00:11, Saturday, 27 July, 2013

Late November – Mid December (Continued)

It was getting frustrating.  The lions and lionesses just wouldn’t lift their heads for ID photos.  Time and time again, even when tourists weren’t around and we waited for a good chunk of time.  Poor Dave; the individual column in the spreadsheet I kept for his large cat data was overloaded with “unIDlioness1” and “unIDlioness2” and “unIDsubadultmalelion”s.  It had to stop.

Well, I had brought along my harmonica to Kenya.  Good thing, since I literally dreamt the first week that I had a piano sent to the bush.  At least I still had some access to an instrument of sorts.  I do pity the birds, lizards and monkeys who had to hear me figuring the darn thing out – as a rule I tried to keep it to my tent or down by the river so no Homo sapiens heard.  But eventually I could play a solid two or three songs and a scale (nothing impressive by any means).  One day, on my tenth time playing “See This Man Before You Lord”, it hit me.  A novel sound was right at my fingertips.  Surely even lions would be curious enough to lift their heads if I blew a harmonica!  I felt like a genius, and began to pack my harmonica for each obs.

I waited a couple weeks until the opportunity finally arose.  I was out with Charlie on morning obs, when down near Euphorbia Lugga we found three full-grown males, no tourists in sight.  We readied our cameras, and it was time.  I put the harmonica to my lips and blew lightly.  Nothing.  Not even a flinch.  So I blew harder.  Nothing.  I could not believe that these lions just didn’t care that much; I mean, I understand being kings of the jungle and all, but really.  I blew out all the air in my lungs, and they just lay there sleeping.  We were flabbergasted, watching as they didn’t even so much as bat an eyelid. Yet there’s no way they had ever heard a sound like that of a harmonica before.  Eventually I just gave into the laughter and stopped trying. Suddenly I understood Ali the lion researcher’s absolute delight in coming with us on hyena obs.  Next time I’ll hire a whole drum line to stand outside the car with meat sprinkled atop the instruments.  Although honestly, that probably wouldn’t work either.

Another good half hour or so and we caught at least one side of each at intermittent stretches.  Yep, it turned out to be Mozart and his band of composers.  During one of the brief stretches that assured us he had not died, Mozart pulled his paws right into his chest as though hugging himself.  It’s such a paradoxical feeling when the fierce king of the jungle suddenly shows himself to be unbearably cute.

Our adventures with lions around that time continued.  One evening we were checking out Helicopter Crossing again, hoping it had become crossable so we could attempt to find Fig Tree.  We got out of the car and ventured down to the river.  It looked good!  I told Charlie and Wilson to head back up to the car; I’d be up shortly, but I had to pee quick.  So I did what I had to do, and climbed back up.  That is when Charlie, edged against the car, pointed; there were lions right there.  I looked over to see Wilson, who had also gone off to pee around 10m from the back of the car, face to face with a growling and hissing lioness.  She was not 20m from him, and he pulled out his panga as she mock-charged him with two leaps forward.  I yelled at him to just get back to the car, but testosterone or some other awful idiotic hormone must have told him otherwise.  He stood staring her down, provoking her.  I became furious in my fear for him.  This was ridiculous.  He was going to get hurt or hurt this lioness when he could just ease safely back to the car.  I was nearly shaking with fear as I started to step out toward him, with the aim of grabbing onto his sleeve and forcing him back toward the car.  I think he got how angry I was then, and met me halfway, at which time we all returned to the vehicle and got safely inside.  I cannot describe the feeling of adrenaline that had welled up inside of me, reminiscent of Radon's darting when the lionesses emerged from the bushes.  The fight or flight reflex is amazing.  Clearly that lioness must have been hiding cubs, or she wouldn’t have been so bold.  We drove around to get ID pictures of her and the other three lionesses back in the tall grass.  Our brave lioness flattened her ears and growled low as we drove past.  These ladies were near a mound that I suspected was actually part of a den.

What an evening.