Good Morning Okaukuejo

Startled; I’m wide awake, this is not a totally unusual experience sleeping in a tent in Africa, but at 3:15 in the morning I am on guard. This is a noise I have not heard yet on this trip in Africa but it is a noise that is familiar. I rack my brain and realise that the last time I heard this was  in the same campground five years ago. The noise I am talking about is the sound of a lion coughing! Five years ago I could not have been more petrified, this time I roll over and go back to sleep knowing that there is nothing we can do.

Again; wide awake, however this time it is due to excitement; it is 4:45 and I am fixing the head torch, openig the tent, wrapping myself in our blanket from Chefchaouen and off at a brisk pace to the watering hole. We are staying at the Okaukuejo rest camp in the Etosha National Park and with every rest camp comes a flood lit watering hole. Apart from Shaun and Karen, the watering hole is devoid of people watching what is to become one of the finest wildlife experiences of my life. Bar the ever present jackal, the watering hole is also apparently devoid of wildlife.

On making a beeline for Shaun and Karen sitting in the small grandstand we notice the king of all beasts walking towards us at a range of less than 100 metres. We know the chances of the lion seeing us, wanting to eat us and even getting up the protective wires are slim… it doesn’t stop us thinking that maybe we should just run and hide! As we sit down beside Shaun and Karen we point out the lion and suddenly six more brush the cover of darkness aside and saunter into view (four lionesses and two cubs). The male lion and one female companion walk down to the edge of the watering hole where the male starts to quench his thurst with long, loud slurps whilst the female keeps guard; this lasts the best part of five minutes. Spellbound by what we are seeing and hearing we keep switching view from the male at the watering hole to the five left behind. Every now and again you can distinctly hear the crunching of bones and it would appear that the pride have made a kill and are getting their fill, so close that we can almost taste it.

Having had his fill of water he gracefuly walks back to his pride; slightly obscured now by brush he lays down to rest; but rest is always short lived in Africa. No sooner had he laid his weary body down than another male in close proximity starts coughing and then roaring; the hairs on the back of my neck are standing tall and goose bumps have enveloped my arms in the cool African morning. It is one thing to see this from the comfort of a car but to see it from our vantage point is something beyond words… particularly when our lion decides to make his presence known to the unseen male. With a few brief coughs and a couple of gentle attempts at roaring he awakens the beast within himself and within his pride and the sound is the most incredible thing I have heard… Five lions roaring, putting down a marker that this is their patch and wont be easily evicted… what a moment!

All before 6AM!

Oh well, off to setup the camp kitchen, light the fire, boil the kettle, pack away the tent and prepare for a 7AM departure for another morning of games driving and essentially just living the dream.