Walking Safari
August, 1999
Dave Newburn and I went on a "Walking Safari" in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. Dave had planned this trip months in advance by telephone, and I was lucky that his friend cancelled. This photo shows us re-packing things at Victoria Falls campsite in preparations for the trip.
At the park, we were introduced to 2 rangers, Alex and Moses. They led us on our 4 day journey. A land rover dropped the 4 of us off at a point deep in the national park.
Most people who see animals in Africa view them from an automobile. A walking safari means that we are on foot. In addition, since our journey was for several nights, we carried a tent and all our food.
The rangers were familiar with the area and knew where to set up campsites. The most important thing, they told us, is that you choose a place which is off the regular animal trails. Also important is having a source of water nearby.
We camped in areas where we were able to see some distance. At night in the full moon, we could use binoculars to watch elephants drinking. Each evening we made a campsite to cook food. Dave and I cooked our own food, while Alex and Moses enjoyed their beans and nsima.
The rangers carried automatic rifles for our protection. If an animal were to charge us, there were instructed to fire two shots into the ground to try and scare away the animal first. Only afterwards did they have permission to shoot the animal, unless, of course, it was a rhino (in which case they weren't allowed to shoot it). In the case of a rhino, we were instructed to hide behind a tree. Here we are looking at an elephant skull.
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