The Magic of the Night

A night at the waterhole

Wildlife. Watching wildlife is fascinating. In a world where humans try to captivate everyone and everything, it is what we are looking for. The rawness of the wild. Animals are still in their natural environment.

That is why we go on safari. And that is why we sit for hours at waterholes waiting for the show to begin. The show of the wild animals of Africa.

Spending several years living in Africa I’ve been on a few safaris and got to experience amazing encounters with wildlife. I can call myself lucky to have seen all of the big five and many more.

One of my favorite things to do after a long day of driving through nature is to sit at the waterhole in the camp and wait for the animals. Campsites in national parks are usually located next to a natural or man-made waterhole which does attract lots of animals from close and far. After sunset, the show begins.

As the light disappears the crowd of people waiting for the wildlife to show up grows. But as the first animals arrive it gets quiet. Nobody talks. You only hear the clicking sound of the cameras. And sometimes you can even hear the sound the animals make when they drink.

Magic. Those moments.

A lone black rhino arrives at the waterhole. We all watched it arriving through the bushes. It looks into the crowd. Then glances to the dark. There is no other animal in sight.

The rhino walks a couple of steps into the pond. Cools down its legs. And starts to drink. We can hear it drinking.

I’m holding my breath. Is this real? There is a rhino. One of the most hunted animals on the African continent. And therefore one of the rarest ones to spot.

While I still can’t believe what just happened I don’t realize the arrival of other animals. Just as they appear in the light at the waterhole I get to see to them.

More rhinos! Including a mother with a young one. They all come to drink. And they drink a lot. They remain very quiet. Barely make a sound. Apart from the young rhino. It decides to chase some jackals which are trying to drink water too.

It’s a magic night.

I’ve never seen in my life that many rhinos. In total not even. And now they are all here. At the same time. At the same spot. And they barely move. So that I can capture them despite having very little light to work with.

As the rhinos leave the waterhole I decide I’ve seen enough. Enough to walk away with a big smile on my face. Still rubbing my eyes now and then, asking myself if this really happened.

Back at the camp I go to bed and fall asleep thinking of rhinos.

The following night we’re staying at a different camp. We’ve had a wonderful day filled with lots of game drives and amazing encounters. Yet we haven’t seen an elephant. They seem to hide from us.

Until now.

We hear them from far. Asking ourselves if they would come closer. The sun is long gone already. Some jackals are running around the waterhole. Then we see the elephant. One lone elephant bull is approaching the waterhole. Birds and jackals seek the distance.

It’s a huge animal. Majestic.

But he’s not alone. After he checked out the area and cleared it for safety the rest of the herd arrives.

The herd is drinking. Some of them are even splashing themselves with water. It’s a beautiful scene. The tension is gone. Smaller animals came back. They keep a safe distance from the elephants, but they come to drink water too.

Always having one eye on the gentle giant.

Zebras and Oryx approach the site. They stay in the background. Waiting for the herd of elephants to move on. Which can take a long time. Elephants drink a lot. And therefore they can occupy a waterhole for some hours.

But the other animals are patient. They know their time will come. And then they get to drink too.

Because that is what’s it’s about. Drink enough water to stay hydrated. Stay alert to escape before the predator is approaching.

I like zebras too. Even though they might not be so rare to spot. Especially during daytime, you will see them a lot. Yet they are special too. I love their stripes. They make them unique.

And at night time the white stands out even more in between the black stripes. Or is it the other way around? It doesn’t matter. They are beautiful too!

And this is how another night comes to an end. And that is why I will never get enough from going on safari. From going on game drives and watching wildlife. Because this is nature at its best. It’s the raw life in the wild.

That is what fascinates us. A life which isn’t dominated by humans (that much). A life where animals are in the middle of the show. A place where we are only spectators. A place where we won’t survive if we don’t follow their rules.

In the wild of Africa, the animals lead the show.