Sleeping Giants
Hello out there,
Driving by yourself through a wildlife reservoir can be quite intimidating since you never know, what is expecting you around the next curve. It might be just a harmless warthog or antelope, which is curiously watching you. But it can also be a bit more frightening animal. I guess everybody, even though sitting in a car, would probably flinch, if a lion or full grown elephant would suddenly stand right in front of them.
On our safari drive through the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park in eastern South Africa for example, we made just such a startling experience. We had been driving around the park for quite some time, without any luck to spot animals. Therefore did we decided to drive to a waterhole, where we spotted a lion the day before.
Probably due to the lack of success in the last hours, we were not as vigilant as in the morning and therefore did not drive very foresightful trough the densely overgrown area towards the waterhole. And of course, happened what must happen.
Behind a long curve, suddenly three rhinos were laying in between the bushes, right next to the street. Everybody inside the car winced and hushed, subconsciously not wanting to wake them up. Very slowly, did we pass them and stopped a bit further down the road, to observe them. Now everybody was completely vigilant again, except the rhinos, which still seemed to be asleep. So did I lift up my camera, which had been laying on my lap and pointed it at them, to capture this memorable scene. And after dialing in the settings, I just press the shutter.