Saturday 7th September 2013

This morning’s drive had plenty of highlights including aardvark tracks and seeing one of the big five. Spotting it was a result of following the signs which meant that we knew it was in the area and then a lucky spot.

Tracking is becoming a real favourite of mine and some of it is beginning to sink in. This is such a relief as the amount we have to learn and take in is so overwhelming. You almost wish your game drive or bush walk will end quickly so you don’t get anymore information and instead head back to camp to study and write up your field notes.

Today’s lecture was on biomes, all pretty interesting. Rather than simply sitting and listening to either Margaux or JP we all had to pair up and present a biome each.

After some study time Clifford and I did some running. It was so hard, all my fitness must have gone. It didn’t help that we’re at altitude, it was approaching 30 degrees and we were running on a sandy river bed.

The heat of the African sun was the best time believe it or not as the predators should all be resting up. Still we were very grateful to Joosta who kept look out. If anything appeared she was to shout FREEZE, I’m presuming that was for our action and not the lion or leopard.

The evening’s bush walk was the absolute highlight. We tracked a large herd of elephants through the thick bush and kept making incremental advances towards them when they were in our sights until we were about 30m-35m away.

Watching these animals on foot was totally mind blowing, the sheer power they show when they wrap their trunks around a tree and shake it before pushing it over is… not humbling, it’s scary.

The walk back to camp was another adrenalin rush as we had to leave the elephants without them noticing and then hustle back in double time to ensure that we made it before the light totally went, when the sun starts to go down here, it goes down pretty damn quick.