After my sixth or seventh night and day of getting up at 3:45 a.m, driving out to a leopard blind, freezing my butt off, hunting other stuff all day (and sweating my butt off, then getting back to camp late for supper, understandably, I was a bit tired.

If one goes to a really wild area of Africa, they are often blessed to hear wonderful night sounds. I've heard hippos quarreling, elephants screaming about this or that, a bushbuck's bark and the King of the Jungle doing the MGM thing. But on the night referenced above, I thought nothing could awaken me. I was lights out about 2 seconds after hitting the bed.

I was wrong. Somethings get your attention.

About 2:00 a.m., I was snapped awake by the damdest and scariest noise I've hever heard. At first, I thought it inside my tent. I don't know anyway else to describe the sound, except one of terror. I sounded like a whole school bus of 9 year-old girls going off of a cliff... infinitely high pitched and infinitely loud. It happened twice, about 10 seconds apart.

I lay there and wondered what the hell I was going to do about the scream. Honestly, I rolled over, said "Karibou Africa", out loud and went back to sleep. I told you I was tired.



The next morning, returning for breakfast after a fruitless stay in the blind, I about crapped when I looked just 25 steps from the front of my tent, I saw blood and gore in the sand of the dry river.

I got Lou and after following tracks we found only a chewed-upon impala shoulder blade and lots of hyena tracks.

Yes, Karibou Africa, for sure.

And for the fans of Dr. Dolittle, I give you two Pushme-Pullyou giraffes.

Guess it was a bad night for the impala.

This story just keeps getting better, more please.

Cat? Yet?

What a great taste of "wild" Africa.

Keep them coming.

Luv it!!!

I guess you haven't heard peacocks? Their screaming can be pretty bad.
Peter.

That is a great story and pictures. I remember being in Gokwe Zim one night sitting around the fire when a lion roared near my chalet. The PH warned me a be careful if I got up in the night to take a leak, and I laughed him off for a minute before I concluded he was deadly serious...I peed from the elevated porch that night.

Hi Judge, off topic but I gotta know. Is this you judging a beauty contest? (top photo )

I didn't know that picture was on the net.

Below is me with the winner.