Lounging Leopard

Dusk was gathering as we drove south on the dirt road, shadows lengthening over the land, turning from savannah to brush land, ancient Baobab trees connecting earth and sky. As I rode with watering eyes from the intensity of the wind blowing over them, suddenly a complete lanky image flashed by me. Head, eyes, rosettes, supple, strong body perfectly draped over the tree, with tail dropping below... Leopard! Passing the message quickly forward to the driver, we stopped, reversing slowly, seeking through the darkening light for her magnificence.

She waited, seemingly as curious as we were. Perfectly relaxed, unconcerned about our eight pairs of eyes asking to know more about her. Languidly she looked us over, only moving for privacy when a loud group arrived behind us, seeking to know who we were sharing space with. We stayed quiet, calm, waiting. Their beeps came with frustration, thinking we were looking at a downed log and not willing to wait for the hidden beauty. What a lesson for me to remember that when the time is ripe, simply wait and be patient. Then the reward of the unseen may become seen.

The low branching log hid her small yet powerful frame. Moments after they drove off in a cloud of dust, she came out, scent marked and slowly, assuredly walked behind our Land Cruiser. Pausing there to fully take us in, she rolled over in the sand, strong, playful, completely relaxed. As she stood to move on, it was plain that food for the evening was now on her mind. Leaving us, she leapt gracefully to a lookout tree, her piercing gaze scanning for unaware food on the hoof while we continued on to our refreshments at camp.

"The Free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it - basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them."  Charles Bukowski, German-born American writer

Elephant family meets Lion family

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!

Tarangire National Park

Elephants at Tarangire National Park

We arrived to herds of elephants streaming by the vehicles on the way to the river for water; bulls, momma's and many little ones. They were all of different colors from the various dust or mud baths that they had been participating in.

The team was a lucky one on many counts, Kudu, Oryx, and even a zebra lion kill. Tarangire, my favorite park, may we come back often to visit your wonders.

Off to Karatu and some visits to the local people next, stay tuned...