Zimbabwe: A Walk in the Wild, Wild World/ Part 1

Part 1 
For all photos, click on them for full-size

The end of 2012 had my wife Nancy and I being commanded to "get up the tree!" by a very competent safari guide named Andy. As you can see from the photo below, with the leaves peeking into the right corner, we did as we were told...quickly.

LIONS VS BUFFALO HERD, ZIMBABWE

The experience, which even Andy said was something like mind-blowing,  ended an unforgettable morning at Mana Pools, a wild-to-the-extreme wilderness area (and National Park) in Zimbabwe. Earlier, in fact, just minutes after waking inside our tent along the banks of the Zambezi, we were watching a pack of wild African painted dogs. They were just a few hundred feet from our campsite, and were finishing off their predatory ways for the night. But that story is for later. This post belongs to those lion and buffalo up there. 

HAND-DRAWN MAP DEPICTING LION VS BUFFALO STANDOFF AT MANA POOLS. THIS WAS SKETCHED OVER BEERS, WHICH WERE USEFUL IN CALMING OUR NERVES AFTER THE EVENT

The Lions

Andy ( bateleurs@hotmail.co.uk )and his assistant learner-guide, Clea, got word that there was a pride of lion near the main dirt track that safari vehicles and cars use. While Mana Pools is super- wild, the authorities paradoxically  allow people to simply walk in the wilderness, at their own risk. So we were a little snooty about just driving up to a pride and watching them from the vehicle. This is the main way everyone observes lions almost anywhere else in Africa; but we were not just anywhere.  We were at Mana Pools. Since it was early and the 5 of us (including our friend Rob, who was a guide as well) were game, we headed for the lions. We found a handsome pride, with several males and females of various ages, including two young cubs. 

LIONS AS VIEWED FROM JEEP

After allowing us to admire them for a few minutes, the pride abruptly got up and started walking north, toward the Zambezi river.  Andy asked Nancy and I whether we wanted to follow them. ON FOOT. Uh, YEAH?! This, of course, is what any young but experienced guide wants to hear from his guests. Because when you're on foot in the wilderness near large predators, you never know what's going to happen. The guides are supremely safety minded, and Andy especially, but they are also wildlife lovers. Following lions on foot has to be a thrill every time, so he was probably happy we didn't say something lame, like, "nah, let's go have breakfast". We got out of the vehicle with minimal gear--water, a few cameras and binoculars, and Andy's shotgun, and when the distance between us was sufficient, started following the pride. They tracked slowly over undulating plains dotted with acacia, mahogany, and other trees, the morning light reverential. Andy, ever vigilant , was especially careful not to sneak up on elephants with calfs. On foot, you are fully part of the story and the guide's goal is to have it end well.  The lions eventually settled near a large tree with a termite mound built around part of its trunk, a fact that turned out to be auspicious for them, as you'll later see.

PART OF THE PRIDE NEAR TREE WITH TERMITE MOUND. THEY HAD OBVIOUSLY FED DURING THE NIGHT, AND SEEMED UNINTERESTED IN SURROUNDING PREY, LIKE THE IMPALA BEHIND THEM

We made it to a large mahogany tree (important later) and spent some time looking through the binocs and shooting some photos of the pride. Andy, Clea and Rob were like roving androids, their heads swiveling like finely-oiled machinery, to and fro, back and forth, finely aware of our situation, which was fluid...always fluid. Andy was the first to realize that a large herd of buffalo, perhaps 150-200, were going to be passing though the area between us and our vehicle, where we had just walked to get to this spot. "How about we embed ourselves in that fallen-down tree over there, and watch the herd go by?", he asked us. "We'll be in a great spot to observe them, but safe since we could just jump up on the tree if they come at us" Uh, YEAH?!

We made our way over there, walking low to the ground as we left the area where the lions were. It took about 8 minutes to walk over the undulating terrain to get to the large fallen tree (fallen by elephants) and embed ourselves in its branches. Then the buffalo arrived.

The Buffalo 
Since the wind was coming from the direction they were approaching from, they couldn't smell us until they passed us. But as soon as they did, you can see from the photo that we were detected. This was unnerving, since buffalo are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa to humans. Andy, Clea and Rob had planned well, however, and we were safely ensconced in the large branches of the fallen tree.  If there was trouble, we could always jump up on the larger limb and fan out horizontally, which would put us a few feet up over the ground. The long line of buffalo streamed past us and it was fascinating to see the beasts up close. Some had young with them, which were pretty small, but the bulls were just huge, with dagger-sharp horns. Without the protection of the tree branches surrounding us, we would have been terrified this close to this many buffalo. 

The Attack

Andy, the binoculars pressed to his eyes, scanned the area where we had come from, where the lions were. "Oh…hmmm, we might have something here." Pause. Excited. "Looks like part of the herd split off and are going to file right past the pride!" We looked that way, but it was difficult to see since the terrain between us and the lions was hilly, they were far away, and we were trying to be alert to the buffalo herd, most of which had gone by. Rob also looked toward the lions and his trained eye was able to see what we could not. After a minute or so, they both burst out with the report: " A lioness has jumped one! They've got one!" Despite their apparent disinterest in prey, opportunity walking right past turned out to be too strong to resist. Andy, Rob and Clea scanned our situation and assessed that the last of the buffalo herd had passed us. "Let's go!" We rapidly uncoupled from the fallen tree and started making way in the increasingly hot morning air to the area where we observed the lions earlier. Nancy wanted to stop to look through her binocs but Andy said it would be better to make our way to the action and we would see everything then. I was excited to get photos, and was tucked in right behind Andy. I looked back to to check on Nance, and although she was bogged down with binocs, a camera and a canteen, she was ok, with Rob  safely bringing up the rear and Clea in the middle. Then the situation changed, quickly. The part of the herd that had passed us had stopped, sensing the lion attack. Worse: they had changed direction, toward us. We were exposed, with no trees for cover, just open, hilly land. 

Danger!

Suddenly, moving quickly became less about positioning for good viewing and more about reducing our exposure to the buffalo. Andy quickly and firmly told us that we had to run, that we were in danger of the buffalo herd, which, in their increasing alarm, were probably going to run into the wind…at us.  We increased our pace. Like the rest of us, Nancy was having a hard time running with the camera and binocs and canteen hanging off of her and did not grasp the severity of the situation until Rob, in his polite South African lilt, said these now legendary words: "Naan-cy, might you run a little fah-stah, as our LIVES may be in dan-gah". I turned to see her frustration, and also her realization…like, "what? Oh, this isn't about getting a good picture anymore…we are in trouble!" Clea was more direct. "RUN, NANCY, RUN!"  The buffalo were coming, luckily not at full-speed. Instead of the low area Andy had picked to get us away from the buffalo, he saw a way to get us to safety and also view the events unfolding. The large mahogany tree from before.

The Mahogany Tree

We all made it to the tree where we wound up spending almost 2 hours…2 of the most exciting hours of our lives. 

Part 2 , featuring The Melee, is up next...