As I said, I have just now (after six years on this forum) learned to post picures. I'm like a kid in a candy shop, so if I get too rambunctious, please ignore me.

Anyway, there were some other interesting occurences on this safari not talked about in the other post. One happened while we were tracking buffalo on that first day, before I got my shot. We had been up on this heard three of four times already, getting busted each time. On this occasion, we were again busted, however when the heard took off, we suddenly heard a tremendous amount of thrashing coming from the bush where they ran.

Thinking the noise would soon abate, we stood there and listened, only the thrashing sound increased. Henry (the PH) and one of the trackers conferred in Shona and came to the conclusion that one of the buff had run into a snare and was struggling to get free. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurence in the Save.

We cautiously advanced, rifles at the ready. It was decided that if it were an adult, we would shoot it as PAC, and it would not count against my, or Jumbo's quota (the ARDA game scout was in agreement with this). However when we finally got there, we discovered the entrapped animal was a calf! After another pow-wow in Shona-eze (is that a word?) The decison was made to try and free it.

Henry drew his trusty Leatherman and handed me his rifle. "You need to stand guard in case mama comes looking," he said. "Don't hesitate to shoot if you see her. She will try to kill us."

Grateful for the confidence shown in my shooting abilites I dutifully took my post as the three trackers and Henry tackled the young buff and set about trying to cut the snare from around the bawling young buff's neck.

Unfortunately, snare wire used by poachers is very, very tough, and the operation took quite a bit of time, making me more and more nervous about who was hearing the commotion off in the not-too-distant bush. But not wanting to miss recording a unique safari moment, I did manage to snap a few pictures, without taking my eyes off the landscape. Something about "she will try to kill us" had gotten my attention.

Finally, the wire around the little buff's neck relented and Henry and the trackers let the young bull (that's what it was) go. Who says you can only practice catch and release in fishing?

When it was over, Henry looked at his Leatherman and found that the tough wire had ruined the cutting tool. "Oh well", he said, "such is the price of conservation."

This blurry shot is when they first tackled it


Down he goes


Cutting the wire






Nyati, Nyati Everywhere, and Not a One to Shoot!

Several days after I lost my buffalo, we were taking a leopard bait to the tree when one of the trackers suddenly loudly whispers "Nyati, Nyati!" Now after three days of tracking wounded buff, I well knew what this word meant.

I looked to the bush to my left, and this is what I finally was able to make out.


They didn't study us too terribly long before deciding that his spot may not be where they want to spend the day.


Covey Bust!


Henry said it was just as well that I had already "filled" my quota, as these all were too soft in the boss anyway. Yeah, Right, look at the curl on that first one staring at us. My taxidermist can build a dang boss! Oh well, c'est le guerre, as they in France.



Anyone for a Game of Rhino?

As you may know, the Save Conservancy was created primarily to serve as a black rhino reserve. Even though there are quite a few of them there, they are seldom encountered, as they are quite shy and stick to the heavy bush. Well I must be a very lucky person, as we not only encountered black rhino in the bush (no picutures as Henry wanted to get the hell out of there), but also these three, what we think to be (you tell me), white rhino feeding in long grass. I snapped about five rolls of film, as I surmised that driving up on three rhino in the wild would not be an all-too-common experience in my life.







Well you pretty much have heard it all -- well, not all -- as I never told the story of the four lions running a heard of wildebeest over us in the pitch dark of an African night while in a leopard blind. Ah, it doesn't matter; there's no pictures anyway.

Nice stories. Henry will get another Leatherman as a tip sometime.

That first buff photo is not real clear but it looks like a lot of horn.

I haven't seen rhinos in the wild yet. It's memories like these that make the trip.

The little stories about unanticpated and interesting events are what can really set a safari (and a report) apart. Thanks.

Excellent GA!

never comented on all the wonderful stories here,let me break "this" ice by saying thank you for sharing your words.
what adventures must lie ahead for us all?

Outstanding!