This afternoon's game drive is filled with excitment. Shortly after we started out, we came across our first warthog sighting.
After the warthog darted off into the bush, as they so often do, we came across an elephant with her calf. As she tugged at the dry grasses, our vehicle was caught in a cloud of dusty debris she tossed into the air. It stung our eyes, but we kept them open, not wanting to miss the little one’s game of hide-and-seek as it peeked out from behind its mother.
We left the elephant behind in the sandy riverbed and made our way back onto the main roads. The drive picked up a good rhythm—until we rounded a corner and suddenly found ourselves face-to-face with a rhino. JJ slammed on the brakes, bringing us to an abrupt halt. The rhino, completely unbothered, held our gaze for a brief stare-down before calmly continuing on with its mother. Not far off, a large male rhino lay stretched in the tall grasses.
While we were still watching the rhino, JJ’s radio crackled with a call that instantly lit him up. I’d never seen him like that before. Without much warning, he said flatly, “Hold on, I’m going to go fast.” And fast we went.
The vehicle lunged forward, tearing down the road with a purpose I’d never experienced on a game drive. We fishtailed around corners, bounced hard over rolling hills, and flew down a steep slope that ended in a sandy river crossing—one we usually crawled through cautiously. This time, JJ blasted right across, shouting over the roar of the engine, “Get your camera ready!” His voice carried an urgency that made my pulse race.
The only problem—I had no idea what we were racing toward or which camera would be best. I guessed the telephoto, clutched it tight, and braced myself as we rounded a blind corner. That’s when the waterhole came into view—and on the far side stood one of my absolute dream sightings, sitting high on my wish list of photos.
The female leopard walked away from the waterhole, moving across to the far side, right where we had just raced through the sandy riverbed.
We thought the excitement for the night had reached its peak—after all, how could anything top that leopard sighting? But JJ had a few more tricks up his sleeve. This time, thankfully, we weren’t flying quite as fast. Soon enough, we arrived in the wild dog territory. The pack was gearing up for a hunt, and JJ knew exactly what he was aiming for: another bucket-list moment—witnessing a successful hunt in action.
Hardly had we arrived when the wild dogs sprang into action! They’d caught the scent of a nearby impala and were immediately on the move. JJ pushed to keep up with the pack, but it was no easy task. Branches whipped past the vehicle from every direction—I’ve never been thwacked and whacked so thoroughly by tree branches in my life!
There was simply no way to keep up with those nimble dogs through the dense brush and trees in such a large vehicle—we had to abandon the chase. I couldn’t help but feel battered and bruised for nothing. Slowly, we made our way back to the main trail, scanning the surroundings in hopes of spotting them again. Miraculously, we crossed paths with the pack just as they were running toward us. The light had dropped low, making it nearly impossible to capture a sharp shot of the fast-moving animals, but the thrill of the moment more than made up for it.
The pack ultimately caught the impala, but by the time we reached them, most of the action was already over. The dogs were busy devouring whatever scraps they could grab.
African wild dogs will return to the den and regurgitate food for their pups and other pack members to provide nourishment.
WARNING: The next series of images are graphic, depicting wild dogs devouring an impala kill.
On the way back to the lodge, we passed the waterhole where the leopard had been drinking earlier. This time, a giraffe was there, lowering its long neck to sip. When it finally lifted its head, a stream of water arched from its mouth—an oddly graceful, almost comical display.
