Just because…

Seven years ago during one of my stints in Ruaha I almost ended up in deeper water than I could handle…herewith my account and excuse…

Any photographer, or philosopher, knows that there is profound value in perspective.

Fancying myself as a bit of both, I deliberately pursued the expansion of my perspectives.

Instead of the anticipated classical prestige, what this translated into, beautifully showcased that besides part photographer and philosopher, there was also a healthy part idiot at play.

As the sun was busy setting and we were supposed to be heading back to camp, I decided to hang about with the local lion pride for a bit longer to see if they would eventually emerge from the dense foliage and head down to the Mwagusi for a drink. Enjoying a sundowner drink in the vehicle while we wait, dusk strengthened and the light faded as fast as my hopes for a better sighting.

As we packed away the last drinks before calling it a day, the first lioness appeared from the shady hideaway to our left and started for the river to our right. She crossed the open plain and then the track behind us before the second lioness and large pride-male started following. I gasped in excitement as suddenly I was inspired to “change my perspective”. Knowing I only had a few seconds before my golden opportunity to fame and enlightenment would set like the sun, I slipped from my driver’s seat (door had been removed) to the ground and laid down prone awaiting the two lions to emerge from behind the vehicle as they pass in the same track as the first lioness. I was set!

With my 17-40mm lens set to about 40mm, I didn’t even have time to double-check exposure before I knew I had to freeze in situ lest I get noticed by the passing lions.

Laying parallel to and almost under the vehicle facing the rear, I was confident that they would just walk by, I expose a few frames…and that would be that…well…I was wrong!

Normally wildlife which have been habituated to the non-threatening presence of humans in vehicles, do not give us a second glance and this allows for a certain level of creativity.

As the male emerged from behind the Landy, I released the first shutter…it surprisingly drew his attention and he slowed as we locked eyes…then he stopped entirely!

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Time seemed to become something very theoretical and relative.

Still in a mental comfort-zone due to being virtually under the vehicle, I continued shooting a few frames, revelling in the great new perspective of my images. For extra perspective, I zoomed all the way out and the final shot in this blog was taken at 17mm…and for the non-photographers, that is very wide!

Only once the photographic opportunities were exploited and I had captured what I wanted (and wanted to head home), reality stared me in the eyes…like this 250kg lion no more than 5m from where I lay!

I was trapped.

Having found myself in some precarious situations before, I didn’t fret too much as most often the animal in question loses interest and depart fairly soon.

Today however will prove to be different.

Keeping absolutely quiet and making only the slightest of movements when at all, I played the waiting game. I was in a comfortable position and except for being illegally out after sunset, I had no extraneous pressure.

After what felt like an eternity, the male lion whom we named Macho ma Kali (he with the fierce eyes) decided that instead of walking away like I anticipated, he would take a step or two closer and lay down facing me directly, occasionally growling…this unsettled both my guests in the vehicle and me thereunder.

Having an annoyed brute of a lion laying less than 5m from where I was laying, all his attention on me…was new.

I realised that my only escape would be…wait for it…to roll under the Landy to reach the opposite side of the vehicle and then get in from the passenger side. This would be an easy feat…if it weren’t for my not-so-petite-physique

With no alternatives, I had to at least try.

Slowly wriggling and shifting my bulk, like a caterpillar in distress, I got my legs and hips fully under the chassis and with a sigh of relief, realised that even the rest of me might just pass.

Under intense scrutiny and the odd growl, Macho watched me wriggle my way past the prop-shaft and finally out on the other side. Slowly getting up and clambering into the Landy and over my guests, we were eventually ready to depart for camp…relieved is not strong enough a word to describe the elation experienced by everyone in the Landy.

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I firmly believe that obtaining a different perspective to your norm, can be illuminating and usher in a new awareness and appreciation…like that for measured behaviour. 

The moral I extracted from this specific experience was to be very judicious in your pursuit of new perspectives, and is perfectly encapsulated in the anonymous quote:

Just because you can, does not mean that you should!

Yours in perspectives

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“Savage” Harvest…