| Every now and again on safari you get a magic | | | | and I set off for a full day in the Serengeti. Within |
| twenty-four hour period where the game decides | | | | half an hour of entering the park we spotted a |
| to put on a spectacular show. It's the safari | | | | large female leopard just 10 metres from the |
| equivalent of a winning run and when you are on | | | | track. She kindly paraded on the road in front of |
| a roll there is no stopping it. I'd experienced one | | | | us before making off into the undergrowth to |
| of these runs in Botswana last year where I had | | | | preen herself. The magic was still there, we were |
| had an unprecedented day of wildlife viewing, but | | | | on a roll. The main event, however, was still to |
| for sheer thrill nothing beats witnessing a kill from | | | | come. Deciding to make short stop for breakfast |
| start to finish, 20 metres from your Land Cruiser, | | | | we parked on top of a small, rocky kopje and |
| especially if it’s your first. | | | | surveyed the land below with our binoculars. |
| But the adventure had started the day before, | | | | Bisecting the foreground was a stream and a |
| with a wild dog chase. | | | | small water hole. On one side were several |
| Up on the border of the Serengeti, Nomad | | | | groups of grazing zebra and impala and on the |
| Safaris’ semi-permanent camp is set in the | | | | other side, lion. One, two no hang on four, five. |
| northern section of Tanzania's Loliondo Game | | | | Okay, wait a minute, eighteen! They sat there, |
| Concession. I was catching a quick after-lunch | | | | waiting as we drank our tea. They looked like |
| snooze in my tent, when my guide Annaeli came | | | | very hungry lions, eyes fixed on the nearby |
| rushing up. "Charlie, Charlie, would you like to see | | | | herds. Then their breakfast turned up. A lone |
| something special?" Shaking the sleep from my | | | | buffalo and her calf entered the scene from the |
| head I instinctively said yes, hoping he wasn't | | | | right, heading to the waterhole. The zebra and |
| about to wave a big snake in my face. "Cornelius | | | | impala looked on with expressions that echoed |
| has spotted some wild dog!” | | | | what Annaeli and I both said together, "You don't |
| Wild dog have rarely been seen in the northern | | | | want to be wandering over there alone." Realising |
| Serengeti, let alone outside the park boundaries | | | | that the area in front us was about to become a |
| where they’re seen as a pest by Masai | | | | killing field, we threw our tea out the window and |
| farmers. Grabbing my camera equipment I could | | | | sped off down the hill. |
| lay my hands on, I burst through my tent flaps | | | | What ensued was a truly amazing spectacle, |
| and ran up to the Land Cruiser. I threw my stuff | | | | something I never thought I would witness at |
| in the back we sped off. | | | | such close proximity. Three dominant lionesses |
| "They are about 10km away", Annaeli explained, | | | | headed the charge, barely stalking, aware that the |
| pointing to some hills on the horizon. As we | | | | buffalo and her calf stood little chance of escape. |
| bumped through the undergrowth I could see the | | | | They were followed by cubs of various ages. The |
| excitement in his beaming smile and wide eyes. I | | | | calf was taken almost instantaneously, succumbing |
| was trying in vain to change camera lenses, not | | | | to some of the larger cubs. The mother put up |
| the best thing to do when you are moving at | | | | some resistance by trying to submerge herself in |
| speed off-road. Wild dog move fast and we were | | | | the shallow water, but even though lions do not |
| in hot pursuit.... what a chase. After half an | | | | like water they were not put off. Leaping from all |
| hour’s driving we spotted Cornelius' vehicle | | | | angles and avoiding the buffalo’s large |
| and saw it was empty. | | | | horns, the three lionesses swiftly bought the cow |
| Cornelius was standing further down the hill with | | | | down, and half an hour later she was dead. Her |
| Jackie and Lee (two other guests) and two Masai | | | | muffled cries had attracted some help in the form |
| herdsmen. If the dogs were there, they must | | | | of half a dozen other buffalo, but seeing just how |
| have gone by now. But no, as we tip-toed up to | | | | many lions were there, they soon decided it was |
| them we saw eight wild dog, playing in the late | | | | not a good idea to stick around. |
| afternoon sunshine less than 300 metres away. | | | | Although the gore of a kill doesn't appeal to |
| Almost entirely black, they gave us cautious | | | | everyone, the social interaction between the lions |
| sidelong glances for about twenty minutes before | | | | was a special sight. The kill sent a spark through |
| moving out of sight behind a clump of trees. | | | | the whole pride. Younger cubs jumped around not |
| Round the fire that evening we debated whether | | | | knowing quite what to do, while older cubs |
| the dogs would stay and den. | | | | squabbled over the soft meat of the calf. The |
| Ideally they needed to move inside the Serengeti | | | | three dominant females sat as sentries in key |
| where they would be protected. If they | | | | spots to ward of any poaching hyenas. Then the |
| interfered with the Masai and their cattle this was | | | | birds arrived; hooded and white backed vultures |
| likely to result in a conflict that would see them | | | | first, followed by a couple of tawny eagles and a |
| forced out of the area. Cornelius and Annaeli | | | | whole squadron of marabou stalks . With so much |
| explained that this was a very important sighting. | | | | going on I had to try hard not spend my whole |
| They had already contacted various wild dog | | | | time peering down a camera lense, but the photo |
| enthusiasts over the radio and word was | | | | opportunities were irristable. |
| spreading through Arusha, northern | | | | We sat and watched for well over three hours. It |
| Tanzania’s safari capital. | | | | felt like an initiation to me. |
| Up early the next morning, with me still thinking | | | | We had witnessed what the natural world is all |
| how lucky I'd been to see the wild dog, Annaeli | | | | about. Life and death. |