When the Ranger Says……

They look innocent, don’t they? 

My mind continues to drift back to memories of Africa, wistfully lingering on certain moments and experiences. Such drifting makes sense since political life in the states alone is enough to foster escape fantasies. In our home since returning from Africa, life has grown routine, revolving around R’s knee replacement surgery and lengthy rehab-based recovery. Exciting safari drives, spotting lions and elephants, tracking leopards have been replaced by small moments of progress — R graduating from a walker to a cane (woo hoo) or sitting through a movie after climbing the stairs in a public theater.

Not surprising that I’d prefer to spend time remembering Africa.

WHEN THE RANGER SAYS STAY……..

Safari rangers are an interesting breed. Not quite definable, they seem a mix of fearless wild west cowboy and tour guide. Most spend at least six weeks at a time at the safari camp, living and breathing African bush life. Perhaps it is the time in the bush that so shapes the rangers.

For example, one day our tracker Thomas and ranger Jason both hopped out of the parked Range Rover. Thomas speedily headed off into the bush on a tracking mission while ranger Jason gave us, his six guests, instructions.
“I’m taking the rifle with me. If anything happens press this button on the radio and someone will answer the call. I’ll be back within 20 minutes.”

He left us, his six guests, sitting in the roofless Rover (like the one pictured below), the possible perfect easy snack for a hungry animal.

Rover, elephants, and hippos. By the way, those are hippos mating as the ellies look on.

There is a belief in African safari camps amongst rangers and trackers that “the vehicle” offers all the protection anyone needs and that rifles aren’t really necessary. Animals are “sensitized” to the Rovers starting at a young age so that they recognize the vehicles’ shape and purpose. Danger, rangers tell guests, exists when humans are outside the vehicle, that’s when animals can see them as threatening. So the six of us sat in the Rover cracking jokes about our possible fates, wondering if we’d enjoy cocktails later at sunset (We did. See photo at the top).

WHEN THE RANGER SAYS HOLD ON………

We’d experienced an excellent morning of game viewing in Botswana — young lions lounging in the tall grass, handsome mature male lions sleeping, then waking, then lazily stirring. All good.

Then our ranger, Robby, received a call that other camp rangers spotted a male leopard they’d been tracking. Our little safari team decided to retreat from observing lions and chase after the leopard.

“Hold on,” ordered Robby.

The phrase “hold on,” safari code for get ready for a wild ride, has many meanings.
Robby means — hold on to your hat, your camera, your glasses and hold on to the actual vehicle because he is pressing the pedal down and the vehicle will bump and jump down the sandy bush roads, through river beds, and over and through shrubs.
Off we flew, clinging to our possessions. This is R’s favorite game drive, the respectful tracking of an animal via the wild ride. He was gleeful.
Twice we crossed rivers.
“Lift your feet. Everything off the floor,” Robby ordered. Like well-trained soldiers, we responded, feet and backpacks raised to higher ground as we watched river water rushing into the Rover. Once firmly on land, off we sped in search of the leopard, ducking as thorny branches pushed aside by the ranger whipped back at us. Hold on and duck are two important concepts on safari.

We found him– the leopard. No wonder current life feels routine. Africa, I miss you.