WRITING PROMPT RESPONSE

A Surprise Out of the Bush

I saw something but never expected that

We had entered the National Park and had just driven a few meters past the gate when I suddenly stopped the car. I had seen something in the bush. But I didn’t know yet what it was.

It was in 2015 and I was still relatively new on the African continent. I was about 3 months into my stay in Namibia which ended up being 5 years (I only planned on staying 3 months back then). I was excited about everything that awaited me behind the next corner and was convinced nothing could stop me anymore.

A few months earlier that year I experienced the first African safari. Within a matter of five days, I saw the Big Five and many more. Experiencing the mighty wilderness of the Serengeti in Tanzania was a long dream of mine that had come true.

But now, everything was different. There was no guide, driver, or cook with me. It was just me and a friend of mine. A friend who knew less about gravel roads, wild animals, and tracking footprints in the wild than I did.

And I didn’t know much. I just thought I did.

It was a school friend of mine who was visiting me in the country and I had taken a week off from work to go on a road trip with her. We rented the smallest and cheapest sedan car available and off we went.

Into the vastness of the Namibian wilderness.

We drove through deserted landscapes and visited waterfalls. We passed giraffes on the road and local villages in the middle of nowhere.

I say we but it was only me who was driving. While my friend was nose deep in her lectures. She was studying while I was driving through the most spectacular landscapes we both had ever seen.

No, this friendship didn’t last.

However, there is still this one special moment about this trip I will never forget.

Towards the end of the week, we were driving to Namibia’s most famous national park.

Etosha National Park.

It is one of the largest national parks in Africa and has the size of half of Switzerland (or the Netherlands). The game park is home to an incredible number of species and ends up being the highlight of many visitors to the country.

Back to my story.

It was my first time doing a self-drive safari and my first time entering this national park. With my friend next to me I was put under pressure to show her some animals but before I could even think about that it happened.

We were driving on this gravel road with lots of bushland to the sides. It was dry season and the landscape looked rather sad.

I saw something moving. There was something I picked up on the right. Somewhere in the bush was an animal. I was sure about it. I didn’t know what it was but I stopped the car.

My friend looked up from her papers on her lap and asked me what I was doing.

Sshhhh.

By now I had spotted and identified the animal already but didn’t want to believe my eyes.

A leopard.

Right there. And I was pointing now in the direction.

The leopard was appearing out of the bush. Slowly. But somewhat majestically.

He sat down. And looked us in the eye. A moment of silence.

The leopard was less than 5 meters from our car. I told my friend to quickly close the window.

The leopard got up.

And crossed the road in front of our car. Slowly but surely he got to the other side.

By now other cars had stopped behind and in front of us. But I hadn't stopped because someone else was standing there. I was the first car to stop and the first person to spot this animal so rare to see in the wild.

I was amazed. Excited. A little bit scared. And surely held my breath.

I had seen a leopard in the wild only a few months prior to this encounter. But I was with a guide. He followed radio instructions from another guide to drive us to the leopard sighting.

But this was all different.

And just as quickly as he appeared from the bush, he was gone again.

Just like that.

Gone.

“Next one please!” My friend was breaking the silence.

Wait, what? I was still touched by the moment. I couldn’t move. I was still busy taking in what I had just experienced. Such a special wildlife encounter.

And my friend was telling me to show her the next animal, please. If possible a lion now.

Really?

I was still not able to turn back on the engine and continue driving.

I was just staring at her.

Speechless.

About what I had just seen. And heard. Her reaction threw me out of my trance and this might have been the beginning of the end of our friendship. I don’t know but I might be right.

Throughout the following 2 days, we spotted lions, elephants, rhinos, countless herds of antelopes, zebras and I don’t know what else. But none of the other sightings were able to top this surprise out of the bush.

And years later when I was telling my Namibian friends about the day I spotted a leopard in Etosha they didn’t want to believe me. They thought I was talking about a cheetah. I had to show them the picture of the leopard.

That is how rare it is to see a leopard in Namibia. Even tour guides like my husband who roam(ed) the park grounds day in and day out don’t see leopards on a regular basis. It’s definitely a scarce encounter.

And I experienced it. Together with a person who had no idea how special it was to see a leopard, not in a zoo. But in the wild. Or was willing to understand it.

It anyway occurred to me as if she was looking for wildlife like ticking them off a list.

However, this surprise will remain in my memory forever. And I am so glad I got lucky to see the leopard in the bush.

“If we can teach people about wildlife, they will be touched. Share my wildlife with me. Because humans want to save things that they love.” — Steve Irwin

This was a late response to the Weeds & Wildflowers writing prompt of March.

“The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans. Our challenge for the future is that we realize we are very much a part of the earth’s ecosystem, and we must learn to respect and live according to the basic biological laws of nature.” — Jim Fowler

More about my adventures in Namibia and wildlife encounters in Africa:

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