We went on every game drive available during our time at Zulu Nyala – typically one in the morning and another in the afternoon. By the end of the week, some of our safari companions skipped excursions since after multiple game drives, we’d explored the entire 4500 acres of the Zulu Nyala preserve. But, that just meant more space and flexibility for us. I never tire of venturing out in the bush to observe wildlife; I’ve found that when you slow down and patiently watch animals you see some amazing things. Here are some of my favorites.
Departing from her mud bath with her baby, mama rhino found the perfectly curved trunk of a thorny acacia to scratch her voluminous behind, leaving a muddy streak behind.
White rhinos are the more sociable of the species. We watched this ‘crash’ of rhinos lounging and rolling in this small patch of mud, coating themselves to cool down, deter biting insects and rid themselves of parasites.
Sharing the same mud hole with the rhinos was a herd of buffalo. A cow lay sleeping in the gooey, moist soil, face and horns encrusted, contentedly enjoying her mud facial.
We could expect to be entertained by the elephants in the late afternoon heat. Frequently, we found them cooling down in the lagoon, stomping and splashing, waving their trunks and spurting water like firehoses.
After a good soak, they would often wander to a nearby acacia to scratch an itch, while at the same time removing a layer of mud and parasites from their bodies. It was comical to watch a few tons of elephant gyrate and rub its legs, flanks and backside against the rough tree bark. We could easily trace the elephants’ paths by following the acacias along the lagoon with streaks of mud and detritus layered on their yellow trunks.
When not near the lagoon, the elephants could usually be found in the dustbowl, a flat area of the bush with worn down vegetation (likely trampled and uprooted by them) and exposed pockets of fine reddish brown sand. Sometimes an elephant would roll on the ground, coating its body with sand.
At other times, like a powerful vacuum, an elephant would suck sand into its trunk, raising and pointing it backwards to spray a coating of fine dust on its back and flanks. Akin to sunscreen and bug repellant, this dirt protects the elephant’s skin from sun and insects. With all the stomping, rolling and snorting of sand from their trunks, the three elephants created mini dust storms!
Accustomed to seeing buffalo caked in mud, it was a surprise to actually see a young bull soaking placidly in a small pond amidst the acacias, enjoying the late afternoon sun. Devoid of grime, the buffalo’s beautiful eyes shone from it clean face!
We were lucky one morning to spot a black rhino. Black rhinos are solitary and graze in more densely vegetated bushlands making them harder to find than whites. Technically both black and white rhinos are grey and not distinguishable by color, especially when caked in mud. The most notable difference between the two species is the shape of their heads and upper lips. Black rhinos have a pointed lip well suited to plucking fruit from branches and tearing leaves off twigs as well as a more defined forehead. White rhinos have a longer skull and flat, square lip ideal for grazing on grassy plains. Our black rhino was striding purposefully through the knee high vegetation, occasionally pausing to strip a mouthful of leaves off the surrounding bushes, before plunging into a densely forested copse.
One afternoon, we watched a tower of giraffes feeding in the acacia grove. An adult female stopped grazing and began walking purposefully toward the lagoon. We followed, watching quietly as she approached the water’s edge.
Nearing the bank, she widened her stance and holding her hind legs straight, further splayed her front legs, bending at both leg joints. Then gracefully, she lowered her long neck, bringing her mouth to the surface of the water, gulping greedily. From where we sat, we could hear her slurping, drinking her fill for several minutes. Because of the awkward position giraffes must assume to get their heads to water, as well as making them vulnerable to predators, they only drink once every several days. Otherwise, they get the majority of water their bodies need from the vegetation they eat.
Once satiated, the giraffe straightened her front legs, lifting her head and dribbling water from her mouth. She paused to look around and then headed to a nearby acacia to resume her never ending cycle of grazing.
In the morning, the lagoon was always teeming with wildlife. One morning the birds had taken over, with a scores of egrets commandeering the jutting peninsula.
Sooner or later when you are still and observant, you will see animals defecate. When elephants poop, it looks as if they are launching bricks from their backsides!
The male nyala stops, scans the area and when satisfied all is well, lifts his leg to urinate, doglike.
When finished, he stands upright, effortlessly dislodging pellets of feces from his rear. Emptied, he again scans his surroundings and bounds off into the bush.
There is no more magical way to conclude a day of wildlife viewing than with a sundowner. Watching the sun set over the hilly terrain of the bush, setting the sky on fire as it descends, sharing stories from the day with our safari team over a glass of wine and snacks is the perfect ending to a day in the bush.
The silhouette of the acacia tree contrasted against a background of a sky tinged pink and purple by the setting sun, has come to symbolize for me the the natural beauty of the African bush and the amazing wildlife that habitat there.
The sun disappears, the sky darkens and we head back to camp, awed by the wonders of nature.
