Eager to
start our day, we were at the gate in the dark and slowly, full of expectancy,
we drove to the first water hole. It barely got lighter and we realised we were
driving in grey, impenetrable mist and could not see a thing. When we got to
Hapoor water hole, despondent,
we decided to wait hoping the sun would eventually come through this heavy,
lazy mist and we would see something.
Soundlessly,
a hyena materialised next to the car, walking towards the water. Then two
youngsters appeared in front of us and came to sniff the tires and sure enough their
curiosity made them inspect us from so close, I could hardly frame them in my
view finder. Eventually, six of them sniffed around and picked up old bones for
a game interrupted by a little spot of mating.
By that
stage, a golden sun tried desperately to pierce the mist and this is
when one of the hyenas came running back into the water for a bath and some
playful splashing. Backlit it was an extraordinary fantasy with golden streams
running off its body. We were breathless with excitement.
This incredible
sighting was followed by another most entertaining one when a silent family of
elephants appeared for a drink and we could observe the little ones being
protected an always kept in the center of the group.
For the
next two mornings, seven hyenas emerged from the persisting, thick, haunting
mist to come and drink from the water hole right next to the car.
It was
simply astounding to see buffalo’s and elephants shrouded in mist which gave
the scenes such an unexpected ghostly feeling.
We had a marvelous
time, the game, birds, dung beetles and thunderstorms were magnificent.
