Estasha Park
Botswana
Thursday, July 12, 2001
I wake up at 6:30 AM and the stars are just as bright as
when I went to bed last night. They stay up for another hour and a half. Then
the sun slowly melts them away.
I’m up so early because I have a long drive ahead of me
today. I am off to Estasha Park, which is a large big-game reserve and
campground. Our campsite sits on the edge of a man-made waterhole. A wall
surrounds the perimeter of the watering hole which attracts an abundance of
wildlife. Bleachers and stadium lights
allow us humans to watch one majestic animal after another wander up to take a
drink anytime day or night.
Hundreds of people from the campsite lean on the surrounding
wall and look on as animals slowly parade in front of us. There’s an unwritten
rule of silence so as to not disturb the animals. However I can cleary hear
background noises of barbecues, parties and excitement. As the sun sets, we all
anticipate the arrival of the big animals. Everyone wants to see the really big
animals. The lion is the biggest draw.
I sit on the bleachers for hours and watch this parade of animals
emerge right before my eyes. Everything is quiet around the wall and then there
is a buzz. Lions have come to the watering hole. We all scurry to find an open
place against the wall. Two female lions are taking water and hundreds of
cameras are taking in their every move. Also joining the lions are zebras,
springbok, rhinos, elephants and birds.
The elephants are fun to watch. They are clumsy and seem to
lose focus. They will move forward, lift a foot and leave it up in the air for
a few minutes. It’s almost as if they forgotten why they lifted their foot in
the first place. Zebras come in a pack. They walk in from the dark horizon in
single file. They come from nowhere and
then they just emerge and they walked to the water hole with great order. When
it is time to go, one of them takes the lead and leaves. The others follow
right behind. Then they disappear from my view.
There are great birds
here. Plovers swim and skip between the
mammals. They’re underfoot of the huge elephants but always seem to get out just
in the knick of time before they stumped on. A juvenile springbok comes to the
waterhole by itself. It looks too young to be on its own and looks like fair
game for any one of its numerous predators. Jackals run around the parameter of
the water hole and they seem so small and sneaky compared to the other animals.
The rhinos are fat and dull. They stay and drink for a long time but they don’t
entertain the crowd. Sometimes they sit so still, I forget they are even there.
I have been watching for hours now. And I could watch for
the rest of the night if I weren’t so damn tired but I have to go to bed. I
leave the hole at 10:30, begrudgingly. I can barley keep my eyes opened but it
pains me to surrender to tiredness.