African Wildlife and Environment Issue 70

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

Game ranger stories: ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS IN PARKS

H e saw my bemused expression and took me to one side, where he explained his dilemma. After setting up the wood for the fire, he had lit the fire and walked a short way to close the gate that led down to the dry river bed. Walking back he heard a low growl and he sprinted to the central kitchen area. Peeking out between the wooden slats he saw five small lion cubs in the bushes around the fire place inside the camp fence. As he stepped out the kitchen door to shout at them the mother growled like a demented demon from outside the fence. She was frantically trying to get the cubs to join her but the gate was now closed so they were trapped. Not a good situation! Eventually it got dark and Philemon was too scared to leave the kitchen as the lioness was still growling periodically at any movement. When he heard us approaching he had run to the top gate to warn us before the guests got off the vehicle and walked nonchalantly to their A-frame huts in the dark. I drove into the central parking lot in the middle of the camp and told the trail group to stay put, while we investigated. Fortunately we had a powerful spotlight that was connected to the 12 volt battery of the vehicle so that we could shine around the fireplace. I walked gingerly towards themwith my trails assistant, and immediately the growling started in earnest and I realised that we were in a predicament. The lioness was still on the other side of the low fence and the cubs kept on running into the fence trying to join her. We managed to chase the lion cubs away from the gate and fortunately the mother moved with them, but still tracking their movements from the bush side. While they were still a short distance away, I raced to the gate and opened it wide. Backtracking and moving around behind the cubs, I started applying pressure to move them back towards the gate. Arriving back at the Napi Trails Camp in the Kruger National Park after dark, I was met at the gate by a very anxious looking camp attendant. We had driven out in the vehicle with the trail group and after a short walk had enjoyed drinks on a beautiful granite outcrop watching the sun looking like a glowing red/ orange ball slowly sinking below the western horizon. The camp attendant shouted that we must not get out the vehicle as the devil had taken over the camp!

Bryan Havermann

Fortunately, they moved quickly along the fence with their mother in constant attendance, growling her encouragement to them and voicing her displeasure at us for chasing her offspring. The cubs eventually got to the opening in the fence and they filed out like obedient children. The lioness did a quick head count, and then disappeared into the night. The trail group approached with more than a little trepidation, and I must say it was the earliest I had ever seen a trail group retire to bed, safe in their huts. Checking the tracks the next day it appeared that the lioness had been sleeping in the riverbed and the cubs had ventured up the path into the trails camp. Philemon had inadvertently shut them in when he closed the gate. The Kruger National Park (KNP) has numerous rest camps that are fenced and in theory the fences are there to keep wild animals out. Unfortunately, nobody has ever thought of telling themassive African elephant this. At certain times of the year elephant bulls in particular seem to have a mischievous streak and come into camps, where big trees grow amongst the infrastructure, to feed and generally just cause havoc, because they can. Elephants, just by their sheer size, are very difficult to move against their will. I once helped Ben Lamprecht, who was the Section Ranger at Letaba Camp, to chase a big bull elephant out the camp. It was amazing to see that the elephant was not going to be intimidated but strolled leisurely at his own pace; when he reached the fence he basically side-stepped over it like a hurdler, only in slow-motion. It was comical to watch this massive bull tread on the fence to lower the height and then tippy-toe over it, and see the fence spring back, once his last leg was over. In another incident at the Jock Safari Camp in the south of the KNP, I received a frantic radio message that there was a rogue elephant bull chasing people and causing havoc. On arrival at the camp I could see nobody and proceeded to walk down to where the reception area was. I heard a leaf rustling sound and turned to see this elephant running full tilt at me and expecting me to run away. He had been playing this game all morning and everyone else had run like rabbits. I took a couple of steps towards him with my arms and rifle raised so that I would look a bit

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Olive baboon threat display Photograph: Bryan Havermann