The sun rose over the African savannah this morning; and we were here to see it. Stepping
The view from our tent! Truly a stunning sight to wake up to.
out of our tent at 7 AM opened the door on a sight that was truly breathtaking. After a brief breakfast of crepes with rich, sweet honey and berry jam, we were out on the road for the inaugural wildlife-spotting session. And oh boy, what a session it was.
Right out of the gate (almost literally), we came face to face with a group of elephants, including a few juveniles and a baby! It was such a magical moment, one that definitely helped us settle into the fact that we were actually in Africa. Amid our three-hour expedition, we came across many incredible sights. Some notable ones were the sausage tree, which I personally had been quite excited to see in person; a snake eagle high atop a tree; several exquisite lilac-breasted rollers, and a zebra with a claw marks on its rump,
A herd of elephants passing right in front of us, babies included.
which we thought was indicative of a recent lion attack. Of course, we also saw some classic savannah fauna, like impala, giraffes, ostriches, gazelles, hartebeest, wildebeest, warthogs and a single cape buffalo. With life at every corner, we returned to camp feeling truly satisfied with our trip, even as it has just begun.
After a delicious lunch of pasta, we had our first presentations! Marlo and Makenna did an excellent job introducing us to equids/canids and antellopini respectively. The stifling heat made it a bit difficult to focus, but we soldiered on. At last, the day had passed enough into evening for us to head up a towering ridge for the most beautiful sunset in the world. We could see miles and miles of green and gold savannah, and the breathtaking moment stretched on until the night sky was fully overhead. If it was possible to make a moment last forever, that one wouldn’t have been a bad choice. Heading home, we spotted a few black-backed jackals, but no hyenas or small felids. Finding animals at night is much more difficult than anticipated, which doesn’t bode well for my chances at seeing either of my mostly nocturnal/crepuscular groups. Though I await the day I spot one of my taxa, I wouldn’t trade the sights I have already seen for the world.
Sunset across the savanna; words do no justice, so have a picture instead!
