Often we have amazing daily experiences and our first entry to
Tarangire National Park was such a treat! After stopping to admire the
Buffalo Weavers and Superb Starlings, we saw a pride of 12 satisfied
sleeping lions. Within minutes, Bobbi pipes up excitedly from the back
seat, "look in front of us!" Off in the distance, there was an
elephant family calmly grazing. After driving and watching them for a
bit, I noticed that their direction of travel, combined with a
crosswind, would likely create an unexpected meeting between the two
tribes.
We softly took our exit to position and wait for the potential
connection to come. The lions slept, the elephants contentedly grazed,
the wind blew diagonally between them and the lookout lion first
sighted the grey Tembo. She calmly waited and watched as the first
small group passed just on the far side of the meter high hillock they
lounged on. The grass hid their black tipped ears. Then as the second
ele' family approached on a collision course, the breezes swirled,
mixing lion scent with the smells of the earthy elephants. All parties
went on guard immediately checking the danger and possible exits for
their respective families.
As nature knows, harmony is preferred to fighting and conflict...
After a few minutes of posturing: mama elephants circling the youngest
babes, lions crouching to make a run for it and teenageelephant
males ('false') charging, both saw the way free of each other. Led by
a young newly maned lion, the eleven followed him in a line through
the largest gap in the action. As they left, the momma elephants took
the other direction, babes still tightly encircled, all moving as one.
Only once they were sure danger was past, did they relax their
protective body blocking and allow the herd to disperse and walk more
calmly.
The silence engulfing our 4x4 erupted into smiles of joy, reflecting
the almost unbelievable experience of such a spectacle unfolding right
beside us. Karibu (well come) Tarangire!