Confronting the Untamed: My Wild Encounter in the African Savanna

Story time !

Today I’m going to share with you one of the most exceptional encounters I’ve ever had.

This happened close to 10 years ago. I was young and far more reckless back then (my wife would kill me if I did something similar today).

The story takes place in probably the most beautiful natural park in the world: Serengeti National Park.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Serengeti, it’s a protected area located in the northern part of Tanzania, bordering Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve.

The park is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including the famous African “Big Five”: lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinoceroses.

The Serengeti is not only a wildlife sanctuary but an important cultural area as well, home to the Maasai people who’ve lived in the region for thousands of years.

• Context

Before moving to Argentina in 2015, I moved back in with my parents — who lived in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) at that time — for a few months.

Ethiopia shares its borders with both Tanzania and Kenya, so flying to both was cheap and took an average of 3 hours (give or take).

I wasn’t doing much at that time. Having just graduated college and left my MBA in Sydney (long story), I was literally just chilling, working out and spending close to nothing each month.

That, in turn, meant I was saving thousands of dollars in expenses (I miss those days ^^).

Doing so presented me with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, an opportunity to check something new off my bucket list.

And that I did.

Planning for this trip filled me with not just excitement but high expectations. I was eager to behold the stunning beauty of the African wilderness and its wondrous inhabitants.

• All Aboard !

First of all, I was on a guided tour.

Pro-tip: Never purchase tours from abroad, they’re 3x more expensive. Grab your tickets locally. Thank me later !

I flew from Arusha to Kilimanjaro Intl Airport where Juma, the tour guide, picked me up. We headed straight to the resort where I’d be staying, thus avoiding paying extra for a night in a hotel.

As we drove to the resort, Juma was already on his A game, searching for animal tracks, gesturing towards distant herds of animals and the beauty of the plains around us.

The deeper we drove into the savanna, the more exciting it got. It took us no time to catch a first glimpse of elephants, zebras and wildebeests. The latter were EVERYWHERE.

The first night was quiet. I went to bed early as I was informed the tour would start at 6AM. I wanted to be ready.

My first day was everything I’d imagined and more. We genuinely saw all the animals you’d expect from a David Attenborough type-doc on Nat Geo Wild: Elephants, LIONS, Zebras, Buffalos, Giraffes, you name it !

• Pause

Before I go on with my story, I want to emphasize something here:

Listen, life is all about priorities and I know some of my readers won’t be able to afford such trip, but for those of you who can, and those of you who want to experience something extraordinary, I HIGHLY encourage you to do it, to plan for it, to save for it. It’s worth every dime and more.

It’s a MUST in one’s lifetime.

Go on your own, go with your partner, go with the kids, go with your parents, just go !

Reading about the experience is nice but experiencing such emotions and feelings is totally different, it’s breathtaking and it stays with you till the day you die.

• Back to my story

As the second day rolled in, I decided to take a stroll in the “village” where I was staying.

The resort was amazing, traditional and comfortable. It wasn’t a 5-star tour, I couldn’t afford it, but it was authentic and had all I needed to feel at ease.

As I walked around with excitement, I noticed the entrance wasn’t guarded. It was your average steel gate, nothing exceptional.

I don’t know what got into me that day but my smart-a** felt like peeking at the “outside” for a brief moment.

Outside was outside the resort, by the way, so basically the middle of the savanna where the Big Five live.

Anyway, so I nervously open the door, hoping to see something, but to my disappointment, there was nothing, just a distant tree with low-lying branches and some bushes, a common sight in this region.

Sure enough, I thought to myself “let’s explore some more then, this looks safe”.

• Vulnerability

As I approached the tree, I was actually beset by a cocktail of emotions — a mixture of awe and fear.

I slowly realized what was going on.

While I was acutely aware of my vulnerability in the vast expanse surrounding me, I maintained a high sense of perspective, grounded in the knowledge that the threshold of safety (the gate) was within relatively close proximity.

Also, I reasoned that the nocturnal hunting habits of most predators mitigated the likelihood of encountering them during my present circumstance. Perfect, but not really.

What I didn’t consider was that leopards rest and stash their kills on trees. Oops !

• Encounter

There it was, a few feet away from where I was standing..

A magnificent leopard !

Now look, as much as I love the thrill, I must admit I was scared shitless that day, absolutely petrified at the thought of it waking up. A face to face encounter with this formidable predator would’ve been the end of me, right there and then.

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a leopard up close, but these creatures are stunning, boasting an incredible combination of golden-yellow and black spots.

Their bodies are agile, muscular and compact, with powerful legs and sharp claws, which is why they climb trees so effortlessly.

Furthermore, leopards are masters of hunting, stealthy and surgical.

And there I was, looking at it, realizing just how dumb I was for being out there.

As I stood there, I found myself holding my breath, knowing that any sudden movements could startle it and put me in serious danger. My heart was pounding in my chest. It felt like time stopped for a moment. I froze.

The sounds of the savanna faded away. I was lost in the moment.

For a second, I felt as if I was the only person in the world, and the leopard and I were sharing a special moment.

As I was about to head back into the resort, the leopard suddenly opened its eyes and fixed its gaze upon me.

I froze again, this time unable to move, as the leopard shifted its weight and tensed its muscles.

Have you ever had one of those nightmares where you’re just powerless or extremely slow compared to real life ? That’s how I felt that day.

But then, and just as quickly as it had tensed, the leopard simply blinked, as if to say, “It’s cool, I’m not concerned.” It then went back to sleep, completely at ease in my presence.

I stood there for what felt like an eternity, watching the leopard and feeling a deep connection to it.

Despite my initial fear, I became filled with an odd sense of wonder at the beauty and majesty of nature. God really is great.

I released a deep, yet silent sigh of relief, thanked Him to have averted what could have been a disastrous outcome and started walking back, slowly.

• Takeaway

This event taught me something extremely valuable about balance and fate. It was a reminder of the delicate balance between man and nature, and how close we are to death, often without realizing it.

It also taught me that in the rawness and beauty of the African savanna, things change FAST, and even in moments of peace and stillness, nature always retains its untamed spirit.

So my friend, if you’re reading this, keep in mind that nature is unpredictable, so always approach the wilderness with utmost humility, but don’t lose your sense of wonder.

That encounter, although accidental, deepened my connection to the natural world.

There you have it. If you want to read more of my work, follow me and subscribe to my newsletter by clicking HERE.

Peace!

Tee.