'Rule Number 1: If a Lion wants to kill you, then it doesn't matter if you're inside a tent, he'll find his way in. The tents are strong but they wont withstand a Lion attack', said Saad Bin Jung in his typical nonchalant way during our Day 1 briefing. His company - Africa Under Canvas, is dedicated to providing travelers the ultimate experience of Africa and its wilderness. But what do I do if a Lion does come close enough to my tent for me to freak out?, I asked him rather anxiously. 'Stay in the tent no matter what happens. Don't do anything stupid and keep your movements to the bare minimum. If you're lucky, he'll just walk away!!!' , were his clear instructions. Right! Got that! Shouldn't be too difficult to follow such clear instructions. When I checked into my tent, I noticed a long but blunt blade was kept by the bed. A weapon, I guessed. Not sure how useful it would be but I sure as hell wasn't dying to find out.
Except for the first night, my four nights at the Ndutu Plains of the Serengeti were rather peaceful. The first night was all about acclimatising myself to the wild and weird noises of the Jungle. Insects, Birds, Hyenas; make no mistake, the Jungle is teeming with life throughout the night. I had a hard time falling asleep as the slightest brush against my tent would have me clutching my blunt weapon. Could it be a Lion, after all they are known to be active during the night? Could it be a Hyena? A Zebra, maybe? Wilderbeest?
By the time it was morning, I was convinced that half of the Serengeti had paid me a visit. My fellow campers were quite amused but not surprised by my pithy narration. I felt deprived of an adventure when Saad's son, Shaaz, summarily dismissed the entire experience by saying ' Relax dude, there weren't any Lions, Hyenas or any other animal at the campsite last night. It was only wind'. If this was what wind could do to me, then I shudder to think what a REAL visit from a wild animal could do!!! And I didn't have to wait long before that happened.
After spending four nights at the Ndutu Plains, it was time to move camp to the Grasslands of Seronara. Dramatically different from the plains, the Seronara region of the Serengeti is popular for Leopard sightings and of course, Lions. At the briefing, it was reiterated to us that the grasslands form a perfect setting for ambush attacks and that we were never to go to or come from our tents unaccompanied. We were also reminded that just a couple of weeks ago, at this very camp, a pride of Lions surrounded the campers in the night while they were dining out in the open. The camp was to be disbanded the next morning so the crew started dismantling some of the tents the previous night. The dinner tent was one of them. It was, apparently, one of the scariest moments in their lives as the Lions closed in one by one from different directions. They were chased away by the Guides who managed to sprint across and into the cars. Lions don't like the revving of engines and tend to run away when they hear it. The Guides chased them far enough for the camp to be safe for the rest of the night. As a safety measure, however, the cars were parked right in front of the tents. If the Lions returned, the cars would be just a few steps away.
Since then, there were no visits from Lions that would become a hot topic of discussion until that night. At around twilight, while being accompanied to my tent I asked one of the locals if there had been any Lion sightings near our camp in the past day or two. He gave a gentle smile and said,'This his Jungle, he come, he go when he wants!' As I sat alone in my tent, I looked around as the Moon slowly but surely made its presence felt. I said to myself, yup, this is his forest alright. We are the visitors, and hopefully, it'll stay that way. I couldn't help thinking about how we humans have decimated life on this planet.
At dinner there were some entertaining conversations with Saad, Shaaz, and some of the other campers. Saad is a very knowledgeable man who has great experiences to share. From being a prodigal talent which led him to make a memorable cricketing debut against fast-bowling greats like Malcolm Marshall, to his battle against a life-threatening illness, to his drastically different tryst with destiny as a Wildlife conservationist, to his blue-blooded family lineage, Saad can keep you both engrossed and entertained for hours. A couple of hours later, I tucked myself into bed after a sumptuous meal (Potato and Peas curry! Indian breads! Rice! What else can one ask for!!!). I was recollecting the events of the day as I fell into deep slumber.
At approximately 1.30am, I was woken up by a deep-throated growl. It was emanating just a few feet away from my tent.At first, I decided to disregard it. A few seconds later,the growl returned. This time it was louder and closer. I didn't dare move or make a noise. I knew by now that this most certainly wasn't the wind. We weren't alone. Something was out there and it was quite big. I held my duvet tightly. Surely, this wasn't what I thought it was. Maybe it was a Leopard. After all, this camp-site was known more for Leopards than Lions. Leopards are shy creatures. Lions are not! I consoled myself by believing that my 'Leopard' would go away. The growl returned, and this time it was followed up by some pretty intense heaving. Nope, definitely not a Leopard. It had to be The King of the Jungle. And judging from the loudness, he was probably less than six feet away. The deep-throated growls returned along with some more heaving. Beads of sweat started to form on my bald pate. Does he know we are here? What is he going to do? Is he going to make his next move against us? Is he alone? Is he calling his other pride members? I couldn't see him as the tent's window was rolled down on the outside. The fear was killing me as much as the suspense. The fear of not being able to see what is going to happen next. A part of me wanted to just run out and get into one of the cars. Stay put!!! and DON'T MOVE!!!, I decided. The growling didn't stop, Neither did the heaving.
For a full two hours, the King of the Jungle made himself comfortable just outside our tents. Morbid thoughts crossed my head. Would I meet my end here? Will he go for my throat? Will I be able to outsmart him? All the mantras I had ever learnt throughout my life were being chanted repeatedly. It was amazing how I remembered them in the first place and it didn't matter if the order of the verses were jumbled up. I somehow had to stay calm. The growling and heaving was getting louder and louder but there were no screams or reactions that I could hear from the other tents. They all knew he was here and they remained dead silent. And then, it was quiet. The growling stopped, as did the heaving. I refused to believe that he had left. What if he had not? I decided that for the rest of the night, I would continue to remain as still as I could.
I don't know when I fell asleep again but I was woken up by the intense need to empty my bladder. It was still quiet. No growling, no heaving. I lay motionless in bed for a while just to be doubly certain , and then I crawled very slowly to front of my tent and unzipped it. My toilet was about 5 feet away in another tent, and although the two tents were covered by a large sheet of canvas making them look like a single tent, stepping out would make me vulnerable. I peered out to scan for any signs of activity. Nothing! He was gone!! I tip-toed into the toilet and let out a huge sigh of relief. After all, my bladder had been full for over 4 hours now. I crawled back into bed and fell asleep again. A few hours later I awakened hearing voices outside my tent, I knew that the guides had gathered to discuss what had transpired in the night. And amidst them was Saad and Shaaz. As soon as he saw me he quickly moved towards me and asked if I was okay. I nodded affirmatively. And then he asked me if I heard the Lion last night. I turned to him, and the look on my face said it all.
Later on, at breakfast it was revealed and confirmed that the King Of The Jungle had sauntered solo into our camp site. He made himself comfortable just outside the tent which housed Saad, Shaaz, and Ali-Saad's business partner. He was just two feet away from entry of their tent. While Saad managed to get a glimpse of the large male Lion, Ali woke up startled when he heard the growl for the first time . He quietly reached for his air-gun in case things got out of hand. During the course of the meal, it was revealed to us that Lion growled and the heaved to call for the rest of the pride to join him Thankfully, none of the other Lions came. Saad, Shaaz and Ali admitted that this encounter could have ended far worse when compared to the pride that encircled the camp a couple of weeks ago because this was happening just two feet away from them! And six feet from me.
I'm sure that this incident will stay afresh in our minds as long as we live. The King probably knew that we meant him no harm. It could easily have gone out of hand had one of us lost our cool and done something rash in a rush of adrenalin. It's the closest I've ever been to the possibility that I might not survive the night. I'm glad I did and I will forever be grateful to him for his magnanimity or whatever it was that led him to spare our lives. All hail, Simba - the undisputed King of The Jungle!!
Except for the first night, my four nights at the Ndutu Plains of the Serengeti were rather peaceful. The first night was all about acclimatising myself to the wild and weird noises of the Jungle. Insects, Birds, Hyenas; make no mistake, the Jungle is teeming with life throughout the night. I had a hard time falling asleep as the slightest brush against my tent would have me clutching my blunt weapon. Could it be a Lion, after all they are known to be active during the night? Could it be a Hyena? A Zebra, maybe? Wilderbeest?
By the time it was morning, I was convinced that half of the Serengeti had paid me a visit. My fellow campers were quite amused but not surprised by my pithy narration. I felt deprived of an adventure when Saad's son, Shaaz, summarily dismissed the entire experience by saying ' Relax dude, there weren't any Lions, Hyenas or any other animal at the campsite last night. It was only wind'. If this was what wind could do to me, then I shudder to think what a REAL visit from a wild animal could do!!! And I didn't have to wait long before that happened.
After spending four nights at the Ndutu Plains, it was time to move camp to the Grasslands of Seronara. Dramatically different from the plains, the Seronara region of the Serengeti is popular for Leopard sightings and of course, Lions. At the briefing, it was reiterated to us that the grasslands form a perfect setting for ambush attacks and that we were never to go to or come from our tents unaccompanied. We were also reminded that just a couple of weeks ago, at this very camp, a pride of Lions surrounded the campers in the night while they were dining out in the open. The camp was to be disbanded the next morning so the crew started dismantling some of the tents the previous night. The dinner tent was one of them. It was, apparently, one of the scariest moments in their lives as the Lions closed in one by one from different directions. They were chased away by the Guides who managed to sprint across and into the cars. Lions don't like the revving of engines and tend to run away when they hear it. The Guides chased them far enough for the camp to be safe for the rest of the night. As a safety measure, however, the cars were parked right in front of the tents. If the Lions returned, the cars would be just a few steps away.
Since then, there were no visits from Lions that would become a hot topic of discussion until that night. At around twilight, while being accompanied to my tent I asked one of the locals if there had been any Lion sightings near our camp in the past day or two. He gave a gentle smile and said,'This his Jungle, he come, he go when he wants!' As I sat alone in my tent, I looked around as the Moon slowly but surely made its presence felt. I said to myself, yup, this is his forest alright. We are the visitors, and hopefully, it'll stay that way. I couldn't help thinking about how we humans have decimated life on this planet.
At dinner there were some entertaining conversations with Saad, Shaaz, and some of the other campers. Saad is a very knowledgeable man who has great experiences to share. From being a prodigal talent which led him to make a memorable cricketing debut against fast-bowling greats like Malcolm Marshall, to his battle against a life-threatening illness, to his drastically different tryst with destiny as a Wildlife conservationist, to his blue-blooded family lineage, Saad can keep you both engrossed and entertained for hours. A couple of hours later, I tucked myself into bed after a sumptuous meal (Potato and Peas curry! Indian breads! Rice! What else can one ask for!!!). I was recollecting the events of the day as I fell into deep slumber.
At approximately 1.30am, I was woken up by a deep-throated growl. It was emanating just a few feet away from my tent.At first, I decided to disregard it. A few seconds later,the growl returned. This time it was louder and closer. I didn't dare move or make a noise. I knew by now that this most certainly wasn't the wind. We weren't alone. Something was out there and it was quite big. I held my duvet tightly. Surely, this wasn't what I thought it was. Maybe it was a Leopard. After all, this camp-site was known more for Leopards than Lions. Leopards are shy creatures. Lions are not! I consoled myself by believing that my 'Leopard' would go away. The growl returned, and this time it was followed up by some pretty intense heaving. Nope, definitely not a Leopard. It had to be The King of the Jungle. And judging from the loudness, he was probably less than six feet away. The deep-throated growls returned along with some more heaving. Beads of sweat started to form on my bald pate. Does he know we are here? What is he going to do? Is he going to make his next move against us? Is he alone? Is he calling his other pride members? I couldn't see him as the tent's window was rolled down on the outside. The fear was killing me as much as the suspense. The fear of not being able to see what is going to happen next. A part of me wanted to just run out and get into one of the cars. Stay put!!! and DON'T MOVE!!!, I decided. The growling didn't stop, Neither did the heaving.
For a full two hours, the King of the Jungle made himself comfortable just outside our tents. Morbid thoughts crossed my head. Would I meet my end here? Will he go for my throat? Will I be able to outsmart him? All the mantras I had ever learnt throughout my life were being chanted repeatedly. It was amazing how I remembered them in the first place and it didn't matter if the order of the verses were jumbled up. I somehow had to stay calm. The growling and heaving was getting louder and louder but there were no screams or reactions that I could hear from the other tents. They all knew he was here and they remained dead silent. And then, it was quiet. The growling stopped, as did the heaving. I refused to believe that he had left. What if he had not? I decided that for the rest of the night, I would continue to remain as still as I could.
I don't know when I fell asleep again but I was woken up by the intense need to empty my bladder. It was still quiet. No growling, no heaving. I lay motionless in bed for a while just to be doubly certain , and then I crawled very slowly to front of my tent and unzipped it. My toilet was about 5 feet away in another tent, and although the two tents were covered by a large sheet of canvas making them look like a single tent, stepping out would make me vulnerable. I peered out to scan for any signs of activity. Nothing! He was gone!! I tip-toed into the toilet and let out a huge sigh of relief. After all, my bladder had been full for over 4 hours now. I crawled back into bed and fell asleep again. A few hours later I awakened hearing voices outside my tent, I knew that the guides had gathered to discuss what had transpired in the night. And amidst them was Saad and Shaaz. As soon as he saw me he quickly moved towards me and asked if I was okay. I nodded affirmatively. And then he asked me if I heard the Lion last night. I turned to him, and the look on my face said it all.
Later on, at breakfast it was revealed and confirmed that the King Of The Jungle had sauntered solo into our camp site. He made himself comfortable just outside the tent which housed Saad, Shaaz, and Ali-Saad's business partner. He was just two feet away from entry of their tent. While Saad managed to get a glimpse of the large male Lion, Ali woke up startled when he heard the growl for the first time . He quietly reached for his air-gun in case things got out of hand. During the course of the meal, it was revealed to us that Lion growled and the heaved to call for the rest of the pride to join him Thankfully, none of the other Lions came. Saad, Shaaz and Ali admitted that this encounter could have ended far worse when compared to the pride that encircled the camp a couple of weeks ago because this was happening just two feet away from them! And six feet from me.
I'm sure that this incident will stay afresh in our minds as long as we live. The King probably knew that we meant him no harm. It could easily have gone out of hand had one of us lost our cool and done something rash in a rush of adrenalin. It's the closest I've ever been to the possibility that I might not survive the night. I'm glad I did and I will forever be grateful to him for his magnanimity or whatever it was that led him to spare our lives. All hail, Simba - the undisputed King of The Jungle!!
No comments:
Post a Comment