems an eternity in the fading light but is actually only matter of ten minutes. Eventually one of the official game drive canopied cars creeps over the hill ahead. She continues as it drifts closer, and walks past its side as the passengers snap pictures in a blaze of flashes. I start swearing at them under my breath thinking they will definitely make her turn into the bush. She doesn’t. It is only when a further car comes that she has enough and turns off into the camouflaging brush land.

I turn around to my friends, my heart still pumping that I’ve not only seen my first lion in Africa, but that I’ve had the sheer audacity to stalk her. I am exceedingly glad that the strike back Mseleni has had a weekend respite and that we’ve been able to come out here after all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCca5mPMp9A